Owen James Hart (May 7, 1965 – May 23, 1999) was a Canadian professional wrestler best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation, though he also wrestled for Stampede Wrestling, New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and (for a brief period) World Championship Wrestling. He held the Intercontinental
, European, and WWF World Tag Team Championships, won two Slammy Awards (one of his trademark accomplishments), and won the 1994 King of the Ring tournament. He was also part of the storied Hart family — one of WWE Hall of Famer Stu Hart's many children, he was the brother of WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart and the brother-in-law of both "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith and Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart.
Owen's life came to an end on May 23, 1999 at the WWF pay-per-view Over the Edge. At the time, Owen was in his Blue Blazer gimmick — a pastiche of superhero-type wrestlers — and at Over the Edge, his entrance would have involved him rappelling down from the rafters to a few feet above the ring, then falling on his face as he released himself from the harness. Unfortunately, the harness holding Owen, being held together by a single release point, malfunctioned; he fell nearly 80 feet and landed chest-first on the top rope of the ring. Footage of the moment show some fans cheering at first, as they mistakenly thought the accident was All Part of the Show, before the realization of what actually happened gradually dawns on the crowd. Medical personnel declared Owen dead just minutes after they'd carried him out.
Over the Edge continued after Owen's death, with legendary WWF commentator Jim Ross informing the viewers that Owen Hart had, indeed, died as a result of the fall; the news was not relayed to the crowd attending the event, though. WWE never released Over the Edge on home video in any format, and it retired the event name after that show. (WWE made the show available as part of the WWE Network's on-demand content library, albeit in edited form, out of respect for the Hart family.) The next night, Raw is War held a special tribute show that eventually picked up the nickname Raw is Owen: the company tossed out angles and feuds for a single night so wrestlers could compete in matches to honor Owen, and WWF personalities also relayed stories about Owen in prerecorded interviews (this show would lay the template for the two shows honoring Eddie Guerrero following his death, and a similar show would be put on for Chris Benoit on the day of his death, before the circumstances behind his death became apparent). A few months later, when WCW Monday Nitro came to the Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri (where Owen had died), Bret Hart — who had jumped ship to WCW from the WWF following the Montreal Screwjob — wrestled in a tribute match for Owen against handpicked opponent Chris Benoit.
Owen's widow, Martha, and the rest of the Hart family sued the WWF over the accident; the company eventually settled the case for $18 million (which the Hart family distributed amongst its members). Due to footage of Owen being used in recent WWE DVDs (specifically, a 2010 DVD set centered around the Hart family), Martha filed another lawsuit against WWE. Fans have never forgotten Owen: even a quick mention of his name can bring crowds to start a lengthy "Owen!" chant. Owen has rarely been featured on WWE programming since his death at the wishes of his widow, who founded the Owen Hart Foundation in his memory. In 2021, the Owen Hart Foundation announced a partnership with All Elite Wrestling to create an annual Owen Hart Cup tournament, and to allow AEW to use his likeness in honor of his legacy.
Owen Hart will always be remembered as a loving family man, a great all-around wrestler/performer, and one of the funniest people to ever work in the wrestling business.
"THESE ARE TWO-TIME SLAMMY-AWARD WINNING TROPES! THEY ARE WINNERS! WHOO!":
- Annoying Younger Sibling: To Bret Hart during Owen's heel run in the mid-90s.
- Arch-Enemy: The Smokin' Gunns, Shawn Michaels, HHH, Ken Shamrock.
- Initially supporting his older brother Bret Hart, he turned on Bret in 1994 because he was tired of being in his brother's shadow.
- His 1997 feud with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, which escalated after Owen's botched pildriver gave Stone Cold a neck injury that forced him to vacate the Intercontinental Championship. Owen started mocking Stone Cold in-storyline for his injury, and Austin wasted no time in going after Owen after his return. It got to the point that Stone Cold interfered in Faaroq's match in the latter's match with Owen at Badd Blood: In Your House prior to his in-ring return, just so Austin could be the one to beat Owen for the belt.
- Badass Family: The Harts, one of the wrestling families, no less.
- Bash Brothers:
- Was this with British Bulldog in the ring and real life. The two formed one of the best tag-teams in the mid-90's while also being great pranksters in the locker room.
- Also with Jeff Jarrett. They were travelling partners and close friends years before officially becoming a team.
- Berserk Button:
- Just being made fun of in general; when D-Generation X was doing a parody of The Nation of Domination, Owen stormed to the ring and beat the guy who was doing an impression of him, a Canadian wrestler named Jason Sensation,note to a bloody pulp.note
- He hated being called a "nugget". Coined by Shawn Michaels after Bret Hart, Jim Neidhart and the British Bulldog had left for WCW in the aftermath of the Montreal Screwjob, and Shawn called him "that one last stinky nugget that just won't go down the commode".
- Borrowed Catchphrase: Back on the July 6, 1996 episode of WWF Action Zone, they asked various Superstars the question, "What's the best thing about America?" Owen put over Canada and added, "USA, *ahh-ptooey!"
- Cain and Abel: With his brother Bret, from turning heel in 1994, to making up with Bret in 1997 (after Bret's heel turn).
- Catchphrase: Gained "Well, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! AND IT'S TIME FOR A CHANGE!" following his Face–Heel Turn.
- Cool Mask: Wore a blue and white mask during his days as the Blue Blazer.
- Dead Artists Are Better: Owen Hart is more well known in death than he was when he was alive, due to the fact that he has never faded from public memory due to the tragedy of his death.
- Dirty Coward: His character upon his heel turn was basically the sneakiest, most devious little weasel who would cheat at every opportunity.
- Dude, Where's My Respect?: His character's motivations for his heel turn seemed to have basis on this; he tried to keep the Hart name high while Bret was on his solo run, but ended up being obscured by Bret's said run.
- Ermine Cape Effect: After he won the King of the Ring tournament, he came to the ring with the full KOR regalia—a gaudy Ermine Cape, a huge crown, and a scepter.
- Evil Is Hammy: Post-heel turn Owen is a masterclass in being a whiny, obnoxious Heel that doesn't shut his mouth.
- Fat and Skinny: When he was tagging with Yokozuna. They're the heaviest tag team champions in WWE history... despite the fact that Owen was a cruiserweight (though a borderline one at 227). This is especially impressive when you consider that Kane and The Big Show have both been part of a champion tag team.
- Happily Married: He was to Martha since 1989. They were even planning to have a third child at the time of his death.
- It Runs in the Family: He came from a family dedicated to Professional Wrestling like the Harts.
- Jack of All Stats: He mastered an amazingly varied moveset, making him one of the most well-rounded wrestlers ever. He could even also be an intentionally crappy wrestler whenever he felt like amusing the guys.
- Large Ham: Owen was not nominated for anything at the 1997 Slammy Awards. After the nominees for "Best Bow Tie", Mr. Bob Backlund, Nation of Domination manager Clarence Mason, and Steven Q. Urkel, (who was, of course, not in attendance), were announced, Owen jumped on stage and named himself the winner."Yes! I did it! I won! I'm a winner- whoo! Bulldog, you might have two titlesnote but you don't have two Slammys... but I do, because I'm a winner- whoo!"
- Lightning Bruiser: A great high-flyer, sensational technical wrestler and a pretty good brawler who could throw out amazing power suplexes.
- No-Sell:
- Mick Foley recounts in his first book a particularly hilarious use of this by Owen. While in a tag team against his brother Bret, Owen was put in the Sharpshooter and just laid there, not selling it. Bret cranked it back and Owen still wasn't selling, even mocking how it wasn't hurting him. Eventually, Bret cranks it back one last time and Owen suddenly starts selling it like it's the worst pain in his life. His tag partner, his brother-in-law the British Bulldog, was thoroughly amused as usual.
- He apparently did this to The Rock in a match in Germany during the latter's
Rocky Mavia stint. Throughout the match, a 4vs4 tag team match featuring The Undertaker, Bret and the British Bulldog, Owen was the subject of repeated attacks against his leg with him rolling around in pain. Then Rocky comes in and starts kicking away at his leg... with Owen just sitting there with a bored look (he even waves to the audience). - A very subtle one, going by what Mick Foley wrote in his first book. Mick described a match Owen had with Marc Mero where Mero hit Owen with a shoulder tackle as Owen came off of the ropes, and, instead of taking the standard flat back bump, Owen slowly fell as if he was a tree. He also did a slow, heavy stomp toward Mero into a hiptoss that was more like an ankle roll. Mick wondered if he was having a bad night until he saw Davey Boy Smith cracking up at it, and Mick realized that, while Owen was deliberately stinking up the joint, he was doing it to amuse the other wrestlers, since they were the only ones who would have been able to pick up on it.
- Parts Unknown: Billed from there as the Blue Blazer.
- Power Stable:
- Camp Cornette, with Yokozuna (later replaced by Vader) and the British Bulldog.
- The New Hart Foundation of mid '90s, with the other Harts wrestling with the WWF at the time (Bret, Neidhart, The Bulldog, and Hart confidant Brian Pillman).
- Was also the Token Minority in The Nation of Domination for a time.
- Real Men Wear Pink: As members of the Hart family usually do, he wore pink and black as his wrestling gear colors, and as members of the Hart family also usually are, he was one of the best wrestlers around.
- Red Baron: "The Rocket," "The Avenger," "The King of Harts," "The Two-Time Slammy-Award Winning," "The Blackhart".
- Shaped Like Itself: After turning on his brother Bret, Owen, as is custom, cut a promo explaining the motivations for his Face–Heel Turn. Which he ended with a now-famous botched line, "And that's why I kicked your leg out of your leg."
- Sibling Rivalry: In kayfabe, Owen strove to get out of his brother's shadow and make a name for himself, which led to the two becoming rivals.
- Small Role, Big Impact: Owen originally joined The Nation to gain backup in his war against D-Generation X. This would eventually lead to one of the greatest feuds in WWE history between The Rock and Triple H.
- Squash Match: Defeated Skinner (Steve Keirn) in 1:11 at WrestleMania VIII.
- Strong Family Resemblance: His son Oje is the spitting image of him.
- Tag Team:
- The New Foundation, w/Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, early 1992 WWE.
- High Energy, w/Koko B. Ware, 1992-1993.
- Two-time WWF Tag Team Champions w/Yokozuna, 1995-1996.
- The one w/"The British Bulldog" in 1997 was called one of the best tag teams of all time.
- Canadian Country, w/Jeff Jarrett, 1999.
- Token White: During Owen's stint in the Nation; he was the only white guy in a stable where everyone else (The Rock, D'Lo Brown, Kama Mustafa, and Mark Henry) were black men.
- Unsportsmanlike Gloating: Whenever the topic of his Slammys came up in a conversation, which was usually at his own accord.
- Un-person: The WWE has had more or less no choice but to avoid bringing him up as much as possible. Not for the same reason as Chris Benoit, obviously, but due to his family filing a lawsuit against the company, prohibiting them from using his likeness in any form of media (except for any videos he appears in on the Network or historical highlights/top 10s on their YouTube channel), he's sadly become this.
- Verbal Tic: "Whoo!"
- Villainous Breakdown: His catchphrase was coined after having one at Unforgiven 1998, when he was cheated by Triple H and Chyna one too many times, even saying he was "sick of this bullshit".
- Wrestling Family: One of the many, many Harts involved with wrestling.
- I tried to be a nice guy... I tried to play by the rules...
You turned your backs on me!
I snapped. I was a victim! Well, ENOUGH! IS ENOUGH!
