The King of Harts – Owen Hart

“In my 4+ decade career, I never heard anyone ever ‘knock’ or speak badly of Owen Hart. That’s high praise” – Jim Ross on Owen Hart

A couple of days ago, it was the birthday of someone who left us way too soon, someone who was considered to be one of the most under rated superstars of all time. When the day approaches every year, it’s like the never ending loop of sadness that rushes through your body, and makes you realize that there are people in this world who cannot be replaced, either as sports entertainers, or as individuals. And when that person is hailed to be the most mischievous and entertaining superstar in the history of the industry, it gets that much worse. The youngest of the famous Hart brothers was Owen Hart, who was athletically gifted and technically sound. Those who never had the fortune of seeing Owen Hart perform can never understand just why people love him so much, even after 14 years since his passing. For those who saw Owen, it was truly a spectacle. Owen Hart enjoyed his life, and while doing so, he made everyone smile. Perhaps that’s the best thing anyone can ever do as a person.

In a business where people do not hesitate to backstab someone and take their spot, Owen was the one genuine individual. Stories of his pranks are legendary in the industry, and every time you hear about someone passing away, it reminds us about how we take things for granted. Through the decades, we have lost superstars such as Andre, Pillman, Eddie and Benoit, but perhaps nothing prepared the fans for what they were going to witness on a PPV in 1999 at the Kemper Arena in Kansas City. During his entrance while descending from the rafters of the arena, Owen Hart’s harness gave away and he fell 80 feet to the ground, and collapsed in the ring. While the PPV was still on – air, fans at home were updated about the passing of Owen Hart.

We as fans need to understand the amount of risks involved while performing in the professional wrestling business. There have been instances where performers suffered career threatening injuries, and even some fatal ones while performing in front of the fans! But the one thing that separated Owen Hart from the rest was the amount of love and support Owen received from the fans. Owen was someone who could go out and put on the match of the night if he wanted to, and unlike the rest in the locker room, Owen Hart never cared about personal glory. Whether he was ‘The Rocket’, or the Blue Blazer, Owen Hart walked out in front of the thousands to entertain them, and give them their money’s worth. Not only did Owen succeed in doing that, but he went on to become the most beloved superstar in the history of the company. The tribute show ‘RAW is Owen’ that aired the next day scored 7.2 in ratings, which was the highest rated RAW in history.

“Owen is the only guy you could have a two-hour show for, and no – one would say a bad word about him” – Shawn Michaels on Owen Hart

Owen Hart was also the younger brother of Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart, and was a part of one of the greatest stables of all time, the Hart Foundation. Owen held the WWF tag team title, the European title and the WWF Intercontinental championship during his tenure as an employee of the WWF. He was also crowned the ‘King of the Ring’ in 1994, and was part of one of the greatest rivalries in the history of the company with his brother Bret Hart. Owen’s passion and drive made him one of the most talented superstars in the history, and many people believe that he was more talented than his older brother, but was never able to get out of his shadow.

To this day, many people remember what the wrestling industry meant to Owen Hart. Not only did the wrestling industry lose its crown jewel, but the world lost an incredible human being. Owen Hart left behind a son and a daughter along with his widowed wife. Owen was one of those rare individuals who could go out and make people laugh. WWF/E has never been the same since that fateful night in Kansas city, and after all these years, the words ‘I am not a nugget’ can still be heard. For all the memories, the fans will always be grateful to ‘The King of Harts’.