Breakups are a regular thing in life and business. We often have disagreements that seem big at the time but are over something minor when we look back. Other times, it’s a heart-rendering act that tears us a part and it can take years, if ever, to move beyond. More times than not, just getting to a point where we can forgive enough to cross paths is a huge step. This day in wrestling history, April 1, 2006, is about one such moment.
Hart attack
Bret Hart’s career was one of hard work and persistence as he put forth his best effort every night to entertain us and to allow everyone participating to walk away under their own power.
He was unique in that he wasn’t a big guy like Hulk Hogan, but more in the normal-size range like Ted Dibiase. Like DiBiase, Bret was a highly intelligent wrestler as he grew up the middle of thirteen children and was taught by his father, Stu Hart.
Stu Hart had trained some of the best wrestlers in the “Hart dungeon” in the basement of their house. His students were highly skilled in the technical aspects as well as the storyline aspect, which was understandable as he owned and ran Stampede Wrestling in Calgary, Alberta. Stampede Wrestling was in business for nearly 50 years as it competed against larger promotions like the NWA and Pacific Northwest Wrestling.
Joining his brother-in-law Jim “The Anvil” Niedhart to form the tag team the Hart Foundation. Through the 1980s and early ‘90s, the Hart Foundation became one of the best tag teams in the world as they won numerous tag team championships before Bret went into singles competition when some of WWE’s top stars moved to WCW.
Rise to the Hall of Fame
Bret Hart’s work ethic was second to none as he worked his way up the ladder until he became the top performer in the professional wrestling world.
As the hottest commodity, Bret played the central role in putting over Steve Austin in WrestleMania 13 before his feud with Shawn Michaels.
This latest feud would signal the end of his time with WWE, thanks mainly to Vince McMahon’s orchestration of the Montreal Screwjob.
Bret had always been honorable and was a man of his word and had thought he worked out the best way for him to leave the company for WCW, but McMahon had other ideas.
Following his move to WCW, Bret’s career didn’t match the heights it had in the WWE as claims he had phoned in his performances surfaced.
For his part, Bret remained professional, but he did say no one would be able to say he took professional wrestling too serious again. This was more a statement to having his heart ripped out by McMahon than his ability or willingness to perform.
When Bret’s baby brother, Owen, died in an accident in WWE, it appeared there was no mending the fence between Bret and McMahon, but Bret had promised if he was put into the Hall of Fame, he’d be there.
This was the first time since 1997 that Bret worked with the WWE, and he joined other greats like announcer/interviewer Gene Orkerlund, the Blackjacks, Tony Atlas, Sensational Sherri Martel, and Eddie Guerrero (posthumously).
Since then, Bret has worked with the WWE off and on, and in 2019 appeared at AEW’s inaugural pay-per-view to unveil the AEW World Championship.
Bret Hart recently announced he has skin cancer, but he’s remained a supportive individual for those in need as he’s recently been sharing local businesses on his social media to help them survive during the coronavirus outbreak. In many ways, he’s the ideal role model, and it’s great to see him make some sort of peace with others over the years and we wish him nothing but the best.
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