Bruce Hart (wrestler)

Last updated

Bruce Hart
Bruce Hart (wrestler) (cropped).jpg
Hart in 1997
Birth nameBruce Edward Hart [1]
Born (1950-01-13) January 13, 1950 (age 74) [2]
Great Falls, Montana, U.S. [3] [4]
Spouse(s)
Andrea Reding
​
​
(m. 1987;div. 2004)​
Children5
Family Hart
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s) Bruce Hart
Billed height5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) [2]
Billed weight212 lb (96 kg) [2]
Billed from Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Trained by Stu Hart [2]
Debut1972 [5]
Retired2012

Bruce Edward Hart [1] [6] (born January 13, 1950) [7] is an American-born Canadian retired professional wrestler, promoter, booker, trainer and school teacher. He is a second-generation wrestler and a member of the Hart wrestling family, being the second child of Stu and Helen Hart. He is best known for his time in Stampede Wrestling and several appearances for WWE, often with his brothers Bret and Owen.

Contents

As a wrestler Hart carried a number of championships, including the Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship and participated in WWF's Survivor Series.

Early life

While his mother was pregnant with Hart she and her husband Stu suffered an automobile accident. This resulted in his older brother Smith being cared for by their maternal grandparents for almost two years while Helen recovered in the hospital. [8]

He is of Greek descent through his maternal grandmother and Irish through his maternal grandfather. [9] [10] [11] [12] His father was mainly of Scots-Irish descent but also had Scottish and English ancestry. [13] [14] Hart is a dual citizen of Canada and the United States. [15] [16]

Professional wrestling career

Stampede Wrestling (1972-1990)

Headlining and injury (1972–1977)

Bruce Hart began his wrestling training in 1971, at the age of 21, in his father's training school "The Dungeon". Trained by Stu Hart, Bruce, like the rest of his family, was trained in and focused on a technically sound, amateur wrestling style.

He debuted in 1972, in his fathers Calgary promotion, Stampede Wrestling, tag teaming with Dan Kroffat in the main event, against North American Champion Kendo Nagasaki (the original masked British version) and his manager "Gorgeous" George Gillette (billed in Canada as "Lord Sloane of Kensington Gore".) [5] For the next six months he remained a headline performer for the promotion, working against the likes of John Quinn, Benny Ramirez, Frank Butcher, Tor Kamata, Chatti Yokuchi and Yasu Fuji. In June 1973, he suffered a serious shoulder injury which sidelined him for 9 months and nearly finished his career. He returned in the summer of 1974, and continued as performer in Western Canada. Hart kept wrestling on and off but had relatively few matches until after 1977. [17]

Time in England and Germany (1977–1978)

He traveled to the United Kingdom in 1977, where he wrestled under the name "Bronco" Bruce Hart for the London based Joint Promotions. [18]

While there, he met a young Tom Billington and offered him an opportunity to wrestle for Stampede, which Billington declined. [19] After a falling out with Joint Promotions, Billington, using the ring name Dynamite Kid, traveled to Canada and joined Stampede. [20] Dynamite quickly became a huge star in Western Canada. As a result, Hart invited Billington's younger cousin, David Smith, to also come to Western Canada. Smith, who originally wrestled as Young David, later became known as Davey Boy Smith (after British lightweight boxing champion - Dave Boy Green) after Hart decided that it was a better ring name. [21]

In 1978 Hart and Billington worked together as a tag team in the German promotion Catch Wrestling Association, they wrestled against Angel Grey and Michael Seitz. Hart also worked in singles matches against Seitz. [22]

While working in Germany, Hart observed the German system of yellow cards to signify formal warnings (as with "Public Warnings" in British wrestling and "Avertisements" in French wrestling) three of which resulted in a red card and disqualification. He would subsequently bring this system back to Stampede where it was also imposed. [23] [19]

Booking and work in Japan (1979–1984)

From 1979 until 1984, Hart was in large part in charge of matchmaking and talent development, selling out regularly and producing a myriad of successful wrestlers, including: Jake Roberts, the Junkyard Dog, Jim Neidhart, "Dr. D." Dave Shultz, Honky Tonk Man, Bad News Allen (aka Bad News Brown) and Bret "the Hitman" Hart, the period was one where the company was generally breaking even.

In 1979 Hart won his first championship, the Stampede World Mid-Heavyweight Title from Dick Steinborn. [24] In 1980 Hart won two championships, the World Mid-Heavyweight Title for a second time and the Stampede British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Title. By the end of 1982 Hart won the Stampede British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Championship two times and then a third time by the beginning of 1983. [25]

In 1983 Hart worked for New Japan Pro Wrestling in their NJPW Bloody Fight Series. There he worked in singles matches against wrestlers such as Kengo Kimura, Kantaro Hoshino, Ryuma Go, Kuniaki Kobayashi and in tag team matches with wrestlers such as Bad News Allen and Tony St. Clair against Akira Maeda and Kengo Kimura with the former and against Isamu Teranishi and Rusher Kimura with the later as well as participating in three man tag matches with Dick Murdoch and Tony St. Clair against Antonio Inoki, Osamu Kido and Seiji Sakaguchi. Hart later in the year returned to Stampede. [26] In March 1984 while back in Stampede Hart became Stampede International Tag Team Champion together with Davey Boy Smith. [25]

Hart returned to New Japan in early April 1984 for the NJPW Big Fight Series where he primarily wrestled in singles matches, several of which were with Norio Honaga but also against other wrestlers such as Nobuhiko Takada, Tatsutoshi Goto, Masanobu Kurisu, Makoto Arakawa, Fumihiro Niikura, Isamu Teranishi. He also took part in one known tag match, partnering with Hercules Ayala against Haruka Eigen and Kantaro Hoshino. [26]

Near the end of 1984, Bruce's father, Stu, accepted an offer from WWF president, Vince McMahon, to sell the promotion for $1,000,000, plus 10% of all subsequent WWF gates in Western Canada to the WWF. As part of the deal, several Stampede superstars, including Bret Hart, Dynamite Kid, Davey Boy and Neidhart also joined the WWF. However, several months later, Bruce violated the terms of the agreement by assisting a rival promotion in the territory, leading McMahon to renege on the deal. [27]

Promoting (1985–1990)

As a result, near the end of 1985, Stu Hart decided to re-open the promotion with Bruce running most of it. Initially, the promotion, which had been hurt by the loss of most of its well-known wrestlers, struggled to remain afloat. As a consequence, Bruce chose to feature a new, edgier and more hard core style of wrestling - featuring villains: the Karachi Vice (Makhan and Vokhan Singh and the Great Gama), the Viet Cong Express (Hiroshi Hase and Nubohiko Niikura) Jason the Terrible, the masked Zodiak (Barry Orton) and younger babyfaces, such as Owen Hart, Ben Bassarab, Chris Benoit, Jushin Thunder Liger and the tag team Bad Company (Bruce Hart and Brian Pillman). In short order, the promotion would survive for the next several years, drawing reasonable gates and turning out a number of performers who would go on to have decent careers in other companies after the promotion's collapse. Despite this, the promotion suffered backstage due to Bruce and his father Stu having grave disagreements about how to handle storylines. [28] The promotion shut down in 1989 when Stu's promoter's license expired and they could not afford to pay for a new one. [29]

During this period Hart won five titles, the Stampede British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Championship for the fifth time, the Stampede British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Championship for the sixth time, the Stampede International Tag Team Championship for the third time with Brian Pillman as Bad Company, the Stampede International Tag Team Championship for the fourth time, again with Brian Pillman and the Stampede British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Championship for the seventh time. [25]

World Wrestling Federation (1992–1994)

Hart has made several appearances with his brothers Bret and Owen in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Bruce made his first appearance on the August 16, 1992, episode of WWF Superstars, where he sided with Davey Boy Smith in the run-up to SummerSlam 92. [30] Bruce made his first in-ring appearance at the 1993 Survivor Series pay-per-view, teaming with his brothers Bret, Owen and Keith to take on Shawn Michaels and his "Knights" (The Red Knight, The Blue Knight and The Black Knight). The Knights theme was used as the team was supposed to be led by Jerry "The King" Lawler, who was having legal troubles at the same time as his feud with Bret Hart and was replaced by Michaels. The Hart Brothers won the match, with Owen being the only team member eliminated. [31] [ unreliable source ]

Owen's failure ignited a lengthy feud between Bret and Owen that would last for several years. The Owen and Bret feud was originally conceived as a feud between Bret and Bruce but Bret proposed to make it between him and Owen instead as he believed the dynamic for them would be superior. [31] At the 1994 SummerSlam, the two brothers competed in a Steel Cage match for the WWF Championship. [32] Bruce and several Hart brothers interfered in the match by climbing the cage. Bruce also appeared on an episode of Monday Night Raw in the summer of 1994. [33]

Ultimate Championship Wrestling (1996–1997)

Bruce Hart, Jim Neidhart, Marty Jannetty, Chris Chavis (Tatanka) UCW 1997 MartyjannettybrucehartjimneidharttatankaUCW.jpg
Bruce Hart, Jim Neidhart, Marty Jannetty, Chris Chavis (Tatanka) UCW 1997

In 1996 Bruce Hart made a comeback to the ring with the independent New York based promotion Ultimate Championship Wrestling (UCW), where he wrestled with the likes of Chris Chavis, his brother-in-law Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, Falcon Coperis, and Marty Jannetty and feuding with wrestlers such as Tiger Khan. [34]

In UCW Hart was involved in and developed an nWo type storyline in which he and former WWE wrestlers portrayed greedy lazy fat-cat type villains who looked down on and used the younger rookie talent at the shows to make money and gain power in the promotion. [21]

Hart was instrumental in the development of the young talent of the UCW. [35] [36]

Return to World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (1997, 2010)

Bruce's next WWF appearance was at In Your House 16: Canadian Stampede when he interfered in the main event which pitted The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart, Owen Hart, British Bulldog, Brian Pillman and Jim Neidhart) against Stone Cold Steve Austin, Ken Shamrock, Goldust and Legion of Doom (Hawk and Animal). Bruce played a key role in the finish of the match as he scuffled with Austin, allowing Owen to score the pinfall victory over Austin. [37] [38]

Bruce's next and most recent appearance in the renamed WWE was at WrestleMania XXVI, where he was the surprise Special Guest Referee for his brother Bret's first WWE match in 13 years, a No Holds Barred Lumberjack match against the WWE chairman Vince McMahon. McMahon thought that Bruce and the rest of Hart family were on his side, but they all turned on him and helped Bret win the match. [39]

Promoting Stampede Wrestling (1999–2005)

Hart has attempted to revive Stampede Wrestling numerous times. In the late 90s Hart collaborated with his brother Ross Hart as promoters and bookers, this incarnation of Stampede Wrestling featured many third-generation members of the Hart family, including Natalya Neidhart, Teddy Hart and David Hart Smith. [40]

In 2001 Hart won the Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship for the first time. In 2002 he won four titles, the Stampede International Tag Team Titles a fifth time with his nephew Teddy Hart, the Stampede British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Championship for the eight and last time, the Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship as well as the Stampede International Tag Team Championships for the last time with TJ Wilson. [25]

One of Hart's last matches for his and Ross's incarnation of Stampede Wrestling was in June 2003 in a match for the Stampede British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Title against Duke Durrango which Hart lost, leaving over the title to Durrango. [41]

Teaching and miscellaneous work (1990–present)

In 2011 Hart wrestled in a Four-On-Three-Handicap-Match for Stampede Next Generation Stampede Wrestling together with his nephew Teddy Hart and Hal Eagletail against Big Jess, DerRic Super Starlight, The Inuit Warrior and Wyatt Beaver. [41]

In 2012 Hart wrestled his last match for Real Canadian Wrestlings 9th Anniversary Show in a Six-Man-Tag-Team-No-Disqualiication where he wrestled against Andrew Hawks, Kid Kash and nephew Teddy Hart together with Heavy Metal and Tommy Lee Curtis. [42]

He was a trainer at the original Hart Brothers University wrestling school during the 1990s. In June 2013, Hart resurrected the wrestling school. He continues to train wrestlers at the school together with his sons Torrin and Bruce Jr. in his hometown of Calgary, AB. Some of the wrestlers he has trained include Chris Benoit, David Hart Smith, Natalya, Teddy Hart and Tyson Kidd. [43]

Since 2014 Hart has a weekly column and runs a podcast for the multimedia website PWP Nation formerly co hosted by wrestler and journalist Jordan Garber and Jay Alletto. [44]

Other media

Hart has appeared on several wrestling documentaries, including the 2010 documentary Survival of the Hitman which is about his younger brother Bret Hart and the WWE released Hart and Soul: The Hart Family Anthology in which he has a segment dedicated to his career. [45] [ unreliable source ] [46]

He was also present on the stage when his father Stu Hart was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. [47]

Personal life

In 2011 Hart published an autobiography entitled Straight from the Hart .

Family

He has five children with his ex-wife, Andrea Hart: daughters Brit and Lara and sons Torrin, Bruce Jr. and Rhettger Hart. Rhett was born three months premature and suffers from cerebral palsy. [48] Two of Bruce Hart's sons, Bruce Jr and Torrin, have been involved in pro wrestling. [49]

Hart and his wife Andrea separated for a period from 2000 and Andrea started a relationship with Hart's former brother-in-law Davey Boy Smith until Smith's death in 2002. Andrea and Hart later reconciled but separated again after a time. [50] [51] Andrea died on December 27, 2019, at the age of 52.

Championships and accomplishments

Luchas de Apuestas record

Winner (wager)Loser (wager)LocationEventDateNotes
Bruce Hart (mask)Ted Allen (mask)Calgary, AlbertaStampede CalgaryMarch 4, 1983 [66] [67]
Bruce Hart (hair) Dynamite Kid (hair)Calgary, AlbertaStampede1988 [lower-alpha 2]

Notes

  1. ↑ TJ Wilson replaced Teddy Hart after Hart suffered an injury.
  2. ↑ The loss resulted in Dynamite Kid's manager J.R. Foley having his head shaved since Dynamite's hair was already so short cut. [68]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stu Hart</span> Canadian professional and amateur wrestler, promoter, and trainer (1915–2003)

Stewart Edward Hart was a Canadian amateur and professional wrestler, wrestling booker, promoter, coach, trainer, football player and sailor. He is best known for founding and handling Stampede Wrestling, a professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta, teaching many individuals at its associated wrestling school "The Dungeon" and establishing a professional wrestling dynasty consisting of his relatives and close trainees. As the patriarch of the Hart wrestling family, Hart is the ancestor of many wrestlers, most notably being the father of Bret and Owen Hart as well as the grandfather of Natalya Neidhart, Teddy Hart and David Hart Smith.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Davey Boy Smith</span> British professional wrestler

David Smith was an English-Canadian professional wrestler best known for his appearances in the United States with the World Wrestling Federation under the ring names Davey Boy Smith and The British Bulldog.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Pillman</span> American professional wrestler and football player (1962–1997)

Brian William Pillman was an American professional wrestler and professional football player best known for his appearances in Stampede Wrestling in the 1980s and World Championship Wrestling (WCW), Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), and World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in the 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Neidhart</span> American-Canadian professional wrestler (1955–2018)

James Henry Neidhart was an American professional wrestler known for his appearances in the 1980s and 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation as Jim "the Anvil" Neidhart, where he was a two-time WWF Tag Team Champion with his real-life brother-in-law Bret Hart in the Hart Foundation. He also won titles in Stampede Wrestling, Championship Wrestling from Florida, Mid-South Wrestling, Memphis Championship Wrestling and the Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation. He was part of the Hart wrestling family through marriage to his wife Ellie Hart, teaming with various members throughout his career, and appearing with his daughter Natalya Neidhart on the reality television show Total Divas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dynamite Kid</span> British professional wrestler (1958–2018)

Thomas Billington, best known by the ring name the Dynamite Kid, was a British professional wrestler.

Keith William Hart is an American born-Canadian retired professional wrestler and firefighter. He is a member of the Hart wrestling family and the third child of Helen and Stu Hart, CM. He is best known for his work for Stampede Wrestling and several appearances for WWE, often with his siblings Bret, Owen, Bruce and Diana. In Stampede he won several championships and for WWE he participated in the seventh edition of Survivor Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The British Bulldogs</span> Professional wrestling tag team

The British Bulldogs were a professional wrestling tag team consisting of cousins Davey Boy Smith and Dynamite Kid. They competed throughout the 1980s in Britain, North America and Japan and have consistently ranked among the top tag teams in history. Both men died prematurely.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smith Hart</span> American-Canadian professional wrestler

Smith Stewart Hart was an American-Canadian professional wrestler and a member of the Hart wrestling family. His parents were Stu and Helen Hart. Smith was the first of their twelve children, being one of their eight sons, Bruce, Keith, Wayne, Dean, Bret, Ross and Owen followed him. Hart is also the father of two professional wrestlers, Mike and Matt Hart. Hart wrestled for the majority of his career in Canada but also worked briefly in other countries and is best known for his time in Stampede Wrestling and for his appearances for WWE. He died in 2017 due to prostate cancer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dean Hart</span> Canadian professional wrestler, amateur wrestler and referee

Dean Harry Anthony Hart was a Canadian–American amateur wrestler, professional wrestler, referee, wrestling as well as music promoter and member of the Hart family who wrestled in Canadian regional promotions during the 1970s and 1980s, most notably in the Calgary-based Stampede Wrestling. He was the son of Stu and Helen Hart and the younger brother of Smith, Bruce, Keith and Wayne, as well as older brother of Ellie, Georgia, Bret, Alison, Ross, Diana and Owen Hart. Dean was widely regarded as the most handsome of the Hart brothers. He died at the age of 36 in 1990, from a heart attack induced by kidney failure.

Benjamin Bassarab is a Canadian former bodybuilder and professional wrestler, best known for his appearances for Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling promotion throughout the 1980s. Bassarab is a two time Stampede International Tag Team champion. Wrestling historian Dave Meltzer described Bassarab as a semi-spectacular in-ring performer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stampede Wrestling</span> Canadian professional wrestling company

Stampede Wrestling was a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta. For nearly 50 years, it was one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies. Originally established by Stu Hart in 1948, the promotion competed with other promotions such as NWA All-Star Wrestling and Pacific Northwest Wrestling and regularly ran events in Calgary's Victoria Pavilion, Ogden Auditorium and the Stampede Corral between 1948 and 1984. Bought out by promoter Vince McMahon, the company was briefly run by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) before being sold back to the Hart family the following year. Run by Bruce Hart until January 1990, he and Ross Hart reopened the promotion in 1999 and began running events in the Alberta area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gama Singh</span> Canadian professional and amateur wrestler

Gadowar Singh Sahota ; born December 8, 1954) is an Indo-Canadian semi-retired professional wrestler known as Gama Singh and Great Gama Sahota was a villainous mainstay and top attraction in Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling in Calgary for much of the 1970s and 1980s. Sahota also wrestled internationally in Japan, South Africa, Germany, Kuwait, Dubai, Oman, Australia, the United States and the Caribbean. He also worked sporadically, mostly on overseas tours, for Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1980 to 1986. His nephew is former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal. Singh made a brief comeback of sorts in 2018, when he signed with Impact Wrestling as the manager for a stable of Indian wrestlers known as the Desi Hit Squad, but quietly left in 2020.

Diana Joyce Hart is a Canadian-American writer, model, valet and wrestling personality. She is the youngest daughter of Canadian wrestling promoter Stu Hart and was the second to last child born to Stu and his wife Helen. She is best known for her several appearances for Stampede Wrestling and WWE often with her brothers Bret and Owen Hart as well as her husband Davey Boy Smith, and for her book, Under the Mat.

<i>Bret "Hit Man" Hart: The Best There Is, the Best There Was, the Best There Ever Will Be</i> 2005 film

Bret "Hit Man" Hart: The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be also known as The Bret Hart Story: The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be is a 2005 documentary film released as part of a three-DVD set on November 15, 2005, by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). The documentary chronicles the career of popular WWE wrestler Bret Hart. Hart collaborated with WWE to make the documentary, contributing hours of interview content to the film. This collaboration marked the first time Hart had worked in an on camera capacity with WWE since the Montreal Screwjob, which was Hart's last in-ring appearance with the company until his return on January 4, 2010. The documentary chronicles Bret Hart's wrestling career, from how he broke into the business as a member of the Hart family to his run in World Championship Wrestling (WCW).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Owen Hart</span> Canadian wrestler (1965–1999)

Owen James Hart was a Canadian professional wrestler who worked for several promotions including Stampede Wrestling, New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). He received most of his success in the WWF, where he wrestled under both his own name and the ring name The Blue Blazer.

The Hart wrestling family, sometimes known as the Hart dynasty, is a mainly Canadian family with a significant history within professional wrestling. The patriarch of the family was wrestling legend Stu Hart (1915–2003). An amateur and professional wrestling performer, promoter and trainer, Stu owned and operated his own wrestling promotion, Stampede Wrestling. He also trained some of the most well known stars in wrestling history including "Superstar" Billy Graham, Fritz Von Erich, Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit, and his own sons Bret Hart and Owen Hart.

<i>Under the Mat</i> Book by Diana Hart

Under the Mat: Inside Wrestling's Greatest Family is a book co-written by Diana Hart and journalist Kirstie McLellan. The subtitle, Inside Wrestling's Greatest Family, refers to the Canadian Hart wrestling family, which includes wrestlers such as Smith Hart, Bruce Hart, Keith Hart, Dean Hart, Bret Hart, Ross Hart, Owen Hart, Teddy Hart, David Hart Smith and Natalya Neidhart among others. The book is highly controversial and was pulled from stores after Martha Hart, widow of Owen Hart and Diana Hart's sister-in-law, filed a lawsuit. The book became an Alberta top ten nonfiction best-seller on its release.

Ross Lindsay Hart is a Canadian-American retired professional wrestler, promoter, trainer, booker, TV producer, coach and actor. Hart is a member of the Hart wrestling family and the second youngest son of Stu and Helen Hart. He is best known for his work in Stampede Wrestling and several appearances in WWE, often with his siblings Bruce, Keith, Bret, Diana and Owen Hart.

Bradley Joseph Annis is an American retired bodybuilder, powerlifter, fitness guru, professional wrestler, gym owner and firefighter. Annis is best known for his work for Stampede Wrestling and his ownership and handling of the Calgary gym at which many of the wrestlers trained. Annis is married to Georgia Hart, the daughter of wrestler Stu and wrestling promoter Helen Hart.

<i>Stu Hart: Lord of the Ring</i>

Stu Hart: Lord of the Ring is a 2002 biography of Canadian professional wrestler and promoter Stu Hart, written by journalist Marsha Erb and published by ECW Press. The book is generally considered to be the most in-depth work on Hart's life and career.

References

  1. 1 2 Hart, Diana; McLellan, Kirstie (2001). Under the Mat: Inside Wrestling's Greatest Family . Fenn. p. 22 pp. ISBN   1-55168-256-7.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Bruce Hart Profile". Online World of Wrestling. Archived from the original on August 7, 2012. Retrieved February 5, 2008.
  3. ↑ Surviving The Dungeon Extra: Ross Hart on The Hart Siblings (1 of 2)
  4. ↑ "Smith Hart on The Hart Family's ties to Long Island, the city of Long Beach, and more". noplacelikelongisland.com. No Place Likelong Island. May 19, 2016. Archived from the original on May 26, 2016. Retrieved May 31, 2015.
  5. 1 2 Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Bruce Hart Matches – 10". Cagematch – The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023. 01.12.1972 – Bruce Hart & Dan Kroffat vs. Kendo Nagasaki & Lord Sloane
  6. ↑ Historical Dictionary of Wrestling. Scarecrow Press, inc. 2014. p. 367 pp. ISBN   978-0-8108-7926-3.
  7. ↑ McCoy, Heath (2007). Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling . ECW Press. p.  33. ISBN   978-1-55022-787-1.
  8. ↑ Heath McCoy (2007). Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling . ECWPress. p.  37 pp. ISBN   978-1-55022-787-1.
  9. ↑ Hart, Bret (2007). Hitman: My real life in the cartoon world of wrestling. Ebury Press. p. 8 pp. ISBN   9780091932862.
  10. ↑ Letawsky, Craig (May 7, 2002). "Ask 411 - 5.07.02". 411wrestling.com. Archived from the original on November 17, 2007.
  11. ↑ Hart, Diana; McLellan, Kirstie (2001). Under the Mat: Inside Wrestling's Greatest Family . Fenn. p. 16 pp. ISBN   1-55168-256-7.
  12. ↑ Heath McCoy (2007). Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling . ECWPress. p.  30 pp. ISBN   978-1-55022-787-1.
  13. ↑ Slamthology: Collected Wrestling Writings 1991-2004. jnlister. 2005. p. 252 pp. ISBN   1-4116-5329-7.
  14. ↑ Heath McCoy (2007). Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling . ECWPress. p.  16 pp. ISBN   978-1-55022-787-1.
  15. ↑ Martha Hart; Eric Francis (2004). Broken Harts: The Life and Death of Owen Hart. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 84 pp. ISBN   978-1-59077-036-8.
  16. ↑ "An open letter to Shawn Michaels". http: canoe. May 17, 1997. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016.
  17. ↑ "Bruce Hart: Years". WrestlingData.com.
  18. ↑ McCoy, Heath (2007). Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling . ECW Press. p.  133. ISBN   978-1-55022-787-1.
  19. 1 2 Billington, Tom (2001). Pure Dynamite: The Price You Pay for Wrestling Stardom. Winding Stair Press. p. 14. ISBN   978-1-55366-084-2.
  20. ↑ Billington, Tom (2001). Pure Dynamite: The Price You Pay for Wrestling Stardom. Winding Stair Press. p. 15. ISBN   978-1-55366-084-2.
  21. 1 2 Hart, Bruce (2011). Straight From the Hart. ECW Press. p. ?. ISBN   978-1-55022-939-4.
  22. ↑ "Bruce Hart: Matches, 9". CageMatch.net.
  23. ↑ From The Desk Of Stuart Saks, Pro Wrestling Illustrated June 1988 - editorial column on the yellow/red card system in Stampede Wrestling
  24. 1 2 "Stampede Wrestling World Mid-Heavyweight Title". Wrestling-Titles.com.
  25. 1 2 3 4 "Bruce Hart: Titles". CageMatch.net.
  26. 1 2 "Bruce Hart: Matches, 6". CageMatch.net.
  27. ↑ Hart, Bret (2007). Hitman: My real life in the cartoon world of wrestling. Ebury Press. p. 170 pp. ISBN   9780091932862.
  28. ↑ Heath McCoy (2007). Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling . ECWPress. p.  220 pp. ISBN   978-1-55022-787-1.
  29. ↑ Heath McCoy (2007). Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling . ECWPress. p.  233 pp. ISBN   978-1-55022-787-1.
  30. ↑ "1992". thehistoryofwwe.com. January 16, 2023.
  31. 1 2 Giri, Raj (March 27, 2014). "Bret Hart On Who Was Supposed To Be In Owen Hart's Place For Their Feud". Wrestlinginc.com. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  32. ↑ Droste, Ryan (July 3, 2015). "WWE news: ex-wife of British Bulldog petitioning for his induction into WWE Hall Of Fame". Inquisitr . Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  33. ↑ Cawthon, Graham (2013). the History of Professional Wrestling Vol 2: WWF 1990 - 1999. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ASIN   B00RWUNSRS.
  34. ↑ Archer, Jeff (1998). Theater in a Squared Circle: The Mystique of Professional Wrestling. White-Boucke Pub. p. 98. ISBN   978-1888580068.
  35. ↑ Hart, Bruce (2011). Straight From the Hart. ECW Press. p. 55. ISBN   978-1-55022-939-4.
  36. ↑ Oliver, Greg (June 29, 2006). "Stampede stars remember Tiger Khan". Slam! Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the original on January 12, 2016. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  37. ↑ Hart, Bret (2008). Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling . Grand Central Publishing. p.  432. ISBN   978-0-446-53972-2.
  38. ↑ Hart, Bruce (2011). Straight From the Hart. ECW Press. p. 207. ISBN   978-1-55022-939-4.
  39. ↑ "Bret Hart def. Mr. McMahon in a No Holds Barred Match". WWE. March 28, 2010. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  40. ↑ Heath McCoy (2005). Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling. CanWest Books. p. 283 pp. ISBN   978-1-55022-787-1.
  41. 1 2 "Bruce Hart: Matches, 1". CageMatch.net.
  42. ↑ "RCW 9th Anniversary Show". CageMatch.net.
  43. ↑ "Bruce Hart: Entourage". Cagematch. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
  44. ↑ "DAILY UPDATE: AAA MEGA TITLE TOURNAMENT, WWE STAR TO APPEAR ON ESPN". f4wonline.com. Wrestling Observer Newsletter. November 10, 2015.
  45. ↑ "Bret Hart Documentary To Air For Free, $5 Wrestling, Atlas". wrestlinginc.com. December 2, 2020.
  46. ↑ ""Survival of the Hitman" documentary answers the "why?" on Bret Hart's return after 12 years". pwtorch.com. Pro Wrestling Torch.
  47. ↑ Bret Hart and the Hart family speak on behalf of Stu Hart
  48. ↑ Heath McCoy (2007). Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling . ECWPress. p.  273 pp. ISBN   978-1-55022-787-1.
  49. ↑ "hartbrosuniversity: our trainers". Hartbros university.
  50. ↑ Heath McCoy (2007). Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling . ECWPress. p.  293 pp. ISBN   978-1-55022-787-1.
  51. ↑ Martha Hart; Eric Francis (2004). Broken Harts: The Life and Death of Owen Hart. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 37 pp. ISBN   978-1-59077-036-8.
  52. ↑ "Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fame". Slam! Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer. April 3, 2016. Archived from the original on April 29, 2015.
  53. ↑ Oliver, Greg (February 1, 2001). "SLAM! Wrestling Canadian Hall of Fame: The Hart Family". Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the original on July 28, 2012. Retrieved January 18, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  54. ↑ "NWA Polynesian Pacific Tag Team Title". Wrestling-Titles.com. Retrieved June 2, 2016.
  55. ↑ Clevette, Jason (June 16, 2010). "Booker T enjoying life away from the spotlight". SLAM! Wrestling . Canoe.com. Archived from the original on January 16, 2018. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
  56. ↑ "The PWI 500". Pro Wrestling Illustrated . London Publishing Co. 17 (13): 52. 1997.
  57. ↑ "Bruce Hart: Awards". CageMatch.net.
  58. ↑ "PWI Ratings for Bruce Hart". profightdb.com. The Internet Wrestling Database.
  59. ↑ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Top 500 Wrestlers of the PWI Years, 2003". willywrestlefest.fr. Pro Wrestling Illustrated.
  60. 1 2 "Stampede Wrestling International Tag Team Title". Wrestling-Titles.com. Retrieved June 2, 2016.
  61. ↑ "Stampede Wrestling British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Title". Wrestling-Titles.com. Retrieved June 2, 2016.
  62. ↑ "Stampede Wrestling North American Heavyweight Title". Wrestling-Titles.com. Retrieved June 2, 2016.
  63. ↑ "Stampede World Mid-Heavyweight Title". Puroresu Dojo. 2003.
  64. ↑ Whalen, Ed (host) (December 15, 1995). "Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame: 1948-1990". Showdown at the Corral: A Tribute to Stu Hart. Event occurs at 27:55. Shaw Cable. Calgary 7.
  65. ↑ "Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame (1948–1990)". Puroresu Dojo. 2003.
  66. ↑ "Bruce Hart". WrestlingData.com.
  67. ↑ "Stampede Calgary". WrestlingData.com.
  68. ↑ Keith, Scott (March 9, 2002). "The SmarK Retro Rant For Stampede Classics Vol. 4: Bizarre & Unusual!". Insidepulse.com.

Further reading

Book
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.