Hart Dungeon

Last updated
Hart Dungeon
Building Hart House
LocationBasement
CountryCanada
PurposeTraining facility
Named forStu Hart

The Hart Dungeon or Hart Family Dungeon, otherwise known simply as The Dungeon, was the gym and wrestling school located in the basement of the Hart mansion. The school was created by Stu Hart, patriarch of the Hart wrestling family and is known for having produced some of the greatest and most successful professional wrestlers of all time. [1] [2]

Contents

Location description

The room was located in the Hart family mansion basement and had a very low ceiling. For most of the duration of the room being used as training hall there was a wrestling mat located on the floor without any ropes which would be used for training students.

History

Hart acquired the former army hospital mansion in 1951 and transformed its basement into his personal training centre shortly thereafter. [3] This was done because Hart needed a training facility after the founding of his first wrestling promotion in 1948. Although, the nickname itself developed over time when Stampede Wrestling became world famous. [4]

Aside from professional wrestlers, the Dungeon provided training grounds for various athletes from strongmen to football players. The majority of Hart's sons trained in the Dungeon and went on to become involved in the wrestling world including Bret and Owen Hart. Other famous Dungeon graduates include Billy Graham, Greg Valentine, Allen Coage, Davey Boy Smith, Brian Pillman, Jushin Thunder Liger, Ricky Fuji, Chris Jericho, Lance Storm, Chris Benoit, Justin Credible, Edge, Christian and Mark Henry. [5] [6] Natalya, daughter of Jim Neidhart and granddaughter of Stu, was the first ever woman to graduate from the Dungeon. [7]

I take a lot of pride in being one of the last guys that had the hands-on training from Stu Hart when I went to the Hart family to train ... It was a good experience just to be there, to imagine all the people that had been through there, and all the blood, sweat, and tears that had been paid ... Going to the Hart family for training was kind of like, if you're a very religious person, going to the Vatican.

—Chris Benoit,WWE Unscripted, p. 54

One of the first televised acknowledgements of the nickname "Dungeon" was by then WWF color commentator Jesse Ventura. Its first significant exposure was in the documentary Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows . In it, the Dungeon was moderately filmed for the first time and Stu Hart is shown demonstrating wrestling holds on a pupil. Bret also discusses being trained by his father and having submission holds applied to himself, often with graphic descriptions from his father of the holds' impact. A bonus feature on Bret's DVD set also shows him discussing the Dungeon.

Various activities took place in the Dungeon, ranging from weight lifting to Catch wrestling. Bret Hart has described the Dungeon in interviews as having holes in the walls and ceiling from bodies being driven into them. He also noted that practices could, at times, be as intense as MMA styled fighting. In July 1998, the WWF filmed a match between Owen Hart and Ken Shamrock in the Dungeon for the Fully Loaded pay-per-view.

Reputation

During the period when Stu Hart was regularly training individuals at the school, it held a reputation for being one of the harshest wrestling schools in the world. Graduating from it was considered very impressive and something which would be brought up on air on televised wrestling shows. Hart himself also garnered a reputation for being borderline sadistic in his training techniques, and was known to torture his pupils with legitimate submission wrestling holds he had learned as a sports wrestler. [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] Buddy Roberts described the place as "like a torture chamber". [14] In contrast to his descendants, Stu never took money for his training services and did it mostly for the love of the artform of professional wrestling. [15] [16]

Trainers

List of notable trainees

Men

Women

Legacy

In modern-day being trained in the Dungeon carries a level of status and there have been many attempts to recreate and recapture its glory. In 2005 a documentary directed by Blake Norton (who trained at the school) named Surviving the Dungeon: The Legacy of Stu Hart was released. [39] [40] [41] [42]

Subsequent training camps run by members of the Hart family

After their father's retirement some of the Hart brothers managed the school by themselves under the name Hart Brothers Training Camp which was also known by the nickname School of Hart Knocks. [43] [44] [45] Leading up to the Hart House's sale in 2003, the Hart Brothers Training Camp run by Bruce, Keith and Ross was still running three times a week in the basement of the Hart mansion. [46] A very similar training camp remains today at the family's gym, although none of the Hart brothers are involved.

Teddy Hart, Stu Hart's oldest grandson ran a training camp in Texas named Texas Hart Dungeon from around 2012 to 2015. Smith Hart, Stu's oldest son founded a new wrestling school in 2015 named Dungeon Discipline Professional Wrestling School which is run out of Calgary and Berrie in Alberta, after Smith's passing in 2017 the training is mostly handled by Smith's son Matthew. [47]

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">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.

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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.

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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruce Hart (wrestler)</span> Canadian professional wrestler

Bruce Edward Hart 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.

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">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.

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.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hart House (Calgary)</span> Residence in Calgary, Alberta, Canada

The Hart House, sometimes known as the Hart mansion, is a residence located in the Patterson Heights neighbourhood of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Once owned by Stu Hart, it was home to his extensive professional wrestling family for 52 years from October 1951 until Stu Hart's death in October 2003. While not built for them nor any longer under ownership of the Harts, the mansion continues to be referred to as the Hart House.

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, Edge, Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit, Christian and Stu's 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Hart Dynasty</span> Professional wrestling stable

The Hart Dynasty was a Canadian professional wrestling stable who appeared in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). The unit consisted of the tag team of Tyson Kidd and David Hart Smith, and Natalya as a manager. The group was named due to the connection of all three wrestlers to the Hart wrestling family; David Hart Smith is the son of Davey Boy Smith, Natalya is the daughter of Jim Neidhart, and Tyson Kidd trained under Bret Hart and at Stu Hart's Dungeon and would later marry Natalya. They are recognized as the final team to hold WWE's original World Tag Team Championship.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stu Hart 50th Anniversary Show</span>

The Stu Hart 50th Anniversary Show was a professional wrestling supercard produced by the Hart family that took place on December 15, 1995 at the Stampede Corral in Calgary, Alberta. Held in honor of Stu Hart, the event featured Stampede Wrestling alumni as well as talent from World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation. It was the first event to feature an interpromotional "dream match" during the Monday Night Wars-era. The proceeds from the event were donated to the Calgary Quest Children's Society. Nine professional wrestling matches, two of which for championships, were featured on the card.

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. ↑ Logan, Shawn (April 26, 2008). "Taking falls in the New Hart Dungeon". SLAM! Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the original on June 5, 2016. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
  2. ↑ Jump in the Ring at the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame
  3. ↑ Davies, Ross (2002). "bret+hart"+stu&pg=PA14 Bret Hart. ISBN   9780823934942.
  4. ↑ "Surviving The Dungeon part 2/11". Documentary. Archived from the original on 2021-07-17.
  5. ↑ James Martin (2001). Calgary: The Unknown City. Arsenal Pulp Press. p. 69 pp. ISBN   978-1551521114.
  6. ↑ Marsha Erb (2002). Stu Hart: Lord of the ring. ECW Press. p. 17 pp. ISBN   1-55022-508-1.
  7. ↑ Mooneyham, Mike (April 29, 2012). "WWE diva Natalya: Pretty in pink but red hot in the ring". The Post and Courier . Retrieved 2016-03-05.
  8. ↑ ( Klein 2012 , pp. 25)
  9. ↑ ( Matysik 2005 , pp. 48)
  10. ↑ ( Erb 2002 , pp. 136)
  11. ↑ ( Kerekes 1994 , pp. 18–20)
  12. ↑ ( Randazzo 2008 , pp. 47)
  13. ↑ Wood, Greg (7 November 1999). "The sadist, the loving father and a knockout end". The Independent . Retrieved 11 January 2014
  14. ↑ "Buddy Roberts recalls the wild times as a Freebird and a Hollywood Blond".
  15. ↑ McCoy, Heath (2007). Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling. ECW Press. ISBN   978-1-55022-787-1.
  16. ↑ "Ask the Torch: Akeem, Tough Enough 4, Green Mist Secret, Stu Hart's Dungeon". PWTorch.com. 2004-08-14. Retrieved 2022-09-04.
  17. ↑ Archived copy Archived 20 July 2012 at archive.today
  18. 1 2 "Exclusive interview: Bret Hart separates fact from fiction on who really trained in Stu Hart's Dungeon".
  19. ↑ "Legendary wrestler and Hart Dungeon trainer passes away at 75". 6 November 2017.
  20. ↑ "Salut Bonjour | Recettes, Mode et beauté, Maison, Mieux-être". Archived from the original on January 19, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  21. 1 2 ( Davies 2002 , pp. 19)
  22. 1 2 3 Hornbaker, T.; Snuka, J. (2012). Legends of Pro Wrestling: 150 Years of Headlocks, Body Slams, and Piledrivers. Skyhorse Publishing Company, Incorporated. ISBN   9781613213148.
  23. ↑ "DAN SPIVEY, BILLY JACK HAYNES AND BRYAN CLARKE HAVE BEEN GOING BACK-AND-FORTH ON SOCIAL MEDIA". f4wonline.com. Wrestling Observer Newsletter. July 23, 2015.
  24. ↑ Lunney, Doug (2000-01-15). "Benoit inspired by the Dynamite Kid, Crippler adopts idol's high-risk style". Slam! Wrestling. Winnipeg Sun via Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved 2017-02-14.
  25. ↑ Haldar, Prityush (October 2, 2016). "Chris Jericho talks about learning from Stu Hart". Sportskeeda. Retrieved 2017-02-14
  26. 1 2 3 4 5 "Stu Hart Profile". Online World Of Wrestling. Retrieved February 20, 2010.
  27. ↑ ( Toombs 2016 , pp. ??)
  28. ↑ ( Martin 2001 , pp. 69)
  29. ↑ ( Hart, Jimmy 2004 , pp. 124)
  30. ↑ "Bruce Hart Profile". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2017-02-14
  31. ↑ Altamura, Mike (August 16, 2001). "Jason Helton: Raising hell Down Under". Slam! Wrestling. Canoe.com. Retrieved 2017-02-16.
  32. ↑ Clevett, Jason (2004-11-03). "The legend of Jushin "Thunder" Liger". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved 2010-02-02.
  33. ↑ "Nikolai Volkoff WWE Hall of Fame Profile". WWE. Retrieved 2011-03-30.
  34. ↑ "Ricky Fuji Puroresu Central profile". PuroresuCentral.com. Retrieved 2017-02-15.
  35. ↑ ( Zawadzki 2001 , pp. 175)
  36. ↑ "Superstar Billy Graham Made It Big in Wrestling -- Now the Steroids That Got Him There May be Killing Him". 31 March 2011.
  37. ↑ Smith, Caleb (April 30, 2014). "Tyler Mane's movie career all started with wrestling". Slam! Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved 2016-05-15.
  38. ↑ Clevett, Jason (February 26, 2004). "Apocalypse on his first NJPW tour". SLAM! Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer . Retrieved December 12, 2009.
  39. ↑ Elliott, Brian (November 23, 2009). "Hart Dungeon DVD gives rough picture of Stu". Slam! Wrestling. Canoe.ca. Retrieved 2016-03-27.
  40. ↑ "Surviving the Dungeon: The Legacy of Stu Hart". Online World Of Wrestling. Retrieved 2016-03-27.
  41. ↑ Elliott, Brian (November 4, 2009). ""Surviving The Dungeon filmmaker's legacy as much as Stu Hart's". Slam! Wrestling. Canoe.ca. Retrieved 2016-03-27.
  42. ↑ "Jump in the Ring at the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame". 18 April 2017. Archived from the original on 2018-01-20. Retrieved 2018-08-04.
  43. ↑ McCoy, Heath (2007). Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling. ECW Press. p. 214. ISBN   978-1-55022-787-1.
  44. ↑ Marsha Erb (2002). Stu Hart: Lord of the ring. ECW Press. p. 21. ISBN   1-55022-508-1.
  45. ↑ Hart, Martha; Francis, Eric (2004). Broken Harts: The Life and Death of Owen Hart. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 270. ISBN   978-1-59077-036-8.
  46. ↑ Berger, Richard (2010). A Fool for Old School ... Wrestling, That is. Richard Berger & Barking Spider Productions. pp. 64–65.
  47. ↑ "Dungeon Discipline Professional Wrestling School at RR 6 Site 11 Box 5 NE, T2M 4L5". Archived from the original on 2018-01-19. Retrieved 2018-01-19.

Works cited

Further reading

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