Owen Hart.
BIO.
Owen was the
youngest child of legendary Stu and Helen Hart. Owen was trained by his
father in the Dungeon, the infamous basement under the Hart residence.
In 1986 Owen was ready to join Stampede Wrestling, owned by his father,
but at that time it was already going downhill.
Owen though,
used the time that was left to hone his skills and become one of the most
promising rookies the sport has ever seen with his European and Japanese-influenced
high-flying style. Owen actually had his first pro match in 1983 when he
went up against British veteran Marty Jones. Owen had many great matches
in Stampede and a great feud with Mike Shaw.
The beginning
.
Owen showed
on several occasions, that he was championship material, and together with
Ben Bassarab, he became International Tag Team champion. Owen also showed
his skills in singles competition by winning the British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight
title once. Owen then went after the North American Heavyweight title,
which he came close to winning in a tournament final, where he lost to
Makhan Singh, Owen though came back an won the title twice, the last time
holding it for 13
months.
In 1988 on
a tour with New Japan, Owen's skills finally paid off. Owen became the
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion by
defeating
Hiroshi Hase, May 27, in Sendai. Owen was the first westerner to hold the
title. Owen title regain lasted until, June
24 1988, when
he lost the title to Shiro Koshinaka, in Osaka.
Owen returned
to the States, where the WWF showed interest in him. Owen, beneath hood
and cape, became the Blue Blazer- a lightweight high flyer versus the heavyweights
of the WWF.Owen's skills was mostly used to put the other guys over, at
WrestleMania V, he jobbed to Mr. Perfect, shortly after Owen left the WWF.
Never once during his first stint in WWF was it
mentioned,
that Owen was Bret Hart's brother.
Owen spent
the next two years on the road, showing his skills in Mexico, Canada, Japan,
Europe, and he had a very short stint in the WCW. In Mexico Owen lost the
mask of the Blue Blazer to El Canek.
WWF
Owen returned
to the WWF, where he joined his brother-in-law, Jim Neidhart, in the New
Foundation. The team didn't last long because they never got a clean break,
everybody was comparing them to the original Hart Foundation, which they
couldn't live up to. Neidhart left the WWF, but Owen wasn't finished with
tag team wrestling yet. Owen and Koko B. Ware formed High Energy.They didn't
have much success though. Owen got a knee injury at the end of 1992, and
when he returned, Koko was gone.
The Rocket
Owen Hart was born. Via the working agreement with the USWA, Owen went
to Memphis, where he defeated
Papa Shango
for the Unified World Heavyweight Title, only to drop it to Jerry Lawler
after two weeks After the taste of gold Owen was ready to make his mark
in the WWF. But it didn't happen. Owen was still on the bottom of the ladder,
while Bret was on top, he had just won the 1993 edition of the King of
the Ring.
Problems in the Hart family
At the Survivor
Series 1993, where a united Hart family fought Shawn Michaels and his knights,
Owen was whipped into Bret,
who stood
on the apron, causing Bret to hit the railing and Owen to get eliminated.
The Hart family won the match, but Owen wasn't satisfied with the result,
he blamed Bret for his elimination, Owen then developed an obsession, he
wanted to be regarded as his brother Bret's equal, Owen would not be in
the shadow of the Hitman. Owen was furious at Bret, so he wanted a match
against him, so he could step out of Bret's shadow, but Bret wouldn't give
it to him.
Owen and Bret
talked the things through at the end of 1993, and they agreed to form a
tag team. Owen and Bret got a shot at the tag team champions, the Quebecers,
at the Royal Rumble 1994.The brothers lost the match, when the referee
ended the match,because of Bret's injured knee. Owen totally lost it, he
kicked Bret on his knee after the match, and blamed Bret for the loss.Owen
also said, that it was Bret, who told him to wrestle under hood and cap,
so Owen wouldn't take the limelight from Bret.
At WrestleMania
X, Owen and Bret had a classic match, which went back and forth. Owen was
victorious, but at the same
event, Bret
became WWF Heavyweight Champion for the 2. time, which made Owen even more
jealous.
Owen wanted
another shot at Bret, but to get that, he had to win the King of the Ring
tournament. Owen qualified to the King of the Ring by beating Adam Bomb.
In the first round of the tournament, Owen and Tatanka went at it, with
Owen coming out
on top. In
the semifinal round waited the 1-2-3 Kid. Owen defeated him easily with
the sharpshooter.
It was time
for the final round. Jim Neidhart had secured that Bret was still the champ,
by attacking Diesel, who got the DQ
victory. Owen
and Razor Ramon was the two finalists, it was an even match until Anvil
attacked Razor, which made Owen the
1994 King
of the Ring. After the victory Owen proclaimed himself the King of Harts.
With the victory
at the King of the Ring, Owen showed that he was a force to be reckoned
with, Owen also got what he really
wanted, a
match against his brother for the WWF title at Summer Slam 94. The match
was a cage match, with Neidhart
and the British
Bulldog in the public. The match went back and forth, both wrestlers slugged
it out up the cage, over the top and
on the way
down, when suddenly Bret slammed Owen's head against the cage. Owen got
his ankles caught between the bars,
Bret jumped,
landing feet-first at ringside. The British Bulldog cheered, when suddenly
Neidhart attacked him. Owen and
Neidhart dragged
Bret back into the cage and started beating on him. Bulldog got to Bret's
rescue. This event was reason for
some great
tag team matches between Bret/Bulldog and Owen/Neidhart.
Owen and Bret
also had a Lumberjack match, where Neidhart was one of the lumberjacks,
during the match he sneaked up on
Bret and knocked
him down, Owen then quickly pinned Bret, and thought that he had won the
World Title, but a second referee made his way down and the decision was
overturned.
Owen and his
tag team partners
The family
war died out when Neidhart left the federation in the start of 1995. Owen
then aligned himself with Jim Cornette,
Owen then
challenged the WWF tag team champions, The Smoking Gunns, at WrestleMania
XI, where he would reveal his mystery partner. The mystery partner was
none other than the mighty Yokozuna. Owen and Yokozuna defeated the Gunns
with
relatively
ease, and became WWF tag team champions. Owen had won his first title in
the WWF.
Owen and Yoko
held on to the titles for almost a half year, before dropping them to the
Smoking Gunns, actually Owen and
Yoko lost
the titles to Diesel and Shawn Michaels at In Your House III, but since
the Bulldog replaced Owen, and it was
Owen who got
pinned, the titles was handed back. After the defeat both Yoko and Owen
wanted to use more time on their
singles career,
which split the team.
The rest of
1995 and until the summer of 1996, Owen was jobbed to almost every WWF
superstar. Owen did have some
success though,
on an installment of Monday Night Raw, in a match against Shawn Michaels,
Owen hit Michaels with a kick to
the back of
the head, which made the lights go out for Michaels, who laid flat on his
back. At the Slammy Awards 1996, Owen
won a Slammy
for the incident, after the event he billed himself the Slammy Award Winning
Owen Hart.
During the
summer of 1996 The British Bulldog, who had joined Camp Cornette in the
end of 1995, and Owen decided to use
their combined
forces to win the WWF tag team titles from the Smoking Gunns. The title
changed happened at In Your House X, where a manager change also happened.
Clarence Mason became the new manager for the new champions, when he got
a groggy Jim Cornette to sign the papers.
With a new
manager and the titles on their waist, you should think everything was
good. But it wasn't, Bulldog got more and
more popular
among the fans, while Owen got more unpopular, it seemed like a team split
was unavoidable.
At the Royal
Rumble 97, Owen "accidentally" eliminated the British Bulldog from the
battle royal. But it got worse, Bulldog
fired Clarence
Mason when he lost a match to Crush, also managed by Mason. Owen tried
to convince Bulldog that it was
wrong, but
he couldn't.
In February
of 1997, the first ever WWF European Champion should be crowned via a tournament
in Germany. The final saw
the tag team
partners Owen and Bulldog go at it. It was a tough match, but in the end
it was Bulldog, who stood triumphant with
the new belt.
After the match Owen launched a post-match tirade about Bulldog's lack
of respect for him. Owen has been in
another tournament
final in 1997, it was in Kuwait, where he lost to Tiger Ali Singh.
At the Slammy
Awards 1997, Owen "won" another Slammy. The tag team champions continued
to fight of all comers, but you
could feel
the tension between them. At Raw is War after WrestleMania 13, Owen and
Bulldog had to fight the Headbangers for the titles. Bulldog and Owen got
in a fight at the end of the match, Owen said that he demanded a shot at
the
Bulldog's
European title at the following Raw is War, Bulldog gladly accepted.
The Hart Foundation
The following
Raw is War it was time for the match for the European title between Owen
and Bulldog. It was a brutal match, where Bulldog was going to use a chair
on Owen, when Bret entered the ring. Bret got the two combatants separated,
he
then told
them, that the WWF and the American wrestling fans were doing everything
in their power to destroy them. Bret also
told Owen
and Bulldog that he needed and loved them, and that he wanted them to join
forces with him against Steve Austin,
WWF and the
American wrestling fans. They accepted, the Hart Foundation was founded.
The following
weeks Owen and Bulldog watched out for Bret, by attacking Austin and Michaels.
Pillman and Neidhart also joined the Hart Foundation. 2 weeks after joining
the Hart Foundation, Owen won the Intercontinental Title, cleanly, from
Rocky Maivia at Raw is War. Owen had finally won a singles title, which
he has deserved.
Owen and Bulldog's
constant attacks on Austin and Michaels lead to a challenge from the Tag
Team Champions. On an
installment
of Raw is War Austin and Michaels won the titles from Owen and Bulldog,
who had held on to the titles for 8 months.
With only
the Intercontinental Title at his waist, Owen will go back to singles wrestling,
a place where he fits much better.
Owen proved
that he is one of the best, by beating Goldust and Hunter Hearst Helmsley
in a Three Way Dance on Raw is War.
The feud with
Steve Austin
During the
five man tag team match at Canadian Stampede, where the Hart Foundation
went up against Steve Austin, Ken
Shamrock,
Goldust, and LOD, Austin smashed Owen's leg against the ring post. Owen
was then lead back to the locker room, but later returned and scored the
pin on Austin, which Owen was very proud of and started bragging about
it, this lead to a feud
with Austin.
At Summer
Slam Owen had to defend his Intercontinental Title against Steve Austin.
As expected Owen lost the title to Austin,
but injured
Austin in the match. Since the match, Owen has been very proud of himself,
because he injured Austin, this has lead
to Austin
attacking Owen at every opportunity. Owen and Bulldog came close to winning
the Tag Team Title once again,
but a stunner
from Austin stopped this dream.
Owen then
got a restraining order on Austin, but this hasn't stopped Austin, who
continues to attack Owen. In my opinion it
looks like
Owen will win the Intercontinental Title only to loose it to Austin, when
he returns.
Owen did win
the IC Title at Badd Blood, with the help of Austin, who smacked Faarooq
in the head with the Title. Just so
Austin could
face Owen at Survivor Series.
As expected
Owen lost the IC Title to Steve Austin at the Survivor Series in a very
short match, both were set back with
injuries,
Owen had suffered a concussion from a match with Ahmed Johnson. Hopefully
Owen will get some shots at the
World Title
now, since Bret is leaving the WWF.
Owen wasn't
happy with the way the Survivor Series ended for his brother, so he decided
to not work for the WWF, until they
had settled
their differences.
Owen the lunatic?
At Degeneration
X Owen returned to the WWF with a vengeance, attacking Shawn Michaels,
has Vince McMahon
promised Owen
the WWF Title and a healthy pay raise to return, I think so.
Owen's new
look and attitude have made the fans pop for him, maybe he will surpass
the legend of his brother, he certainly got
the skills
to do it. Owen have had so great run-ins, when he wanted to go after Degeneration
X. Instead of going after
Shawn Michaels,
Owen has chosen to go after Hunter Hearst Helmsley, who is the European
Champion. Personally I think it
destroys Owen's
comeback since I wanted to see Owen go after Shawn, but it looks like we
will have to wait for it.
At the Royal
Rumble, Owen never made it to the ring, when he was attacked by Jeff Jarrett
and Jim Cornette. But when Jeff
Jarrett entered
the ring, Owen attacked and threw him out of the ring, Hunter Hearst Helmsley
destroyed Owen's chances,
when HHH used
his crutch to hammer Owen on the back, and Chyna heaved him out of the
ring.
At Raw is
War, January 26, Owen was set to face Hunter Hearst Helmsley for the WWF
European Title, but the Degeneration X thought that they could trick the
WWF so they sent The Artist Formerly Known As Goldust, disguised as HHH,
to face Owen.
Owen disposed TAFKA Goldust rather quickly, when commissioner Slaughter
came out and said that since the
match was
sanctioned for the WWF European Title and Owen had won the match, he was
awarded the title.
At WrestleMania
14, Owen will go up against the real HHH, who will pay for his actions.
Owen suffered a severe tear in his right ankle ligament in a match against
Barry Windham, but he should be ready for WrestleMania.
Owen lost
the WWF European Title to Hunter Hearst Helmsley on March 17th, 1998. Hunter
challenged Owen, who still is
injured, and
shoved him out of his chair. Chyna used a baseball bat on Owen's injured
leg, and after that Hunter put an ankle
lock on Owen,
and was declared the winner and WWF European Champion.
Owen wasn't
fit for fight at WresteMania, but still he delivered a solid match, but
he wasn't able to get the win due to
interference
form Chyna, who dealt Owen a low blow, which secured Hunter the win. Obviously
Owen and Hunter aren't
through with
each other, at Raw is War, April 6th, Owen was on his way to win the Intercontinental
Title from Rocky Maivia,
when Chyna
came down to the ring and whacked Owen with a baseball bat.
Owen has aligned
himself with the LOD 2000 in his battle with Degeneration X. At In Your
House, Unforgiven, where Chyna
was locked
in a cage, which was suspended above the ring. Owen and Hunter put on a
great show, but it was Hunter who pulled out the win due to interference
from X-Pac. After the match Owen stated that things have to change.
Enough is enough,
and it's time for a change
And things
certainly changed the next day at Raw is War, Owen teamed with Ken Shamrock
to take on Rocky Maivia and Mark Henry. In the start of the match Owen
turned heel and delivered a low blow to Shamrock, he then put Ken's ankle
in steel chair and proceeded to drop on it twice from the turn buckle,
Owen put Shamrock in the Sharpshooter. When officials talked Owen into
releasing the hold, he jumped on Shamrock and bit him in his ear, when
the officials pulled him off, Owen's face was smeared in blood. Personally
I'm glad for Owen's heel turn, since he now is out of the feud with Degeneration
X, which couldn't go any further, Owen now have the chance to shine as
he did when he turned on Bret in 1994.
Owen is now
a full fledged member of the Nation of Domination, where he alongside Rocky
Maivia will lead the Nation on to
bigger and
better things. With the Nation behind him Owen will continue to battle
Hunter and Degeneration X, but now the odds are even. One of Owen's new
trademark maneuvers since joining
the Nation,
is to bite the ear of his opponents until blood is drawn.
At Over the
Edge, Owen and the rest of the Nation worked good together to defeat Degeneration
X, Owen secured the win for his team when he executed the Pedigree on Hunter.
At Raw is War, June 2nd, the Nation fought DX in a elimination match,
when suddenly
Ken Shamrock appeared and attacked Owen, this feud can only be good. Owen
qualified himself to the next round of the King of the Ring tournament
by defeating Too Cold Scorpio at Raw is War, June 8th, also Owen's feud
with
Shamrock go
more heat to it, when the Nation attacked Shamrock only to be stopped by
Dan Severn who later got a
taste of the
same but only to be saved by Shamrock.
Part 2
Owen had quite
an impact on Raw is War, June 15th, first together with Rocky Maivia, he
made sure that X-Pac didn't
qualify for
the King of the Ring by taking him out in X-Pac's match against Hunter
Hearst Helmsley. Later that night Owen
together with
Mark Henry took on Dan Severn and Ken Shamrock, but the match was thrown
out the window, when
Degeneration
X attacked. Raw is War, June 22nd, Owen went up against Dan Severn in a
King of the Ring qualifying match, but lost, when X-Pac used a chair on
Owen. As an result of X-Pac's attack Owen had seven staples put into his
head, which was used as a setup for their match at King of the Ring.
Owen and X-Pac
put up one of the best matches at King of the Ring, which saw Mark Henry,
Vader, and Chyna getting involved. The end came, when Chyna used a DDT
on Owen. The next night on Raw is War, Owen challenged Ken Shamrock to
a match, which Hunter Hearst Helmsley also did, so it turned into a three
way dance. Shamrock won the match, but Owen got some revenge when he put
on the figure four leglock around the ringpost on
Shamrock,
looks like this feud is heating up.
Owen has some
problems with Jason Sensation, who has impersonated Owen a couple of times,
but Jason had to pay for
his actions,
when Owen put him in the Sharpshooter. Owen and Rocky Maivia lost a tag
match to Hunter and X-Pac at Raw is
War, July
13, the ongoing war continues. Ken Shamrock aren't finished with Owen,
since Shamrock chased Owen from the
arena after
Owen had defeated Faarooq from Raw is War, July At Fully Loaded, Owen had
the home court advantage as he
fought Ken
Shamrock in a submission match in the Hart Family Dungeon, the special
referee was Dan Severn. It was a good
match with
solid action, during the match Shamrok hit Severn with a kick, Owen took
advantage of the situation and nailed
Shamrock with
a dumbbell to secure the tap out, though Owen helped Shamrock tap out.
A good feather in the cap for Owen.
The next day
at Raw is War, Owen came to the ring and claimed that he wasn't a nugget
and issued a challenge to everybody.
Jason Sensation
came out on the ramp and started the nugget chant, but when Owen went after
Jason, he was stopped by Dan
Severn, who
had Owen at his mercy, Shamrock then came to the ring and took over, but
suddenly Owen was saved by Severn, who slapped a hold on Shamrock.
At Sunday
Night Heat, Owen and Rocky Maivia defeated the team of Kane and Mankind
to earn a shot at the WWF Tag Team Champions, Steve Austin and the Undertaker.
The match took place at Raw is War, but ended in a double disqualification,
when Kane and Mankind and the New Age Outlaws interfered.
August 10,
Owen was going to be in the Four Corners Tag Team Match, but Ken Shamrock
made sure he didn't by putting Owen in the Ankle Lock Toe Hold, and he
refused to let go.
At Raw is
War, August 17, Owen, Ken Shamrockand Dan Severn squared of in a triple
threat match, the end came when
Shamrock had
Owen in the Ankle Lock Toe Hold, Severn put on a choke on Shamrock, the
referee then declared the match a no contest. Steve Blackman came to the
rescue, but he was also put in the choke, when Severn had had enough he
raised Owen's hand and the two left together. The next week Owen attacked
Shamrock again.
Owen lost
the Lion's Den Match to Ken Shamrock at Summer Slam, where they battled
inside a 12 sided steel cage. At the end of the match Owen had Shamrock
locked in the maneuver that Severn taught him, but Shamrock was able to
escape by using the sides of the cage to position him so he could slap
on the Ankle Lock Toe hold for the win, Severn was about to throw in the
towel but decided to leave, so Owen tapped out. Is this the end of the
relationship with Owen and Severn?
At Raw is
War, September 14, Owen had the chance to capture the Intercontinental
Title again in a match against old nemesis
Hunter Hearst
Helmsley, but Owen came out with the short end of the stick. Owen got a
measure of revenge of all the jobs he
has done lately,
at Breakdown, Owen defeated Edge, this victory could bring Owen back in
the title picture.
Lightning
always strikes twice, at Raw is War, September 28, Owen went up against
former "trainer" Dan Severn, during the
match Owen
went for the Tombstone piledriver and ended with the same result as Summer
Slam 1997, where Austin's neck was severely injured. Severn's neck was
immobolized and he was stretchered out and taken to hospital. Maybe McMahon
should tell Owen not to use the piledriver.
The return
of the Blue Blazer
The next week
at Raw is War, Owen came to ring in street clothes and with tears in his
eyes he apologizes for the incident
with Severn
and then leaves, later Michael Cole caught up with Owen, who stated that
it was over.
But at Raw
is War, October 12, Owen made a return as the Blue Blazer, when he attacked
both Steve Blackman and Ken
Shamrock.
The Blue Blazer made another attack on Steve Blackman at Sunday Night Heat,
October 18. The next night at
Raw is War
the Blue Blazer once again attacked Steve Blackman.
At Raw is
War, November 2, Dan Severn wanted to confront Owen, who claimed that he
had retired. Severn wanted to know
who Owen thought
he's fooling by parading around as the Blue Blazer, this got the two men
in an altercation, which brought
down Steve
Blackman, who ran off Owen. Later Blackman attacked Owen again, but this
time the Blue Blazer appeared and
attacked Blackman.
Raw is War,
November 16, the Blue Blazer had his first match since his return, the
Blazer tagged up with Jeff Jarrett to take
on Steve Blackman
and Goldust. After the match Blackman tried to unmask the Blazer, but Jarrett
and Owen made sure he didn't. Almost the exact same thing happened the
next week on Raw isWar, but again Owen made sure that Blackman didn't finish
the unmasking.
The problems
with Steve Blackman continued at Raw is War, November 30, as Owen attacked
Goldust, the Blue Blazer
showed up
and attacked Owen, the Blazer then unmasked and revealed himself to be
Steve Blackman.
At Sunday
Night Heat, December 6, Owen stated that his retirement was over and that
he wanted to fight Steve Blackman
at the Rock
Bottom pay-per-view. The continuing saga of Blackman/Blazer/Owen happened
once again on Raw is War,
December 7,
and followed it's usual pattern of the Blazer attacking Blackman - Blackman
beating Blazer - Owen comes the
rescue.
Owen's return
to pay-per-view happened at Rock Bottom, December 13, where he took on
Steve Blackman. After Blackman
had Owen in
the Sharpshooter, the match spilled out to the floor, here Owen realised
that he had had enough and walked
away from
the ring to lose on count out.
The next night
on Raw is War, the Blue Blazer took on Goldust, during the match Jeff Jarrett
ran down to help the Blue Blazer,
but Steve
Blackman also interfered and revealed that Owen was in fact the Blue Blazer
(at least that night). But Owen got his
revenge as
he later blasted Blackman with a guitar during a match with Jeff Jarrett.
The ongoing
situation with the Blue Blazers identity continued at the next weeks Raw
is War, here Owen commentated a match
between the
Blazer and Steve Blackman. Owen claimed that it wasn't him at last weeks
show, and then attacked Blackman -
Goldust then
came to the rescue and unmasked the Blazer, revealing that it was Jeff
Jarrett.
Owen and Jeff
Jarrett have teamed on various occassions since then, but it looks like
Owen will be locked in a singles feud with
Dan Severn,
who came to ringside at Raw is War, December 28, where he chased Owen.
The team of
Owen and Jeff Jarrett
It looks like
the team of Owen and Jarrett will be around for a while, since they defeated
the Big Boss Man and Ken Shamrock
at Sunday
Night Heat, January 3, 1999, in a non-title match. The next week at Sunday
Night Heat, Owen took on Steve Blackman in a Lion's Den Match, with Dan
Severn as the special referee, the match lived up to Summer Slam, during
the match Severn tore off his neckbrace and put the Dragon Sleeper on Blackman.
After the match Blackman tried to attack Severn but Owen and Dan took care
of him and then drove away. The next night at Raw is War, Owen and Jeff
Jarrett defeated the New Age Outlaws to gain a shot at the WWF Tag Team
Title, which will probably take place at the Royal Rumble. The team of
Owen and Jarrett also go a win in their bag at Sunday Night Heat, when
they defeated the team of Edge and Gangrel. At Raw
is War the
following night, Owen and Jeff cut an interview stating that they would
defeat the Big Boss Man and Ken
Shamrock for
the tag team title at Raw the next week, but this lead to an assault from
the champions.
Owen took
part in the battle royal at the Royal Rumble, but his actions weren't crowned
with success as he was eliminated. The
next night
at Raw is War, Owen and Jarrett took on Ken Shamrock and the Big Boss Man
for the WWF Tag Team Title.
During the
match an African-American under the guise of the Blue Blazer hit the Big
Boss Man with a guitar, Jeff then rolled
him up for
the pin and Owen became tag team champion for a third time. After the match
both Owen and Jarrett stated that
the incident
with the Blazer proved that they weren't him, looks like the Blue Blazer
saga continues.
At Sunday
Night Heat, Owen took on Ken Shamrock, but it was easy to see that Ken
was upset about losing the tag team title, so even though the Blue Blazer
came to ringside it wasn't enough as Shamrock won. The next night on Sunday
Night Heat, Owen and Jeff won a three way dance against HHH and X-Pac and
the team of D-Lo Brown and Mark Henry. But if it hadn't been for Chyna,
who low blowed HHH, Owen and Jeff would have been out the gold.
At St. Valentine's
Day Massacre, February 14, Owen and Jeff Jarrett took on D-Lo Brown and
Mark Henry, the tag team
champions
dominated the match with superior double teaming and won the match when
Owen used a guitar on Henry's knee
and then Jeff
slapped on the figure four leglock. The feud with D-Lo Brown and Mark Henry
continued at Sunday Night Heat,
here Owen
and Jeff attacked D-Lo.
The next night
at Raw is War, Owen and Jeff took on D-Lo Brown in a Handicap Match. The
tag team champions dominated
D-Lo the whole
time, but it wasn't until Jacqueline dropkicked D-Lo from behind right
into Owen's spinning heel kick, that they
could pin
him. At Sunday Night Heat, Owen and Jeff lost a non-title match to Too
Much (Brian Christopher and Scott
Taylor) but
it was due to the interference from D-Lo Brown and the DOA.
The next night
at Raw is War, Owen and Jeff took on Triple H and X-Pac after Debra had
promised that she would take her
clothes off
if Owen and Jeff lost. The match was declared a double DQ after Shane McMahon
and D-Lo Brown's valet Ivory
had interfered.
When Owen and Jeff headed for the back D-Lo whacked them down from behind.
At Sunday Night Heat Jeff
took on Road
Dogg, Owen wanted to help Jeff, but an African-American Blue Blazer came
to the ring and shook the
ropes so Owen
fell down. After hitting Jarrett with the Sky-High the Blazer unmasked
to reveal D-Lo Brown.
At Raw is
War the following night Owen took on D-Lo in a Steel City Street Fight,
during the match which saw constant use of
cookie trays,
Jarrett tried to throw a guitar to Owen, but D-Lo caught it and nailed
Owen, who was busted up big time. D-Lo
then covered
him for the win.
March 15,
Raw is War, Owen and Jeff defended their titles against the Public Enemy
with success. The next week on Raw is
War, Owen
and Jeff took on the Brood (Edge and Gangrel), during the match Edge switched
places with his brother Christian,
this brought
down the Public Enemy. The tag team champions and the Brood the teamed
up to take out PE. The lights then went out and Debra was the subject of
a Bloodbath.
At Sunday
Night Heat before WrestleMania a battle royal was held to find out who
would challenge the tag team champions.
D-Lo Brown
and Test were the two remaining competitors, which let to an attack from
Owen and Jarrett. The momentum which the attack gave the champions continued
to WrestleMania, when Owen and Jeff defeated Test and D-Lo, but it took
a helping interference from PMS to gain the victory.
The next night
at Raw is War the winning streak for the tag -team champions continued
as they defeated the Legion of Doom,
but again
the champions needed some interference so Jarrett could smash a guitar
on the head of Animal, who was then
pinned. At
Sunday Night Heat, Jarrett and Owen laid out an open challenge to anyone,
the lights went out and Kane attacked
them. Later
that night Jeff and Owen took on Kane in a match, but they were disqualfied
when Jeff smashed a guitar on Kane's
head, Owen
and Jeff then started attacking Kane which brought out X-Pac to the rescue.
The next night
at Raw is War, Kane and X-Pac teamed up to take on the champions. When
Kane was in the ring he completely
dominated
and that proved to be the downfall of Owen and Jarrett, who lost the match
and the tag team titles. At Sunday
Night Heat
Owen and Jeff got a chance to win back the titles in a three way dance
against the New Age Outlaws and the
champions
X-Pac and Kane, but they failed miserably in a short match when X-Pac pinned
Gunn.
At Raw is
War, April 12, Owen and Jeff took on Acolytes, but the match was total
chaos as the rest of the members of the
Undertaker's
Ministry of Darkness attacked Owen and Jeff, while the Undertaker wanted
to sacrifice Debra, luckily it
didn't happen
because Ken Shamrock came to the rescue. Jeff and Owen had set all sails
to regain the WWF Tag Team Titles,
and they won't
let any other teams win them, so at Sunday Night Heat, April 18, they attacked
the champions X-Pac and Kane,
when they
took on Triple H and the Rock.
The next night
on Raw, Owen took on Road Dogg in singles competittion, but ended as the
looser. At Backlash, April 25,
Owen and Jarrett
lost a number one contenders match to the New Age Outlaws, this could breakup
the team as it will take
some time
before they get another shot at the title.
The next night
at Raw is War, Jarrett took on the Godfather for the Intercontinental Title,
but the Godfather wanted Debra as
one of his
ho's if he won, which he did, but Owen stopped Debra from joining the man,
who says - Pimpin ain't easy. Later Owen and Jeff attacked X-Pac, but Kane
stopped them.
The Blue Blazer
returns again
At WWF Smackdown,
April 29, Owen was supposed to take on Val Venis, but instead it was the
Blue Blazer, who took on Venis. With Jarrett and Debra at ringside the
Blazer was able to get the win, after the match the Godfather wanted to
induct Debra into his ho stable, but the Blazer and Jarrett beat him down.
Later in the interview the Blue Blazer claimed that the WWF
needed a hero
and reminded everyone to say their prayers, eat their vitamins and drink
their milk.
At Raw is
War, May 17, Owen (disguised as the Blue Blazer) along with Jeff Jarrett
took on the Godfather and Val Venis.
But Owen and
Jeff lost the match, when Nicole Bass chased Jeff and Debra away, leaving
the Blazer for himself and he
quickly got
pinned by the Godfather, whom the Blue Blazer will clash with at Over the
Edge for the Intercontinental Title.
TITLES
HELD.
British Commonwealth
Mid-Heavyweight Champion.
International
Tag-team Champion.
Two time North
American Heavyweight Champion.
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight
Champion.
Unified World
Heavyweight Champion.
King of the
Ring 1994.
Two time WWF
Intercontinental Champion.
WWF European
Champion.
Three time
WWF Tag-team Champion.
HIS
DEATH.
Owen tragically
lost his life at the Pay-Per-View "Over the Edge", May 23rd, 1999.
As the Blue
Blazer, he should have made the entrance like a super hero from the ceiling,
but the cable he was connected to either broke or became disconnected and
he fell fifty feet into the ring. His head hit a turnbuckle and snapped
back.
Owen was given
CPR in the ring and taken to hospital, where he was declared dead due to
cardiac arrest.
According
to various reports it was Owen's Blue Blazer costume, which caused the
release function of the cable.
The next day
at Raw is War all the wrestlers paid tribute to their friend Owen Hart,
by telling their stories, many of them were also wearing a black band around
their arm which read OH or Owen. They clearly stated that Owen was respected
and loved and that he will be missed.
This poem
was printed on the back of the funeral program.
I am a lighthouse.
Lonely but
strong.
I reach out
to help people.
Weather the
storm.
Some are lost
souls.
Some in dismay.
My lights
help to guide them.
Out of harms
way.
Written by Martha Hart.
Owen was born
on the 7th of the 5th 1965, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
He was married
to Martha Hart, his childhood sweetheart and is survived by his widow and
their two children.
MEMORIES.
Rafenu:
What I
remember of Owen is the great matches he had with his brother Bret and
the brilliant tag-team Owen formed with the British Bulldog. To me, Owen
was one of the best ever tag-team wrestler. His cunning and energy combined
with the power and brute force of either Yokozuna or the Bulldog made for
the perfect team, as the stellar records of both tag-teams testify. When
I heard that Owen had died, I was in shock. How hard it was to believe
that someone with so much energy and passion would never be seen alive
again. Later, when I saw the special Raw is War dedicated to Owen, I cried.
It was to obvious how all his workmates and friends had loved and respected
him. Even Triple H and Chyna, two of Owen's bitterest enemies in the ring,
were overcome by emotion as they told their story of Owen. There were a
lot of reports involving slack safety standards and the apparent callousness
of one Vince McMahon, when Owen was killed. I could have mentioned many
of them here, but I chose not to. In the main because, in the end, all
that matters is that Owen Hart is dead. And that, a man who loved many
and was always loved in return, is gone forever. The sadness of his family
and friends will last for a very long time, and so I hope, will the memories
of laughter, joy, kindness and excitement that Owen gave us all.