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Bret "The Hitman" Hart
"The Rocket" Owen Hart
Bruce Hart & Keith Hart

Bret Hart

Most successful member of the Hart family, holding every major WWF belt. A 5-time WWF champion -- matching the record set by Hulk Hogan. Was calling himself the best pro wrestler in the world when few others would have agreed, but rose to the challenge and showed an amazing drive to "walk the talk." Never backed down from going head-to-head with acclaimed wrestlers like Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels, although his eagerness to trash those wrestlers publicly didn't win him many fans.

Indisputably one of the best North American wrestlers of the 1990s -- both in ring skills and popularity. And he became awesome with the microphone too. Was the wrestler who proved -- after the Hulk Hogan era -- that wrestlers didn't have to be huge monsters to be over with the audience.

Had his first pro match in 1974 at the age of 16.

Bret was the object of a huge bidding war between the WWF and WCW in 1996. Nearly went with WCW before accepting a 20-year deal with WWF. The deal only lasted a year before Bret left the WWF for WCW in one of the most acrimonious splits in memory.

Bret and Owen both hold dual Canadian-American citizenship (their mother, Helen, is from the U.S.).

"The world's best technical wrestler."
"The best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be." (Bret Hart describing himself)

Prominent Titles:

• 2-time (at least) Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight champion (Calgary), 1978-79
• 5-time Stampede International tag champion, 1978-82
• 6-time Stampede North American champion, 1980-83
• 2-time WWF tag champion, with Jim Neidhardt, 1987, 1990-91
• 2-time WWF Intercontinental champion, 1991-92
• 2-time WWF King of the Ring champion, 1991,93
• 5-time WWF champion, 1992-97
• WWF Royal Rumble co-champion, 1994
• 4-time WCW U.S. champion, 1998-99
• WCW tag champion, with Goldberg, 1999
• WCW champion, 1999

Owen Hart

Champion junior heavyweight wrestler in Japan and tag team champion in the WWF. Very quick and agile. Most memorable match in North America was a victory over his brother Bret. Wrestled as the masked Blue Blazer in the WWF in 1988 (he had made some appearances in the WWF as Owen James in 1986).

Nicknamed "Kamikaze" in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter in 1987 for his daring aerial style at the time. Was recognized as a future star immediately -- hailed by some observers as being better than Bret while still in his rookie year.

Held the WWF tag title with Yokozuna, Davey Boy Smith, and Jeff Jarrett. Was a member of the tag teams High Energy (with Koko B. Ware) and the New Foundation (with Jim Neidhart).

Prominent Titles:

• Stampede International tag champion, 1986
• Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight champion (Calgary), 1986
• 2-time Stampede North American champion, 1987-88
• IWGP Junior Heavyweight champion (New Japan), 1988
• USWA Unified champion (Memphis), 1993
• WWF King of the Ring champion, 1994
• 3-time WWF tag champion, 1995-99
• 2-time WWF Intercontinental champion, 1997
• WWF European champion, 1998

Bruce Hart & Keith Hart

Other wrestling members of the Hart family who were very successful in Calgary, but not well known outside Alberta until brother Bret made it big in the WWF.

Bruce began wrestling in the early 70s. Short but agile. He formed a successful tag team with Brian Pillman called "Bad Company" that won the International tag belts twice in Calgary in 1987. In 1982-83, he won the same title twice with Davey Boy Smith.

Keith started wrestling in the mid-70s. He and brother Bret as a team held the tag belts four times in the late 70s. Keith cut back on wrestling when he became a fire fighter. He won a big lottery in Alberta in 1985.

Oldest brother Smith Hart also wrestled. He and Bret held the WWC Caribbean tag title in Puerto Rico in 1978. Smith was recently in Cambridge, Ontario to open a Hart Brothers wrestling school. Ross Hart has also wrestled and worked as a promoter in Alberta.

Prominent Titles:

Bruce:
• 4-time Stampede International tag champion, 1982-88
• 6-time (at least) Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight champion (Calgary), 1982-89

  Keith:

• 7-time Stampede International tag champion, 1977-86
• Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight champion (Calgary), 1980