{"id":563,"date":"2025-05-18T16:27:50","date_gmt":"2025-05-18T16:27:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/votters.com\/about\/?p=563"},"modified":"2025-05-18T16:41:02","modified_gmt":"2025-05-18T16:41:02","slug":"bret-the-hitman-hart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/votters.com\/about\/bret-the-hitman-hart\/","title":{"rendered":"About Bret &#8220;The Hitman&#8221; Hart"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"212\" height=\"238\" src=\"https:\/\/votters.com\/about\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/bret-the-hitman-hart.png\" alt=\"Bret &quot;The Hitman&quot; Har\" class=\"wp-image-564\" srcset=\"https:\/\/votters.com\/about\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/bret-the-hitman-hart.png 212w, https:\/\/votters.com\/about\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/bret-the-hitman-hart-150x168.png 150w, https:\/\/votters.com\/about\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/bret-the-hitman-hart-50x56.png 50w, https:\/\/votters.com\/about\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/bret-the-hitman-hart-100x112.png 100w, https:\/\/votters.com\/about\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/bret-the-hitman-hart-200x225.png 200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 212px) 100vw, 212px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bret &#8220;The Hitman&#8221; Hart<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Full Name:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Bret Sergeant Hart<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Ring Name(s):<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Bret &#8220;The Hitman&#8221; Hart<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Excellence of Execution<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Best There Is, The Best There Was, and The Best There Ever Will Be<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Date of Birth:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>July 2, 1957<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Place of Birth:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Calgary, Alberta, Canada<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Height:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>6 ft 0 in (183 cm)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Weight:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>235 lb (107 kg)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Early Life and Background:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Bret Hart is the eighth of twelve children born to wrestling legend <strong>Stu Hart<\/strong>, who operated the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/prowrestling.fandom.com\/wiki\/Stampede_Wrestling\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Stampede Wrestling<\/a><\/strong> promotion in Canada and trained hundreds of wrestlers in the infamous \u201cDungeon.\u201d Bret grew up surrounded by wrestling, and although he originally pursued amateur wrestling and film, he ultimately joined the family business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He holds dual Canadian and American citizenship, has a background in amateur wrestling, and graduated from Mount Royal University with a degree in film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Professional Wrestling Career:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Debut:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>1978 \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/prowrestling.fandom.com\/wiki\/Stampede_Wrestling\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Stampede Wrestling<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bret debuted in his father\u2019s promotion and quickly gained a reputation for technical excellence and ring psychology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>WWE Career (1984\u20131997):<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Early Years:<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Joined <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wwe.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WWE<\/a> (then WWF) in 1984, initially as part of <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wwe.com\/superstars\/hartfoundation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Hart Foundation<\/a><\/em> tag team with his brother-in-law <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wwe.com\/superstars\/jimneidhart\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Jim \u201cThe Anvil\u201d Neidhart<\/a><\/strong>, managed by <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wwe.com\/superstars\/jimmyhart\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Jimmy Hart<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Tag Team Success:<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>2\u00d7 <strong>WWF Tag Team Champion<\/strong> with <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wwe.com\/superstars\/jimneidhart\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Neidhart<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Known for his technical prowess paired with Neidhart\u2019s power<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rivalries with teams like <a href=\"https:\/\/prowrestling.fandom.com\/wiki\/British_Bulldogs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The British Bulldogs<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/prowrestling.fandom.com\/wiki\/Demolition\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Demolition<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wwe.com\/videos\/playlists\/rockers-awa-matches-playlist\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Rockers<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Singles Success:<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Bret broke out as a solo competitor in the early 1990s and earned widespread acclaim for his wrestling ability and storytelling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Major Titles &amp; Accomplishments in WWE:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>5\u00d7 WWF Champion<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>2\u00d7 Intercontinental Champion<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>2\u00d7 WWF Tag Team Champion<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>1991 King of the Ring<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>1993 King of the Ring<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>1994 Royal Rumble co-winner (with Lex Luger)<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>First wrestler to win the King of the Ring both in a non-televised format (1991) and on pay-per-view (1993)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>First wrestler to pin both Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan in WWE<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Notable Rivalries:<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Shawn Michaels<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Steve Austin<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Owen Hart (his brother)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Jerry \u201cThe King\u201d Lawler<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Yokozuna<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mr. Perfect<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Diesel (Kevin Nash)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Wrestling Style:<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Bret was known for being a \u201creal\u201d wrestler in a time of larger-than-life characters. His style was technically sound, realistic, and psychology-driven. His signature moves included:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Sharpshooter<\/strong> (submission finisher)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Russian leg sweep<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Diving elbow from the second rope<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ring post figure-four<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Montreal Screwjob (1997):<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the most infamous events in wrestling history occurred at <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wwe.com\/shows\/survivorseries\/history\/1997\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Survivor Series 1997<\/a><\/strong> in Montreal, where Vince McMahon ordered the match to end with Shawn Michaels putting Bret in the Sharpshooter, despite Bret not submitting. This real-life double-cross ended Bret\u2019s WWE career and caused a long-standing rift between Bret, Vince McMahon, and Shawn Michaels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>WCW Career (1997\u20132000):<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Joined <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/World_Championship_Wrestling\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WCW<\/a> shortly after the Montreal Screwjob.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Won the <strong>WCW World Heavyweight Championship<\/strong> and <strong>United States Championship<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>His run was plagued by creative mismanagement and injury.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>In-Ring Retirement and Health Issues:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Suffered a career-ending concussion in 2000 from a kick by <strong>Goldberg<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In 2002, Bret suffered a <strong>stroke<\/strong> due to complications from a previous concussion. He made a remarkable recovery but never wrestled full-time again.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Diagnosed with <strong>prostate cancer<\/strong> in 2016, from which he successfully recovered.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>WWE Return &amp; Hall of Fame:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Bret reconciled with WWE in the mid-2000s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Inducted into the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wwe.com\/shows\/wwe-hall-of-fame\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WWE Hall of Fame<\/a><\/strong> in 2006 (individual)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Inducted again in 2019 as part of <strong>The Hart Foundation<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Returned to WWE TV in 2010 to bury the hatchet with Shawn Michaels and Vince McMahon<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Wrestled one final match at <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wwe.com\/shows\/wrestlemania\/26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WrestleMania XXVI<\/a><\/strong> in a No Holds Barred match against Mr. McMahon<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Appeared at various WWE events afterward as a legend and ambassador<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Legacy:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Bret Hart is widely regarded as one of the <strong>greatest technical wrestlers<\/strong> of all time. Known for his in-ring storytelling, psychology, and dedication to realism, he helped transition wrestling from the cartoonish 1980s to the reality-based 1990s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He was beloved internationally, especially in Canada and Europe, and was instrumental in elevating mid-sized, athletic wrestlers to main-event status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Signature Nicknames:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>The Excellence of Execution<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>The Hitman<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Championships &amp; Accolades:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>WWF\/WWE:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>5\u00d7 WWF Champion<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>2\u00d7 Intercontinental Champion<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>2\u00d7 WWF Tag Team Champion<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1991 &amp; 1993 King of the Ring<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1994 Royal Rumble co-winner<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>WWE Hall of Fame (2006, 2019)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>WCW:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>2\u00d7 WCW World Heavyweight Champion<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>4\u00d7 WCW United States Champion<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1\u00d7 WCW Tag Team Champion (with Goldberg)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Personal Life:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Married three times; has four children<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Brother of wrestlers <strong>Owen Hart<\/strong>, <strong>Bruce Hart<\/strong>, and others in the legendary Hart wrestling family<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Authored a critically acclaimed autobiography: <em>&#8220;Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling&#8221;<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Philanthropist and strong advocate for stroke recovery, cancer awareness, and wrestler safety<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Fun Facts:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>His iconic entrance included <strong>pink and black ring gear<\/strong>, sunglasses (which he would give to a young fan), and a leather jacket<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Deeply involved in Canadian identity and was considered a national hero during the mid-&#8217;90s<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Has been referenced in pop culture and appeared in <em>The Simpsons<\/em> and <em>Lonesome Dove<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Quote:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>\u201cI am the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Full Name: Bret Sergeant Hart Ring Name(s): Date of Birth: July 2, 1957 Place of Birth: Calgary, Alberta, Canada Height: 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) Weight: 235 lb (107 kg) Early Life and Background: Bret Hart is the eighth of twelve children born to wrestling legend Stu Hart, who operated the Stampede Wrestling promotion [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":564,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_caption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_nocaption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_hide":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[156],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-563","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wrestlers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/votters.com\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/563","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/votters.com\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/votters.com\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/votters.com\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/votters.com\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=563"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/votters.com\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/563\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":567,"href":"https:\/\/votters.com\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/563\/revisions\/567"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/votters.com\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/564"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/votters.com\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=563"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/votters.com\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=563"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/votters.com\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=563"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}