Owen Hart, also known as ‘The Blue Blazer’, was a Canadian-American professional wrestler who captivated audiences with his incredible high flying technique and skills. Throughout his career, he wrestled for various promotions including New Japan Pro Wrestling, Stampede Wrestling, World Wrestling Federation, and World Championship Wrestling. With an impressive list of titles to his name, including the Intercontinental Championship, Tag Team Championship, European Championship, and King of the Ring title, Hart’s talent was undeniable. Born into a wrestling family, he was trained by his father, Stu Hart, and made his debut in 1986. His popularity soared after a tour in Japan, making him one of the most feared wrestlers of the 90s. Tragically, his career came to an end in 1999 when he passed away due to injuries sustained during his entrance in the ring. Despite his untimely death, Hart’s legacy lives on in the hearts of his devoted fans.
Quick Facts
- Canadian Celebrities Born In May
- Also Known As: Owen James Hart
- Died At Age: 34
- Family:
- Spouse/Ex-: Martha Hart (m. 1989–1999)
- Father: Stu Hart
- Mother: Helen Hart
- Siblings: Allison Hart, Bret Hart, Bruce Hart, Dean Hart, Diana Hart, Elizabeth Hart, Natalya, Georgia Hart, Keith Hart, Ross Hart, Smith Hart, Wayne Hart
- Children: Athena Christie Hart, Oje Edward Hart
- Born Country: Canada
- WWE Wrestlers
- Canadian Men
- Height: 5’10” (178 cm)
- Died on: May 23, 1999
- Place of death: Kansas City, Missouri, United States
- Ancestry: Greek Canadian, Greek American, English Canadian, American Canadian, Canadian American, British American
- Notable Alumni: Stampede Wrestling
- Cause of Death: Internal Bleeding
- City: Calgary, Canada
- More Facts
- Education: Stampede Wrestling
Childhood & Early Life
Owen Hart was born on May 7, 1966 in Alberta, Canada to the Hart wrestling family. His father Stu Hart was a former wrestler and his mother Helen Hart was a house maker. The Hart family was big and Owen grew up with 11 siblings and a few of his brothers went on to make a career in wrestling. According to his wife’s book titled ‘Broken Harts’, Owen initially wasn’t keen on making a career in wrestling but he eventually followed his father’s wishes and trained hard throughout middle and high school to become a professional wrestler. His father Stu provided him with tips and tricks for success in the ring, which motivated Owen. By the time he finished high school, he had already become a skilled wrestler. Before pursuing wrestling, Owen tried various other jobs but none of them suited him. He eventually accepted his fate and joined Stampede wrestling, which was run by his father.
Career
Owen Hart started his career with Stampede wrestling, which was struggling at the time and didn’t receive much respect from the wrestling community. Owen used this opportunity to hone his skills in the ring and eventually won the International tag team titles. He also won the British Commonwealth Mid-heavyweight Title and the North American Heavyweight championship title in his first couple of years. In 1987, Owen’s high-flying fighting style and technical prowess caught the attention of New Japan Pro wrestling, where he defeated big names and became the first non-Japanese wrestler to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. In 1988, he caught the attention of WWF and was introduced in the ring as the Blue Blazer to hide his identity as the younger brother of Kevin Hart.
In his early appearances at WWF, Owen performed well but his opponents started to recognize his style and he faced several defeats. He divided his time between Japan and the USA for different promotions before being re-signed by WWF in October 1991. This time, he was reintroduced with his real name and entered the ring with new skills and techniques, earning himself the name ‘The Rocket’. His big victory came at Wrestlemania 8 in 1992 when he defeated Skinner. He then formed a team with Koko B. Ware called High Energy, but the alliance was quickly dismantled after a defeat. Owen embarked on his individual career and had a small feud with his brother Bret Hart after accidentally colliding with him during a match. They later patched up and formed a tag team, but another feud started when they faced ‘The Quebecers’ in a title match at the 1994 Royal Rumble. Owen pinned Bret to secure a victory, but Bret went on to win the WWF World Heavyweight Championship later that evening. This led to several clashes between the two brothers in tag team matches and singles matches. The feud came to a halt after a final defeat in a one-on-one match. Owen then teamed up with Yokozuna and won the Tag team championship, which they held for half a year before losing it. He continued to have rivalries and tag team matches before winning the Intercontinental Championship in 1997. He eventually lost the title to Stone Cold Steve Austin in August 1997.
His feud with DX, the team of Shawn Michaels and Triple H, took up a significant portion of his time. After getting interfered in a match against Shawn Michaels, Owen challenged Triple H for the European Championship and won it. He then teamed up with Jeff Jarrett and participated in several tag team matches. Unfortunately, Owen’s life was cut short in May 1999 due to an accident during a pay per view match. He fell into the ring and suffered a severe neck injury, which ultimately led to his death.
Death
During an Over the Edge pay per view match on May 23, 1999, Owen Hart was set to fight ‘The Godfather’ for the Intercontinental Championship. He was supposed to make a superhero entry into the ring, but the move was under-practiced and Hart fell into the ring, resulting in a severe neck injury. Despite attempts to revive him, Owen Hart passed away at a Kansas City hospital on May 23, 1999.
Personal Life
Owen Hart met Martha Joan Patterson during high school and they dated for many years before getting married in July 1989. The couple had two children and Martha described Owen as a warm man who was deeply in love with his family and profession. Owen was known for his eccentric persona and elaborate pranks, which often irritated his opponents. In 2002, Martha Hart wrote a biographical book titled ‘Broken Harts’ about Owen’s life and career, which became a bestseller and revealed many unheard details about him.