Bret Hart, a Canadian-American retired professional wrestler from the Hart wrestling family, is celebrated as one of the greatest of all time. Known as "The Hitman," he popularized technical wrestling in North America during the early 1990s. His background includes amateur wrestling, and he became a major international draw, significantly impacting the perception of mainstream professional wrestling. Hart's legacy emphasizes his exceptional skill and contributions to the sport.
Bret Hart expressed his desire for one more match, naming late WWE Hall of Famers as dream opponents. He also identified a wrestler he would love to face if he could return.
On July 2, 1957, Bret Sergeant Hart was born. He is a Canadian-American retired professional wrestler and a member of the Hart wrestling family.
Julie Smadu, who later married Bret Hart, was born on March 25, 1960.
In 1974, Bret Hart won the city championships in Calgary in amateur wrestling.
In 1976, Bret Hart began working for his father's Stampede Wrestling promotion in Calgary, starting as a referee.
In 1977, Bret Hart was a collegiate champion at Mount Royal College while studying filmmaking, leading to encouragement to compete at the Commonwealth Games.
In 1978, Bret Hart made his in-ring debut at a Stampede Wrestling event in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, as a replacement for a wrestler who couldn't perform.
In 1978, Bret Hart made his in-ring debut for Stampede Wrestling.
In the years 1980-1981, Bret Hart's old competitor, Bob Eklund, would go on to become a Canadian Interuniversity Sport national champion, winning "Outstanding Wrestler of the Year".
In the years 1980-1981, Bret Hart's old competitor, Bob Eklund, would go on to become a Canadian Interuniversity Sport national champion, winning "Outstanding Wrestler of the Year".
On July 8, 1982, Bret Hart married Julie Smadu. They later had four children together.
In August 1984, Stampede Wrestling, along with several wrestlers including Bret Hart, was acquired by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
On August 29, 1984, Bret Hart made his televised WWF debut in a tag team match, teaming with the Dynamite Kid.
As Bret Hart's WWF career progressed, he increasingly described himself as "The best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be" which he derived from the 1984 film "The Natural".
In 1985, Bret Hart requested to join Jimmy Hart's heel stable, The Hart Foundation, and began teaming with Jim Neidhart.
On March 8, 1986, Bret Hart lost a singles match to Ricky Steamboat at the Boston Garden.
On July 28, 1986, Bret Hart lost again to Ricky Steamboat on Prime Time Wrestling.
On November 3, 1986, Bret Hart headlined his first televised WWF card, beating Ray Rougeau on Prime Time Wrestling.
On February 7, 1987, The Hart Foundation won their first WWF Tag Team Championship by defeating The British Bulldogs on Superstars of Wrestling.
On November 28, 1987, Bret Hart faced "Macho Man" Randy Savage on Saturday Night's Main Event XIII, in a losing effort.
In January 1988, Bret Hart was the first entrant in the inaugural Royal Rumble match, lasting 25 minutes and 42 seconds before being eliminated by Don Muraco.
At SummerSlam in August 1988, Jimmy Hart assisted tag team champions Demolition in a successful defence of their belts against the Harts.
In 1988, Bret Hart turned heel for the first time since 1988 after assaulting Steve Austin after their match.
In 1988, following his face turn, Bret Hart started giving away his signature mirrored sunglasses to young audience members before matches.
In January 1989, at the Royal Rumble, The Hart Foundation teamed with Jim Duggan to achieve a victory against The Rougeaus and Dino Bravo.
At SummerSlam in August 1989, The Hart Foundation faced The Brain Busters in a non-title match and were defeated.
On November 6, 1989, Bret Hart lost to Mr. Perfect on Prime Time Wrestling. Perfect pulled Hart's tights during a roll-up to secure the victory.
In January 1990, The Hart Foundation participated in the Royal Rumble.
On February 11, 1990, Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart's first ever singles match ended in a double countout on Wrestling Challenge.
In June 1991, Bret Hart began writing a weekly column for the Calgary Sun.
On September 7, 1991, Bret Hart won the 1991 King of the Ring tournament at the Providence Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island.
In 1991 Julie's sister Michelle divorced Tom Billington.
In 1991, Bret Hart won the King of the Ring tournament.
In 1991, Curt Hennig stated that the best match he ever had was with Bret Hart at SummerSlam, noting that he'd have a good relationship with Bret forever.
In January 1992, Bret Hart began feuding with Jacques Rougeau, wrestling as "The Mountie." The feud started when The Mountie's manager threw water on Hart, and The Mountie shocked Hart with a cattle prod.
On January 17, 1992, Bret Hart lost the Intercontinental Championship to The Mountie.
On July 21, 1992, Bret Hart defeated Shawn Michaels in the WWF's first ever ladder match at a Wrestling Challenge taping, with the Intercontinental Championship belt suspended above the ring.
In August 1992, Bret Hart lost the Intercontinental Championship to Davey Boy Smith at SummerSlam in a match later voted "Match of the Year" by Pro Wrestling Illustrated readers.
In 1992, Wade Barrett named the Bret Hart vs. The British Bulldog match at SummerSlam as his all-time favorite match.
In October 1993, Bret Hart gave a radio interview in which he said Ric Flair "sucks" and described WCW as "minor league."
In 1993, Bret Hart engaged in a feud with Jerry "The King" Lawler, which was named "Feud of the Year" by Wrestling Observer Newsletter and Pro Wrestling Illustrated readers.
In 1993, Bret Hart was voted "WWF Superstar of the Year" by fans and greatest wrestler of the year by Pro Wrestling Illustrated readers.
In 1993, Bret Hart won the first King of the Ring pay-per-view event.
In 1993, Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) readers voted Bret Hart the greatest wrestler of the year in the "PWI 500", and he was also voted "WWF Superstar of the Year" by fans.
In 1993, Scott Dawson stated that Bret Hart's work at King of the Ring made him want to become a professional wrestler.
In July 1994, Sean Waltman said that Bret Hart gave him the best singles match of his career, and one of the best matches that has ever been on Monday Night Raw.
In 1994, Bret Hart co-won the Royal Rumble with Lex Luger and later defeated Yokozuna to win his second WWF Championship.
In 1994, Bret Hart lost his WWF Championship to Bob Backlund at Survivor Series in a submission match.
In 1994, Bret Hart played a prison inmate in a deleted scene from Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers, which was later restored for the director's cut.
In 1994, Bret Hart's disagreements with his brother Owen escalated into a family feud.
In 1994, CM Punk's first match in All Elite Wrestling against Darby Allin included several sequences that mirrored Bret Hart's 1994 match against Sean Waltman.
In 1994, Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) readers voted Bret Hart the greatest wrestler of the year in the "PWI 500", as well as the "Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year".
From 1994 to 1995, Bret Hart appeared in the Lonesome Dove: The Series television show playing "Luther Root".
In 1995, Bret Hart focused on outside projects like acting, and engaged in feuds with Jerry Lawler and Jean-Pierre Lafitte, regaining the WWF Championship at Survivor Series by defeating Diesel.
On September 8, 1996, Bret Hart returned to action in Durban, South Africa, defeating Davey Boy Smith.
From 1996 to 1997, Bret Hart headlined multiple pay-per-view events as part of an acclaimed rivalry with Stone Cold Steve Austin.
In 1996, Bret Hart defended his WWF Championship against Diesel and The Undertaker. He was later scheduled to face Shawn Michaels in a 60-minute Iron Man match at WrestleMania XII.
In 1996, Bret Hart was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame while still an active performer.
In 1996, Dwayne Johnson was bullied by Shawn Michaels and Triple H, who tried to force him out of WWE.
On October 21, 1996, Bret Hart elected to re-sign with the World Wrestling Federation with an unprecedented 20-year contract.
In November 1997, Bret Hart left the WWF for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) following the controversial "Montreal Screwjob".
Bret Hart made his WCW debut on Nitro on December 15, 1997, after Eric Bischoff announced that Hart was going to be coming to WCW and joining the nWo.
Corey Erdman of Vice noted that 1997 was one of the hottest periods in professional wrestling, and Bret Hart was the WWF's biggest star.
From 1996 to 1997, Bret Hart headlined multiple pay-per-view events as part of an acclaimed rivalry with Stone Cold Steve Austin.
In 1997, Bret Hart guest starred on the sketch comedy series MADtv, acting as an enforcer at a fan's house while appearing with his WWF Championship belt.
In 1997, Bret Hart made a guest appearance on The Simpsons as himself in "The Old Man and the Lisa".
In 1997, Bret Hart refused to lose his final WWF match with Shawn Michaels at the Survivor Series event, culminating in the Montreal Screwjob.
In 1997, Bret Hart was voted as the "Most Hated Wrestler of the Year" by Pro Wrestling Illustrated readers due to his anti-American persona and the Hart Foundation's actions.
In late 1997, due to the WWF's rough financial position, Vince McMahon encouraged Bret Hart to approach WCW about a contract, despite Hart's willingness to renegotiate with the WWF.
In April 1998, Bret Hart turned heel in WCW by interfering in a Nitro main event between Hollywood Hogan and Randy Savage, helping Hogan recapture the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, becoming an associate of the nWo.
Bret Hart and Julie Smadu separated in May 1998.
In 1998, Bret Hart's likeness continued to be featured in WWF media, including the title video of Raw, action figure for Slammers Series 1 and the WWF War Zone video game.
In 1998, the documentary Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows was released, showcasing many behind-the-scenes events leading up to the Montreal Screwjob.
On February 8, 1999, on Nitro, Bret Hart lost the United States Heavyweight Championship to Roddy Piper.
In July 1999, Bret Hart began writing his autobiography with Marcy Engelstein.
On September 13, 1999, Bret Hart returned to wrestling, teaming with Hulk Hogan against Sting and Lex Luger on Nitro. This re-established Hart as a face.
In December 1999, Bret Hart suffered a concussion, leading to inactivity in in-ring competition.
In 1999, Bret Hart appeared on MADtv in an angle with actor Will Sasso where they feuded on the set.
In 1999, Owen Hart died due to an accident at the WWF pay-per-view Over the Edge.
In 1999, a clip of Bret Hart applying the sharpshooter to Chris Benoit at WCW Mayhem was featured in the opening credits of Malcolm in the Middle.
Due to a concussion he got in December of 1999, Bret Hart had been inactive from in-ring competition since January 2000.
On the September 6, 2000, episode of Thunder, Bret Hart made his final WCW appearance, confronting Goldberg about an injury he sustained nine months prior.
In October 2000, Bret Hart officially retired from in-ring competition shortly after his departure from WCW.
On October 20, 2000, WCW terminated Bret Hart's contract via FedEx letter due to his ongoing incapacity.
On October 26, 2000, Bret Hart announced his retirement from professional wrestling.
In 2000, Bret Hart's feud with Will Sasso culminated in a grudge match on WCW Monday Nitro, which Hart decisively won.
On June 24, 2002, Bret Hart and Julie Smadu's divorce was finalized just hours before Hart had his stroke.
In 2002, Bret Hart suffered a stroke, which delayed the completion of his autobiography.
In May 2003, Bret Hart made a major appearance in Auckland, New Zealand, at a World Wrestling All-Stars (WWA) event, marking his first major appearance since recovering from a stroke.
In 2003, PWI ranked Bret Hart No. 4 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years".
On September 15, 2004, Bret Hart married Cinzia Rota.
In 2004, Bret Hart donned his "Hit Man" singlet and executed wrestling maneuvers as the Genie in a stage production of Aladdin.
In 2004, WWE fans voted the WrestleMania match between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels as the greatest in the history of WrestleMania.
On November 15, 2005, WWE released a three-disc DVD collection originally named Screwed: The Bret Hart Story, but renamed Bret "Hit Man" Hart: The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be, featuring over seven hours of interview footage with Hart.
In 2005, one of Bret Hart's all-time favorite matches was included on his DVD.
On February 16, 2006, it was announced on Raw that Bret Hart would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2006.
On April 1, 2006, Bret Hart was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2006 by Stone Cold Steve Austin.
On July 15, 2006, Bret Hart was inducted into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame at the International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Newton, Iowa.
In 2006, Bret Hart reprised his role as the Genie in the stage production of Aladdin.
In 2006, Bret Hart was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame individually.
On June 11, 2007, Bret Hart made his first appearance on Raw since 1997 in a pretaped interview voicing his opinions on Vince McMahon as part of "Mr. McMahon Appreciation Night".
In September 2007, Bret Hart and Marcy Engelstein completed the writing of his autobiography, eight years after starting it in July 1999.
On October 16, 2007, Bret Hart's autobiography titled Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling, was released in Canada by Random House Canada.
In 2007, Bret Hart and Cinzia Rota divorced after failing to agree on where they should live.
In June 2008, Bret Hart returned to the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame ceremony to induct his father Stu Hart.
In 2008, Bret Hart's autobiography, Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling, was released in the United States by Grand Central Publishing, accompanied by a U.S. book signing tour.
On July 11, 2009, Bret Hart appeared at One Pro Wrestling in Doncaster, England, holding a Q&A and addressing the fans in the ring.
On September 27, 2009, Bret Hart appeared in New York City's Manhattan Center to sign autographs during a Ring of Honor event and reminisced about memorable matches.
On December 28, 2009, Vince McMahon announced that Bret Hart would be the special guest host on the January 4, 2010 episode of Raw.
In January 2010, The Fight Network produced a documentary titled Bret Hart – Survival of the Hitman, chronicling Bret Hart's rise, his 1997 split with WWE, and his road back to the company, featuring interviews with Hart and his family.
In 2010, Bret Hart engaged in a feud with Vince McMahon that mirrored the Montreal Screwjob, culminating in a No Holds Barred match at WrestleMania XXVI where Hart defeated McMahon, following a double-cross by the Hart family.
In 2010, Bret Hart married Stephanie Washington.
In 2010, Bret Hart returned to sporadic in-ring competition with WWE, where he won his final championship and headlined the SummerSlam event.
On April 25, 2011, Bret Hart made an appearance on the episode of Tough Enough.
On August 23, 2011, Bret Hart served as the guest general manager on SmackDown (aired August 26).
In November 2011, WWE released a DVD entitled Shawn Michaels vs Bret Hart: WWE's Greatest Rivalries, focusing on their on-screen rivalry and real-life conflicts, particularly the Montreal Screwjob.
On May 4, 2012, Bret Hart served as a guest ring announcer on Raw.
On March 25, 2013, Bret Hart served as an expert on a panel during an episode of Raw.
On May 27, 2013, Bret Hart was honored by the city of Calgary and WWE with a "Bret Hart Appreciation Night", celebrating his career achievements.
In 2013, a DVD set called The Dungeon Collection, featuring Bret Hart, was released. It included his April 8, 1989 singles match against André the Giant.
On March 27, 2014, Bret Hart was in the corner of his niece Natalya on an episode of NXT.
On February 1, 2016, Bret Hart announced he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
On March 2, 2016, Jim Ross claimed that Bret Hart had beaten prostate cancer following surgery.
In 2016, Bret Hart appeared at the Payback event in Natalya's corner. After Natalya was defeated the pair locked Ric Flair and Charlotte in the Sharpshooter.
In 2016, Bret Hart starred in the documentary film Nine Legends.
On August 23, 2018, Bret Hart was honoured with a traditional Niitsitapi naming ceremony and named 'Courageous Chief' by Siksika Elder Miiksika'am (Clarence Wolfleg) in recognition of his and Stu Hart's cultural relationship building contributions.
In 2018, at the age of 60, Bret Hart received an honorary degree — a Bachelor of Health and Physical Education/Physical Literacy from Mount Royal University.
On April 6, 2019, Bret Hart became a two-time WWE Hall of Famer as a member of The Hart Foundation, during Hart's speech, an audience member attacked him and Natalya, but was quickly apprehended. Hart continued and finished his speech.
On May 25, 2019, Bret Hart made a surprise appearance at All Elite Wrestling's (AEW) inaugural pay-per-view, Double or Nothing, to unveil the AEW World Championship.
In August 2019, Bret Hart appeared backstage at WWE SummerSlam to wish Seth Rollins good luck in his match against Brock Lesnar.
In 2019, Bret Hart and the Calgary Hitmen Team donated $16,300 to the Calgary Prostate Cancer Centre.
In 2019, Bret Hart was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as a member of The Hart Foundation.
On October 24, 2020, Bret Hart appeared via video message at Impact Wrestling's 2020 Bound for Glory to congratulate Ken Shamrock for his induction into the Impact Hall of Fame.
In 2021, Bret Hart was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame by Chris Jericho and The Rock.
In 2021, Dwayne Johnson praised Bret Hart for his kindness and professionalism when Johnson was a rookie in WWE.
In September 2022, Bret Hart appeared at ringside for WWE's Clash at the Castle, their first UK stadium show in 30 years.
In February 2023, Bret Hart opened Hitman's Bar in Calgary, displaying his most iconic memorabilia, including the world heavyweight championship belt he won in 1992.
In July 2023, it was revealed that Bret Hart offered his services to AEW as an agent, but was turned down.
On the September 9, 2024 episode, Bret Hart returned to Raw, sharing a segment with Sami Zayn and World Heavyweight Champion Gunther.
In 2024, Bret Hart played himself in the American Dad! episode "Under (and Over, and Beside) the Boardwalk".
On April 11, 2025, Bret Hart appeared in the documentary film Wrestlemania IX: The Spectacle, which was released on Peacock.
In 2025, Bret Hart's Submission match with Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13 was inducted as the inaugural entry into the Immortal Moments category of the WWE Hall of Fame.
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