Bret Hart
Bret Sergeant Hart (born July 2, 1957) is a Canadian and American retired professional wrestler, widely considered one of the greatest in the history of the sport. A member of the storied Hart wrestling family from Calgary, Alberta, he became a major international draw in the 1990s, credited with bringing technical wrestling to the forefront of mainstream North American entertainment. Over a career spanning five decades, Hart won 32 championships, including seven world titles, and was the first wrestler to be inducted three times into the WWE Hall of Fame. His legacy extends beyond the ring through charitable work and his role as a namesake founder of the Calgary Hitmen major junior hockey team, cementing his status as a significant figure in Canadian sports culture.
Early life and family
Bret Hart was born in Calgary, Alberta, the eighth of twelve children to wrestling patriarch Stu Hart and his wife Helen. He grew up in the Hart family mansion, a household deeply immersed in the professional wrestling business from his earliest days, as his father trained future stars in the basement training room known as the Dungeon. Hart would help promote local Stampede Wrestling shows by handing out fliers before school, and as a young child he performed minor roles at the events, such as pulling lucky numbers during intermissions. The family were non denominational Christians, and Hart was particularly close to his older brother Dean, who was three years his senior, and they would often team up against his two older sisters.
Hart's maternal grandfather was the long distance runner Harry Smith, and through his grandmother he has Greek ancestry, with additional Irish, Scottish, and English heritage from his father's side. His mother Helen was born in New York, granting Hart dual Canadian and American citizenship, a status he has stated he is equally proud of, considering himself North American. The chaotic and competitive nature of a large family, combined with the intense discipline of his father's wrestling world, shaped Hart's early years in the mansion, which once housed a toothless bear named Terrible Ted chained underneath. He witnessed his father applying punishing submission holds during training sessions, an experience he later reflected on as formative, though he described Stu Hart as having a generally pleasant demeanour outside of the ring.
Amateur wrestling background
Following in his father's footsteps, Bret Hart began training in amateur wrestling at the age of nine and became a standout wrestler at Ernest Manning High School in Calgary, joining the team primarily due to his father's expectations. Hart achieved significant success in Alberta tournaments, including winning the 1974 Calgary city championships after a victory over future national champion Bob Eklund. Showing the medal to his father marked a change in their relationship, and Hart considered these amateur medals among his most prized possessions, valuing the self confidence the sport built. He continued his amateur career at Mount Royal College, where he was studying filmmaking, and by 1977 he was a college champion whose coaches believed he showed enough promise to train for the Commonwealth Games.
However, Hart began to find the sport unrewarding due to injuries and the difficulties of weight management, and he felt that even exceptional success would only lead to a career as a coach or teacher, which did not interest him. His father Stu still believed his son could make it to the Olympic or Commonwealth Games if he put in the effort, but Hart saw the only path to leave amateur wrestling without causing disappointment was to transition to professional wrestling. This decision led him to dedicate himself fully to training in his father's Stampede Wrestling promotion, and his college grades suffered as his interest in filmmaking waned. Hart has often spoken about how helpful his amateur background was for his professional career and the positive effect the sport has on young people.
Stampede Wrestling and early career
Hart began his professional wrestling career in 1976 with his father's Calgary based promotion, Stampede Wrestling, initially working as a referee before making his in ring debut in 1978 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, teaming with Hubert Gallant in a loss. He quickly became a regular contender, often teaming with his brother Keith, and the duo won the Stampede International Tag Team Championship four times, establishing Hart as a rising talent within the promotion. He gained invaluable experience wrestling against and learning from Japanese trainers Mr. Hito and Mr. Sakurada, as well as in intense matches against the Dynamite Kid, Tom Billington, which were crucial for his development. Despite being part of the promotion's founding family, Hart took pride in working hard and putting over other wrestlers when needed, famously stating that no one could take a beating like he could, and he overcame an early dread of interviews to become one of Stampede's most decorated performers.
His championship successes in Stampede Wrestling were substantial. He won the British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Championship twice. He also won the International Tag Team Championship five times and the North American Heavyweight Championship six times. Hart remained one of Stampede's most successful performers until the promotion, along with several wrestlers, was acquired by the World Wrestling Federation in August 1984. He faithfully jobbed as requested of him, taking pride in the believability of his performances. As he said himself, no one could take a beating like Bret Hart.
World Wrestling Federation success
Bret Hart debuted in the WWF in August 1984, refusing an initial cowboy gimmick suggestion, and he quickly formed a tag team with his brother in law Jim Neidhart, managed by Jimmy Hart, creating the faction known as the Hart Foundation. Hart's technical prowess, dubbed "The Excellence of Execution" by commentator Gorilla Monsoon, complemented Neidhart's power, making them a dominant team that won their first WWF Tag Team Championship on February 7, 1987, defeating The British Bulldogs. The team captured a second tag title reign later, solidifying their place in the company's tag team division during the late 1980s, and Hart's singles career began to flourish with notable feuds against Ricky Steamboat and Bad News Brown, the latter turning Hart back into a fan favourite. A key moment came in a 1989 match in Milan against André the Giant, whose post match praise Hart considered crucial for his confidence as a singles competitor, and he wrestled his first pay per view singles match that same year. Hart would hold the title five times, accumulating 654 combined days as champion during the 1990s, the most of any wrestler that decade, and he also won the Intercontinental Championship twice, completing the WWF Triple Crown. His rivalry with Stone Cold Steve Austin from 1996 to 1997, culminating in their Submission match at WrestleMania 13, is widely regarded as one of the most important in wrestling history for its intensity and storytelling. His WWF tenure ended controversially in November 1997 with the "Montreal Screwjob," a disputed finish in a title match against Shawn Michaels that led to his departure for WCW, but he had already established himself as the face of the company's New Generation Era.
Key WWF Accomplishments- Two time WWF Tag Team Champion (1987, 1990) with Jim Neidhart
- 1994 Royal Rumble co winner (with Lex Luger)
- King of the Ring tournament winner (1991, 1993)
- Second WWF Triple Crown Champion
- Headlined WrestleMania IX, X, and XII
WCW career and retirement
Hart joined World Championship Wrestling in late 1997 following his contentious exit from the WWF, and in WCW he quickly ascended to the top of the card, winning the WCW World Heavyweight Championship twice. His first victory in 1998 made him the first holder of that title born outside the United States, and Hart also achieved the WCW Triple Crown, winning the United States Heavyweight Championship and the World Tag Team Championship alongside Goldberg. He headlined WCW's premier event, Starrcade, in 1999 against Goldberg, but his WCW run was hampered by creative frustrations and a serious concussion suffered in a match with Goldberg in December 1999. The injury forced him into inactivity from in ring competition for the remainder of his contract, and he officially announced his retirement from wrestling in October 2000, shortly after leaving the company, despite being one of its highest paid stars and a major draw during his tenure there.
Return to WWE and later career
After nearly a decade in retirement, Hart returned to WWE in 2010, resolving the longstanding tensions from the Montreal Screwjob, and he engaged in a final feud with Vince McMahon, which culminated in a victory over McMahon at WrestleMania XXVI. Later that year, he won the WWE United States Championship, his final title, and headlined the 2010 SummerSlam event, and Hart also served a stint as the general manager of Raw before his sporadic in ring return concluded in 2011. His legacy has been consistently honoured by WWE, starting with his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame as an individual in 2006, followed by a second induction in 2019 as a member of the Hart Foundation stable. In 2025, he received a historic third induction when his WrestleMania 13 Submission match against Stone Cold Steve Austin was enshrined as the inaugural entry in the new Immortal Moments category, a unique honour in WWE history that confirms the lasting importance of his career and his matches.
Career statistics and championships
Bret Hart's career is distinguished by championship success across five decades, from the 1970s to the 2010s, and he won a total of 32 recognized championships across multiple promotions. His 17 major titles between WWF/WWE and WCW include seven world championships, and Hart held the WWF Championship for a combined 654 days during the 1990s, a record for that era. He is one of only a few wrestlers to have achieved the Triple Crown in both the WWF and WCW, and beyond title counts, his career is marked by historic victories like being the 1994 Royal Rumble co winner and a two time King of the Ring. His matches are frequently cited for their technical excellence and storytelling, influencing a generation of wrestlers who followed and main eventing multiple WrestleMania and Starrcade events.
| Promotion | World Titles | Other Major Titles | Total Recognized Titles |
|---|---|---|---|
| WWF/WWE | 5 (WWF) | 2 Intercontinental, 2 Tag Team, 1 United States | 10 |
| WCW | 2 (World Heavyweight) | 1 United States, 1 World Tag Team | 4 |
| Stampede Wrestling | 6 (North American Heavyweight) | 2 Mid-Heavyweight, 5 International Tag Team | 13 |
| Other/International | , | 5 (Various Tag and Mid-Heavyweight) | 5 |
Questions about Bret Hart
How many times was Bret Hart WWF Champion?
Bret Hart is a five-time WWF Champion. He went the most combined days as WWF Champion during the 1990s with a total of 654 days. He was a major international draw and the face of the WWF's New Generation Era. He is also a two-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion, making him a seven-time world champion overall.
What is the Montreal Screwjob?
The Montreal Screwjob was a controversial incident in November 1997. It involved the finish of Bret Hart's WWF Championship match against Shawn Michaels. Hart left the WWF for World Championship Wrestling following this event. He remained with WCW until October 2000.
Is Bret Hart in the WWE Hall of Fame?
Yes, Bret Hart is in the WWE Hall of Fame. He is the first wrestler to be inducted three times. He was inducted individually in 2006 and as a member of the Hart Foundation in 2019. His Submission match with Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13 was inducted in 2025 as the inaugural Immortal Moments entry.
What is Bret Hart's connection to the Calgary Hitmen?
Bret Hart helped found the major junior ice hockey team the Calgary Hitmen. He also lent his famous nickname Hitman to the team. This is one of his activities outside of professional wrestling. He has also written two biographies and a weekly column for the Calgary Sun for over a decade.
Did Bret Hart ever wrestle in Japan?
Yes, Bret Hart wrestled in Japan for New Japan Pro-Wrestling. He debuted there in June 1980, teaming with his brother Keith Hart. He made several tours between 1980 and 1984. During these tours, he faced opponents like Antonio Inoki, Tatsumi Fujinami, and Tiger Mask, and he competed for championships.
What caused Bret Hart to retire?
Bret Hart's retirement was caused by a concussion he suffered in December 1999 in WCW. He was inactive from in-ring competition from January 2000 onward due to this injury. He officially retired in October 2000, shortly after his departure from WCW. He returned to sporadic in-ring competition with WWE from 2010 to 2011, where he won his final championship.
Sources and further reading
- Bret Hart (Wikipedia)
- Bret Hart | Wrestling Legend & Powerful Motivational Speaker (speakerscanada.com)
- Bret Hart (canadaswalkoffame.com)
Checked by the Garbutt Disposal desk. Last updated 2026-10-19.
