Owen is the youngest child of legendary Stu and Helen Hart. Owen was trained by his father in the Dungeon. In 1986 Owen
was ready to join Stampede Wrestling, owned by his father, but at that time it was already going downhill. Owen though, used
the time that was left to hone his skills and become one of the most promising rookies the sport has ever seen.
Owen showed on several occasions, that he was championship material, and together with Ben Bassarab, he became
International Tag Team champion. Owen also showed his skills in singles competition by winning the British Commonwealth
Mid Heavyweight title once. Owen then went after the North American Heavyweight title, which he came close to winning in a
tournament final, where he lost to Makhan Singh, Owen though came back an won the title twice, the last time holding it for 13
months.
In 1988 on a tour with New Japan, Owen's skills finally paid off. Owen became the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion by
defeating Hiroshi Hase, May 27, in Sendai. Owen was the first westerner to hold the title. Owen title regain lasted until, June
24 1988, when he lost the title to Shiro Koshinaka, in Osaka.
Owen returned to the States, where the WWF showed interest in him. Owen, beneath hood and cape, became the Blue Blazer
- a lightweight high flyer versus the heavyweights of the WWF. Owen's skills was mostly used to put the other guys over, at
WrestleMania V, he jobbed to Mr. Perfect, shortly after Owen left the WWF. Never once during his first stint in WWF was it
mentioned, that Owen was Bret Hart's brother.
Owen spent the next two years on the road, showing his skills in Mexico, Canada, Japan, Europe, and he had a very short stint
in the WCW.
Owen returned to the WWF, where he joined his brother-in-law, Jim Neidhart, in the New Foundation. The team didn't last
long because they never got a clean break, everybody was comparing them to the original Hart Foundation, which they couldn't
live up to.
Neidhart left the WWF, but Owen wasn't finished with tag team wrestling yet. Owen and Koko B. Ware formed High Energy.
They didn't have much success though. Owen got a knee injury at the end of 1992, and when he returned, Koko was gone.
The Rocket Owen Hart was born. Via the working agreement with the USWA, Owen went to Memphis, where he defeated
Papa Shango for the Unified World Heavyweight Title, only to drop it to Jerry Lawler after two weeks.
After the taste of gold Owen was ready to make his mark in the WWF. But it didn't happen. Owen was still on the bottom of
the ladder, while Bret was on top, he had just won the 1993 edition of the King of the Ring.
At the Survivor Series 1993, where a united Hart family fought Shawn Michaels and his knights, Owen was whipped into Bret,
who stood on the apron, causing Bret to hit the railing and Owen to get eliminated. The Hart family won the match, but Owen
wasn't satisfied with the result, he blamed Bret for his elimination, Owen then developed an obsession, he wanted to be
regarded as his brother Bret's equal, Owen would not be in the shadow of the Hitman. Owen was furious at Bret, so he
wanted a match against him, so he could step out of Bret's shadow, but Bret wouldn't give it to him.
Owen and Bret talked the things through at the end of 1993, and they agreed to form a tag team. Owen and Bret got a shot at
the tag team champions, the Quebecers, at the Royal Rumble 1994. The brothers lost the match, when the referee ended the
match, because of Bret's injured knee. Owen totally lost it, he kicked Bret on his knee after the match, and blamed Bret for the
loss. Owen also said, that it was Bret, who told him to wrestle under hood and cap, so Owen wouldn't take the limelight from
Bret.
At WrestleMania X, Owen and Bret had a classic match, which went back and forth. Owen was victorious, but at the same
event, Bret became WWF Heavyweight Champion for the 2. time, which made Owen even more jealous.
Owen wanted another shot at Bret, but to get that, he had to win the King of the Ring tournament. Owen qualified to the King
of the Ring by beating Adam Bomb. In the first round of the tournament, Owen and Tatanka went at it, with Owen coming out
on top. In the semi-final round waited the 1-2-3 Kid. Owen defeated him easily with the sharpshooter.
It was time for the final round. Jim Neidhart had secured that Bret was still the champ, by attacking Diesel, who got the DQ
victory. Owen and Razor Ramon was the two finalists, it was an even match until Anvil attacked Razor, which made Owen the
1994 King of the Ring. After the victory Owen proclaimed himself the King of Harts.
With the victory at the King of the Ring, Owen showed that he was a force to be reckoned with, Owen also got what he really
wanted, a match against his brother for the WWF title at SummerSlam 94. The match was a cage match, with Neidhart and the
British Bulldog in the public. The match went back and forth, both wrestlers slugged it out up the cage, over the top and on the
way down, when suddenly Bret slammed Owen's head against the cage. Owen got his ankles caught between the bars, Bret
jumped, landing feet-first at ringside. The British Bulldog cheered, when suddenly Neidhart attacked him. Owen and Neidhart
dragged Bret back into the cage and started beating on him. Bulldog got to Bret's rescue. This event was reason for some great
tag team matches between Bret/Bulldog and Owen/Neidhart.
The family war died out when Neidhart left the federation in the start of 1995. Owen then aligned himself with Jim Cornette,
Owen the challenged the WWF tag team champions, The Smoking Gunns, at WrestleMania XI, where he would reveal his
mystery partner. The mystery partner was none other than the mighty Yokuzuna. Owen and Yokuzuna defeated the Gunns with
relatively ease, and became WWF tag team champions. Owen had won his first title in the WWF.
Owen and Yoko held on to the titles for almost a half year, before dropping them to the Smoking Gunns, actually Owen and
Yoku lost the titles to Diesel and Shawn Michaels at In Your House III, but since the Bulldog replaced Owen, and it was
Owen who got pinned, the titles was handed back. After the defeat both Yoku and Owen wanted to use more time on their
singles career, which split the team.
The rest of 1995 and until the summer of 1996, Owen was jobbed to almost every WWF superstar. Owen did have some
success though, on an instalment of Monday Night Raw, in a match against Shawn Michaels, Owen hit Michaels with a kick to
the back of the head, which made the lights go out for Michaels, who laid flat on his back. At the Slammy Awards 1996,
Owen won a Slammy for the incident, after the event he billed himself the Slammy Award Winning Owen Hart.
During the summer of 1996 The British Bulldog, who had joined Camp Cornette in the end of 1995, and Owen decided to use
their combined forces to win the WWF tag team titles from the Smoking Gunns. The title changed happened at In Your House
X, where a manager change also happened. Clarence Mason became the new manager for the new champions, when he got a
groggy Jim Cornette to sign the papers.
With a new manager and the titles on their waist, you should think everything was good. But it wasn't, Bulldog got more and
more popular among the fans, while Owen got more unpopular, it seemed like a team split was unavoidable.
At the Royal Rumble 97, Owen "accidentally" eliminated the British Bulldog from the battle royal. But it got worse, Bulldog
fired Clarence Mason when he lost a match to Crush, also managed by Mason. Owen tried to convince Bulldog that it was
wrong, but he couldn't.
In February of 1997, the first ever WWF European Champion should be crowned via a tournament in Germany. The final saw
the tag team partners Owen and Bulldog go at it. It was a tough match, but in the end it was Bulldog, who stood triumphant
with the new belt. After the match Owen launched a post-match tirade about Bulldog's lack of respect for him. Owen has been
in another tournament final in 1997, it was in Kuwait, where he lost to Tiger Ali Singh.
At the Slammy Awards 1997, Owen "won" another Slammy. The tag team champions continued to fight of all comers, but you
could feel the tension between them. At Raw is War after WrestleMania 13, Owen and Bulldog had to fight the Headbangers
for the titles. Bulldog and Owen got in a fight at the end of the match, Owen said that he demanded a shot at the Bulldog's
European title at the following Raw is War, Bulldog gladly accepted.
The following Raw is War it was time for the match for the European title between Owen and Bulldog. It was a brutal match,
where Bulldog was going to use a chair on Owen, when Bret entered the ring. Bret got the two combatants separated, he then
told them, that the WWF and the American wrestling fans were doing everything in their power to destroy them. Bret also told
Owen and Bulldog that he needed and loved them, and that he wanted them to join forces with him against Steve Austin,
WWF and the American wrestling fans. They accepted, the Hart Foundation was founded.
The following weeks Owen and Bulldog watched out for Bret, by attacking Austin and Michaels. Pillman and Neidhart also
joined the Hart Foundation. 2 weeks after joining the Hart Foundation, Owen won the Intercontinental Title, cleanly, from
Rocky Maivia at Raw is War. Owen had finally won a singles title, which he has deserved.
Owen and Bulldog's constant attacks on Austin and Michaels lead to a challenge from the Tag Team Champions. On an
instalment of Raw is War Austin and Michaels won the titles from Owen and Bulldog, who had held on to the titles for 8
months.
With only the Intercontinental Title at his waist, Owen will go back to singles wrestling, a place where he fits much better.
Owen proved that he is one of the best, by beating Golddust and Hunter Hearst Helmsley in a Three Way Dance on Raw is
War.
At Summer Slam Owen had to defend his Intercontinental Title against Steve Austin. As expected Owen lost the title to Austin,
but injured Austin in the match. Since the match, Owen has been very proud of himself, because he injured Austin, this has lead
to Austin attacking Owen at every opportunity.
Owen then got a restraining order on Austin, but this hasn't stopped Austin, who continues to attack Owen. In my opinion it
looks like Owen will win the Intercontinental Title only to loose it to Austin, when he returns.
Owen did win the IC Title at Badd Blood, with the help of Austin, who smacked Faarooq in the head with the Title. Now
Owen prepares for Survivor Series and the next time he and Austin will tangle in the ring.
Owen met up with Austin at the Survivor Series and dropped the IC Title to the Rattlesnake, but the events with his brother
Bret had an effect on the younger Hart. As a result, Owen left the WWF for a while to think about his future, but he didn't stay
away long.
At In Your House, Degeneration X, Owen returned to take out his anger on the man responsible for his brother's departure,
Shawn Michaels. During the ruckus, Owen threw HBK through a table and broke Shawn's nose. Owen Hart is BACK!
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