Author Topic: 5 Years Ago Today (Read 197 times)

Perfection · « **on:** May 24, 2004, 07:33:26 AM »

Remembering Owen Hart
TSN.ca Staff
5/23/2004

It's hard to believe that five years have passed by since the tragic loss of Owen Hart on May 23rd, 1999. The effect of his sudden and premature death is still running its course with wrestling fans across North America and around the world.

Owen fell to his death while entering the ring from the rafters of Kansas City's Kemper Arena during a pay-per-view named - with eerie irony - Over The Edge. He was supposed to descend in a "superhero fashion" while attached from a cable, but something went terribly wrong. Efforts to try and revive the fallen Hart failed.

Owen's death had a profound effect on the wrestling community, and on the next night's RAW his fellow friends and superstars delivered moving tributes to the man who many said was a prankster, a joker, and a great friend. That same RAW would be declared one of the most memorable episode's in the show's ten year history.

By all accounts, Owen was a great father and devoted husband. He was survived by his loving wife Martha, and his two children, Oje and Athena.

Owen the wrestler will be remembered for his great feuds with his brother Bret Hart, and brother-in-law, the late Davey Boy Smith. Owen would become a member of the Hart Foundation stable along with Bret, Davey, brother-in-law Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, and the late Brian Pillman. After the older Hart's controversial departure from the WWF, Owen would become "The Black Hart" and feud with Shawn Michaels and his buddy Hunter Hearst Helmsley. When Helmsley formed the new "Degeneration X" with Chyna, The Road Dogg, BA Billy Gunn, and X-Pac, Owen would find himself an integral member of the new Nation of Domination headlined by a young Rocky Miavia. Owen then teamed up with fellow second generation superstar Jeff Jarrett to form an incredibly successful tag team, before donning the mantle of "The Blue Blazer" again.

Working for TSN.ca, many of us have enjoyed the distinguished pleasure of meeting and interviewing some of the greatest stars in the history of wrestling. TSN.ca's own Brian "Darkside" Garside had the opportunity to interview Owen in 1997, and again in early 1999, and was amazed by his good natured, down to earth manner. "Owen was a really humble, nice guy," said Garside.

"On both occasions I spoke with him he joked about the differences between American and Canadian fans, and made comments about how much he enjoyed wrestling in front of his home country's fans. Both times I had the chance to interview him he spoke of his family and how much they meant to him. He was a true class act, and was one of the nicest wrestling personalities I've ever met, and that's saying something since I have yet to meet a wrestler I didn't think was one of the nicest guys I've met."

Owen Hart made a lasting impression on the industry, and is still missed by all.
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