Bret Hart Profile & News - Wrestler

Bret Hart Wrestler Profile

Bret Hart (full name Bret Sergeant Hart) is a retired professional wrestler, recognised as one of the greatest in-ring performers of all time, famous for his technical prowess in the ring.

Many consider Hart, along with Shawn Michaels, to be key in a 1990s revolution in WWE which saw the company moving away from larger-than-life type athletes to those more proficient at technical wrestling.

Hart is a second-generation wrestler and part of the famed Hart family from Calgary, Canada.

He was born on July 2, 1957, in Canada, Hart is now 65 years old. He stands at a height of 6ft (1.83m).

What is Bret Hart’s net worth?

Hart has an estimated net worth of $14 million.

Who is Bret Hart’s wife?

Hart is married to his third wife Stephanie Washington – the pair wed in 2010. Before that Bret was married to Julie Smadu Hart (1982-2002) and Cinzia Rota (2004-2007).

Bret has four children with Julie Smadu – Jade Michelle, Alexandra Sabina, Dallas Jeffery and Blade Colton.

Bret Hart’s road to WWE

He practised amateur wrestling while at high school and college and also trained at the Hart Dungeon run by his father, Stu. In 1976 he worked for Stu Hart’s Stampede Wrestling promotion in Canada.

By 1984 he had signed with WWE, initially turning down a cowboy gimmick.

The Hart Foundation

Hart’s rise to fame started with the tag team, The Hart Foundation alongside real-life brother-in-law Jim Neidhart and managed by Jimmy Hart.

The pair would go on to become one of the most popular tag teams around, particularly due to Hart’s technical wrestling in contrast to Neidhart’s brute force.

His first singles feud was with Ricky Steamboat which led to a match at Wrestlemania Two, which he lost.

Throughout his time with the Hart Foundation, he would start wearing his famous black and pink attire, leather jacket and sunglasses.

The tag team would have two championship reigns before Hart moved into singles competition.

A singles star too

At Summerslam in 1991, Hart defeated Mr Perfect to win his first Intercontinental Championship, and in that same year he also won King of the Ring.

In 1992, Hart defeated Michaels, with the Intercontinental Championship belt suspended above the ring, in the WWF’s first ever ladder match. He would later drop the belt to the British Bulldog in front of 80,000 fans at Wembley Stadium in London.

Hart’s first WWF Championship victory was a strange one in that it took place on an episode of Superstars, which was not aired on television. In his first ever Wrestlemania main event, he lost the title to Yokozuna.

Hart would then become involved in a heralded feud with brother Owen Hart before winning the title from Yokozuna at Wrestlemania 10.

He faced Owen in a steel cage match at Summerslam – a match regarded as one of the best of all time.

At Wrestlemania 12, he would face Michaels in a 60-minute Ironman match which HBK won after the match went into overtime. It is regarded as one of the best matches in Wrestlemania history.

After refusing advances from WCW, Hart would become involved in a feud with Stone Cold Steve Austin, who was fresh off his own King of the Ring victory in 1996.

Though Hart would win the match, it acted as a double swerve as Austin’s heroics led to cheers from the crown, while Hart turned heel.

Bret Hart the hated

Thereafter, the Hart foundation was reformed, this time as a heel faction. The group were famous for their anti-America agenda which gained heat with the audiences at home and at live events.

Hart would become one of the most hated wrestlers in the company.

In 1997, Hart would become involved in one of the most famous incidents in wrestling history. As WWF Champion, Hart would inform Vince McMahon that he had accepted a lucrative offer to jump ship from WCW.

He would, however, refuse to drop the belt to Michaels in his home country of Canada.

And so, McMahon, Michaels, Triple H and referee Earl Hebner conspired to screw Hart out of the title, with HBK winning via tap out in the Sharpshooter even though no tap came.

The incident was a shoot, and Hart would spit in McMahon’s face in front of the audience before punching him in the face in the locker room. McMahon would say the next right, ‘Bret screwed Bret’.

He would win his first championship in WCW by defeating Diamond Dallas Page for the United States title.

In his first period with the company he would side with and feud with the NWO, eventually teaming with Sting to take on the likes of Hollywood Hulk Hogan.

In 1999 while off injured, Hart’s brother Owen died at the WWF event Over the Edge, falling from the rafters.

Hart won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship tournament by defeating Perry Saturn, Billy Kidman, Sting, and Chris Benoit at Mayhem.

The Hitman’s career would ultimately be cut short as he suffered post-concussion syndrome after being struck in the head via a stiff kick from Goldberg.

After a long absence from wrestling in the mainstream, Hart would eventually return to WWE to accept his entry into the Hall of Fame. He would make amends with Michaels and face McMahon at Wrestlemania 26.

Hart refers to himself as ‘the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be’.