Stu Hart
| Stu Hart CM | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Stewart Edward Hart |
| Born | May 3, 1915[1] Saskatoon,[2] Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Died | October 16, 2003 (aged 88) Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
| Spouse(s) | Helen Louise Smith [3][4](m. 1947; her death 2001) |
| Children | 12, including Smith Hart Bruce Hart Keith Hart Wayne Hart Dean Hart Bret Hart Ross Hart Diana Hart Owen Hart |
| Family | Hart Donald Stewart, grandfather Harry Smith, father-in-law |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Stu Hart |
| Billed height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)[5] |
| Billed weight | 230 lb (104 kg)[5] |
| Billed from | Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
| Trained by | Jack Taylor[a] Toots Mondt[b] |
| Debut | 1943[8] |
| Retired | 1986[9] |
Stewart Edward Hart, CM (May 3, 1915 – October 16, 2003) was a Canadian football player, amateur wrestler, sailor, professional wrestler, wrestling booker, promoter, coach, philanthropist and trainer. Hart was known for his large wrestling family as many of his children and grandchildren would become famous wrestlers and for training many well known wrestlers.
Hart has been called the one of the most important and influencial person in wrestling history.
Early life[change | change source]
Hart was born to a poor family in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.[10][11] He was in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) during World War II. He began wrestling while serving in the RCN. In 1947, he married Helen Louise Smith.
Career[change | change source]
In 1947, Hart began his professional wrestling career in New York. He would begin his career with Stampede Wrestling in 1967 until 1984.
Hart was best known for founding and handling Stampede Wrestling. He taught many wrestlers through his "The Dungeon" and created a pro-wrestling dynasty. He was the father of Bret and Owen Hart as well as the grandfather of Natalya and David Hart Smith.
Many people see Hart as the most important and respected wrestlers of all time.[12]
Hart was a trainer as well who trained Chris Jericho, Edge, Christian, Mark Henry, Chris Benoit, Abdullah the Butcher, Smith Hart, Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Brian Pillman, Jesse Ventura, Davey Boy Smith, David Hart Smith, Dynamite Kid, Gorilla Monsoon, Jim Neidhart, Junkyard Dog, Ken Shamrock, Lance Storm, Mark Henry, Natalya, Nikolai Volkoff, Roddy Piper and Tyson Kidd.
Hart retired in the 1990s after suffering a severe leg injury. Until his retirement, he would be a commentator or trainer in his final years.
Family[change | change source]
Hart had twelve children. They were: Smith Hart, Bruce Hart, Keith Hart, Wayne Hart, Dean Hart, Bret Hart, Ross Hart, Diana Hart and Owen Hart.
Wrestler Jim Neidhart was his son-in-law and Natalya was his granddaughter. Roddy Piper claimed to have been a cousin to Hart, and Hart's children thought of Piper of a close friend to the family.[13]
Death[change | change source]
In 2003, Hart suffered from multiple cases of pneumonia until suffering a stroke on October 15, 2003. He died the next day in Calgary, Alberta, aged 88.[14] His remains were cremated.[15]
Honors[change | change source]
In 2001, Hart was awarded the Order of Canada for his charity work and in 2010, was added into the WWE Hall of Fame.
References[change | change source]
- ↑ Meltzer 2004, p. 96.
- ↑ Toombs 2002, p. Foreword.
- ↑ "Mavericks: Helen Hart". Glenbow.org. Glenbow Museum. Archived from the original on 2019-08-02. Retrieved 2018-08-14.
- ↑ Gallipoli, Thomas M. (February 22, 2008). "SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 2001: Johnny Valentine, Terry Gordy, Chris Adams, Bertha Faye, Helen Hart". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Stu Hart's Hall of Fame profile". WWE.com. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
- ↑ Berger 2010, p. 54.
- ↑ van Herk 2002, p. ?.
- ↑ Erb 2002, p. 72.
- ↑ Pope 2005, p. 218.
- ↑ Lister 2005, p. 252.
- ↑ McCoy 2007, p. 16.
- ↑ "Mavericks: Stu Hart". glenbow.org. Glenbow Museum. Archived from the original on August 2, 2019. Retrieved May 25, 2017.
- ↑ Hart, Bret (2007). Hitman: My real life in the cartoon world of wrestling. Ebury Press. p. 541 pp. ISBN 978-0-09-193286-2.
- ↑ BILL KAUFMANN and JIM WELLS (October 17, 2003). "King of Harts dead". Slam! Wrestling. Calgary Sun. Retrieved January 27, 2015 – via Canadian Online Explorer at Canoe.com.
- ↑ Kaufmann, Bill (October 24, 2003). "Honouring Stu". Calgary Sun. Retrieved January 27, 2015 – via Canadian Online Explorer at Canoe.com.
Other websites[change | change source]
|
Media from Commons |
|
Quotations from Wikiquote |
|
Data from Wikidata |
- Stu Hart on IMDb
- Stu Hart at Find a Grave
- WWE Hall of Fame profile at WWE.com
- Order of Canada: Stewart Edward Hart, C.M., at archive.gg.ca by Governor General of Canada