Guest FrigidSoul Report post Posted October 17, 2003 Oh, come on, now. This thead is about the late Stu Hart. Please, don't degenerate this into Franchise hate. I wasn't degenerating it into Douglas hate, the man complains about everything and does so for long periods of time Either way I'd love to see some actual Dungeon training footage of Bret, Owen, Benoit, Storm, Jericho, etc Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HellSpawn 0 Report post Posted October 17, 2003 There is a new angel up there, playing with the Blue Blazer and The Bulldog. R.I.P. Stu Hart Thanx STU. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest The Masked Avenger Report post Posted October 17, 2003 The man was undoubtedly one of wrestlings greatest icons and I am both sad that he died and relieved that he's no longer in pain and united with his wife and sons. -Rest in peace, Stu Hart. You've earned it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vern Gagne 0 Report post Posted October 17, 2003 Does anyone have a list of the wrestlers that trained in the Hart Dungeon, and ended up being stars in the business. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RavishingRickRudo 0 Report post Posted October 17, 2003 That gets harder the more you move up in years. "The Dungeon" and "The Hart Bros Wrestling School" aren't necessarily one in the same. I believe, anyone who came out of the 80's (Bret, Benoit, Pillman, etc) had on-hand training from Stu. Storm and Jericho I'm not so sure. Then you have someone like Justin Credible who was out of that camp, but not really associated with "dungeon training" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Choken One Report post Posted October 17, 2003 That gets harder the more you move up in years. "The Dungeon" and "The Hart Bros Wrestling School" aren't necessarily one in the same. I believe, anyone who came out of the 80's (Bret, Benoit, Pillman, etc) had on-hand training from Stu. Storm and Jericho I'm not so sure. Then you have someone like Justin Credible who was out of that camp, but not really associated with "dungeon training" don't forget test of all people were trained in the dungeon. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest The Son of Sting Report post Posted October 17, 2003 Edge,Christian and Rynho went to the Hart Bros school. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
haVoc 0 Report post Posted October 17, 2003 God Bless Stu Hart The man in his 80's had more heart then most of these guys in the business today. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Use Your Illusion 0 Report post Posted October 17, 2003 Poor, poor Bret. His marriage is finished. His brothers are dead. Now his father, his hero, is gone. How he continues in life, I'll never understand. Thank you, Stu, you're a true legend. UYI Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Austin3164life 0 Report post Posted October 17, 2003 Wow, this really is the passing of one generation of the Harts. Terrible thing to hear. I'll always remember Stu in the front row concerned about his sons' matches. Thank you Stu, God bless, and have a peaceful rest. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Dynamite Kido Report post Posted October 17, 2003 RIP Stu Thank you for all you have done. My condolences to the Hart family.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Plushy Al Logan Report post Posted October 17, 2003 RIP Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest PowerPB13 Report post Posted October 17, 2003 Oh, come on, now. This thead is about the late Stu Hart. Please, don't degenerate this into Franchise hate. You're right. Besides, it was McMahon hate first. -Patrick Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JJMc 0 Report post Posted October 17, 2003 You know, I'm really kind of getting sick of how they do that for some reason. "Hi I'm Gene Okerlund. Sadly, we've lost (wrestler X). And now a video package. {generic BS from WWE officials} 3 minutes later, cue the Confidential music. Up Next: Booker T. visits an army base! Fuck them. What do you prefer they do instead? Just asking. They usually do it pretty classy. Curt Hennig's video package was wonderful. Yeah, you're right. I just hate WWF right now in general and it's boiling over. Sorry.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest wildpegasus Report post Posted October 17, 2003 (edited) Does anyone have a list of the wrestlers that trained in the Hart Dungeon, and ended up being stars in the business. A few off the top of my head-Correct me if I'm wrong Dynamite Davey Boy Hercules Jake Roberts Junkyard Dog Liger Kawada Hart Brothers Benoit Pillman Johnny Smith Gary Albright Hiro Hase/Fumihiro Nikura Blackman Niedhart Billy Ghram Phil Lafon Shinya Hashimoto Edited October 18, 2003 by wildpegasus Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Choken One Report post Posted October 17, 2003 not sure if it was in the dungeon but Test trained with Bret... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kirk angel 0 Report post Posted October 17, 2003 Full pic from Owen's funeral: who is the tall guy in the back behind hogan Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jebus 0 Report post Posted October 17, 2003 who is the tall guy in the back behind hogan wrestler Big Titan (better known as the fake Razor Ramon) he mostly wrestles in Japan Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest The Winter Of My Discontent Report post Posted October 17, 2003 Does anyone have a list of the wrestlers that trained in the Hart Dungeon, and ended up being stars in the business. A few off the top of my head-Correct me if I'm wrong Dynamite Davey Boy Hercules Jake Roberts Junkyard Dog Liger Kawada Hart Brothers Benoit Pillman Johnny Smith Gary Albright Hiro Hase/Fumihiro Nikura Blackman Niedhart Billy Ghram Yes, that was during Stu's heydey of training. I don't think Jericho or Storm was necessarily even trained by Stu. And with the majority of these guys, they were already trained, Stu just refined their skills. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest TheZsaszHorsemen Report post Posted October 17, 2003 Stu Hart, perhaps Canada's biggest wrestling icon, passed away at 2:25 p.m. Mountain time today from complications of diabetes and pneumonia at the age of 88. Hart's life in wrestling was legendary, starting as an amateur champion, promoting wrestling for more than 40 years in Western Canada and fathering a large family where every remember at some point either was a pro wrestler or married a pro wrestler. This should be in General Wrestling. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest The Winter Of My Discontent Report post Posted October 17, 2003 Stu Hart, perhaps Canada's biggest wrestling icon, passed away at 2:25 p.m. Mountain time today from complications of diabetes and pneumonia at the age of 88. Hart's life in wrestling was legendary, starting as an amateur champion, promoting wrestling for more than 40 years in Western Canada and fathering a large family where every remember at some point either was a pro wrestler or married a pro wrestler. This should be in General Wrestling. Shut the fuck up, who cares where it should be? Are you being an uptight ass just for the sake of being one? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest TheZsaszHorsemen Report post Posted October 17, 2003 Stu Hart, perhaps Canada's biggest wrestling icon, passed away at 2:25 p.m. Mountain time today from complications of diabetes and pneumonia at the age of 88. Hart's life in wrestling was legendary, starting as an amateur champion, promoting wrestling for more than 40 years in Western Canada and fathering a large family where every remember at some point either was a pro wrestler or married a pro wrestler. This should be in General Wrestling. Shut the fuck up, who cares where it should be? Are you being an uptight ass just for the sake of being one? No, but I see Barron and some others do it a lot, so I just decided to turn the tables. Banky, so much rage... try Palates! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest The Winter Of My Discontent Report post Posted October 17, 2003 Stu Hart, perhaps Canada's biggest wrestling icon, passed away at 2:25 p.m. Mountain time today from complications of diabetes and pneumonia at the age of 88. Hart's life in wrestling was legendary, starting as an amateur champion, promoting wrestling for more than 40 years in Western Canada and fathering a large family where every remember at some point either was a pro wrestler or married a pro wrestler. This should be in General Wrestling. Shut the fuck up, who cares where it should be? Are you being an uptight ass just for the sake of being one? No, but I see Barron and some others do it a lot, so I just decided to turn the tables. Banky, so much rage... try Palates! My name is Chevy. And never emulate Barron again, its not a flattering image for you. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Use Your Illusion 0 Report post Posted October 18, 2003 who is the tall guy in the back behind hogan wrestler Big Titan (better known as the fake Razor Ramon) he mostly wrestles in Japan He doesn't wrestle anymore, actually. He suffered a career-ending injury a few years back and had to call it quits. UYI Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest The Masked Avenger Report post Posted October 18, 2003 I found this piece by Blake Norton over at 411mania. He's probably right in that one shouldn't grieve Stu as much as just be thankful. Norton's Notes 10.18.03: No Regrets For The Late, Great Stu Hart Posted By Blake Norton on 10.18.03 In an industry deluged by tragedies, this is not one of them. I waited twenty four hours for it to hit me; but that time never came. I guess a part of me – a big part – has been waiting for Stu to follow his wife Helen into the sunset for two years now. The last time we met, Stu requested that we go down to the Dungeon to video tape some holds. He was never one for hyperbole, but on this occasion made it clear in so many words that this would be, perhaps, his last opportunity to demonstrate his wrestling techniques for a camera. It may well have been. After ten minutes of administering his legendary craft, he grew increasingly frustrated with his arthritis-ridden joints, which were preventing him from floating over into a body-scissors to complete a full-nelson like choke hold. You could feel the frustration building, as he fought not with an opponent, but with his own body; an insatiable, unconquerable will forced upon a shell that he himself recognized as weak and vulnerable. In vein, he grunted verbal commands, unable to physically dictate them upon his partner. It may have been the first time that I’ve seen Stu come remotely close to losing his temper. It only lasted a moment; and then the moment passed. “I’m just on borrowed time now” he whispered as he loosened up the hold, somehow delivering the words without an ounce of self pity. “We all have our time. Maybe I have a day. A month. A year. I’m thankful for the sunrise. I’ve had a good life. Everything I get from here… is… a bonus.” To the wrestling world, inside and out, he was a legend; but Stu considered himself so painfully often to be nothing but a washed-up old man, nothing more than background furniture. To Stu, he was a man who had done only what any other man would; work his whole life to support his family, make a “pretty good” living, and do what had to be done to make ends meet. No more, no less. He felt the epilogue of his fairytale life approaching, one filled with highs the angels could only dream of, but lows that would drown the most rugged of soldiers. He was never one to face adversity any way other than head-on. One month later, Helen passed away. There have been many, many tragedies in the wrestling industry in the last decade, and far too many of them have fallen at the Hart clan’s doorstep; but Stu’s passing, to me, isn’t one of them. To feel sorry for Stu is an insult to everything he was; a man barren of jealousy, a man who expressed no self pity, no regrets. He was a man who you’d call up to ask how he’s doing, just to be casually told “well, I do have a little arthritis…” as he lay in a hospital bed, hooked up to great life-giving machines with tubes sticking out of him. He’d move swiftly on to tell you just how much he thought of you – if he indeed did think highly of you, as Stu was never one for bullshit – then tell you about his adored wife, Helen, and finish with anywhere from a few minutes to several hours of stories from his years on the road. “…and since there was a bear asleep in my basement, I…” When friends ask me to describe the person behind the character for those I’ve met in wrestling, they are opening a Pandora’s Box of vivid reflections and often contradictions. When I’m asked to describe Stu, it’s easy. He’s exactly what you’d expect. The guy you’ve seen on camera; the chiseled jaw and gentlemanly appearance, the legend described by Jim Ross; the stories of days on end traveling without sleep to earn a living on the road, and the legend of the Hart family; that’s all him. It’s pure. It’s true. There are no ifs, no buts, no caveats; what you saw was what you got. In a business where all you see is phony, Stu was portrayed as one of the most dignified and legendary characters of all. Stu lived up to – and superceded - the hype. He didn’t care who you were. He didn’t check your credentials on the way in the door. He didn’t care where you came from. He took each person – young or old, veteran or rookie, regardless of their race, gender or profession – and gave everyone he met his trust. You didn’t have to earn anything with Stu; he gave, and gave, and that trust was yours to break. He treated them all with equal courtesy, consideration and candor. He carried a torch not simply for the wrestling industry, but for the entire human race. Stu defined humility, never competed with anyone but himself, he never fought for control of the moment; and that is what made him bigger than any of them. Oh, and he had a wicked sense of humor. As a two-hour phone conversation between us came to a close earlier this year, in which Stu in Calgary was imparting advice on how I could build a wrestling ring back home in Ireland, he finished with some choice words of wisdom. “You know, with the money it’s costing you to make this call, I could have just built the damn thing here and sent it over myself!” This isn’t a tragedy. Stu’s time had come and gone. Stu knew it; and what’s more, he embraced it. He embraced the cycle of life, respected “father time,” as he used to call it, and enlightened many of those who shared his life to do the same. That doesn’t mean he won’t be irreplaceably missed, but I know it will make it easier on us who have lost a great friend. I hope, more importantly, that it will be a comfort to those who have lost a father, a grandfather and a great grandfather. Stu, I know you won’t believe me, and that even now you still don’t understand why. But it has truly been an honor, Mr. Hart. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jesse Badass 0 Report post Posted October 18, 2003 RIP Stu. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jebus 0 Report post Posted October 18, 2003 double post Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jebus 0 Report post Posted October 18, 2003 who is the tall guy in the back behind hogan wrestler Big Titan (better known as the fake Razor Ramon) he mostly wrestles in Japan He doesn't wrestle anymore, actually. He suffered a career-ending injury a few years back and had to call it quits. UYI Yeah, that figures since I hadn't heard about him for years. That's a shame, though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MideonMark Report post Posted October 18, 2003 Tribute to Stu from a newsletter I get- STEPPING THROUGH THE ROPES - W365 NOTES "I've spent most of my career trying to prove myself to Vince, but deep down I guess I've known it's always been about my dad..." (Bret Hart speaking of his father Stu in 1997) The effect of Stu Hart's death is still running its course with wrestling fans across Canada, North America and around the world today. We have decided to halt publication of W365 to reflect on the life of this great man and a true Legend in professional wrestling. As a tribute, I can't tell you I knew him well, nor will I bore you with hyperbole which isn't true. Today we have comments from those who knew him and many that didn't. Anybody can write a story about a guy's "great career" after they're dead. Stu was one of the few people in the industry who was also considered great when they were alive. My deepest sympathies go out to the entire Hart family... Mike Aldren mailto:[email protected] Editor In Chief @ Wrestling 365 Newsletter Stu Hart had the right idea. Teach them right and turn them loose. For years, the stories of horror from the Dungeon came forth. Kids went in... men came out. Men who would go out and entertain millions of wrestling fans. Men who would tell stories as only the most experienced could. And wrestlers who would make their mark in life and make their mark around the world. I read with fondness the stories that Bret would tell about the talent that came in from out of town to appear at his dad's Stampede Wrestling. The talent that would come by the house... Helen would fix dinners... and Stu would take them downstairs. Not just to show them the makeshift gym they had set up, but to teach these visitors about life. And life's lessons always include pain. Get cocky in the Dungeon and Stu would teach you one of life's lessons. I never met anyone who had been to the Dungeon that didn't come away from there with the utmost respect for Stu Hart. He didn't do it to embarrass you. He didn't do it to hurt you. He did it to teach you about life. And that was good enough for them. If we could leave life having enriched people the way Stu Hart did, our lives will have been worthwhile. Stu Hart forgot more about life and wrestling than most people learn. Hold forth in that big Dungeon in the sky. And hug Owen one time for all of us... Ref Tom mailto:[email protected] Managing Editor @ Wrestling 365 Newsletter ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CANADIAN WRESTLING PATRIARCH STU HART DIES Canadian Press, Calgary -- Stu Hart, patriarch of Canada's famous wrestling family and the founder of Stampede Wrestling, died Thursday at 88. Hart had been admitted to Rockyview General Hospital on October 3 for an elbow infection and then developed pneumonia. He also suffered from ailments associated with diabetes and arthritis. His death Thursday afternoon was confirmed by a spokeswoman for one his wrestling sons, Bret (Hitman) Hart. No details were released. A talented athlete who played football for the Edmonton Eskimos and a champion wrestler in his own right, Hart became famous for his moves outside the ring. He founded Stampede Wrestling, the Calgary-based regional circuit which started in 1948 and flourished for decades before the World Wrestling Federation pushed local promoters out of the picture. He was renowned as a trainer of young talent and headed a wrestling dynasty that included sons Bret and Owen (Blue Blazer) Hart. Family members have said the grappling legend struggled without his lifemate, Helen, who died in 2001 after 53 years of marriage. Stu Hart was humbled by the accolades he received over the years. He was a member of Canada's Wrestling Hall of Fame and became a member of the Order of Canada in 2001. "I think guys like Gordie Howe and Wayne Gretzky deserve the fame," he once said. "I appreciate them selecting me. I've had some exposure that's been nice." Alberta Premier Ralph Klein called Hart's passing "the end of an era." "Stu and his wife led one of Alberta's most colourful and best-known families of the last half-century," Klein said from Houston, TX, where he is on a trade mission. "Stu personified the qualities that distinguish Calgary and all Alberta. I'm talking about qualities such as friendliness, good humour, a strong sense of fairness and compassion, energy, ambition and just being a down-to-earth fellow with no pretensions." Seven of Hart's eight sons became pro wrestlers and his four daughters married wrestlers. Along the way, Stu became respected around the world as a trainer of young wrestling talent. Hart helped launch careers for dozens of grapplers, including Andre the Giant, the British Bulldogs, and the Junk Yard Dog. Their skills were honed in the Harts' fabled "dungeon," a wrestling ring in the dark basement of the family's twin-gabled, red brick Calgary home. The most famous member of the wrestling dynasty is Bret (Hitman) Hart, who left the WWF in 1997, saying the federation had gone too far with its televised plotlines that focused too much on sex and racism. He suffered a stroke in June 2002 and is recovering. A former son-in-law, Davey Boy (British Bulldog) Smith, died in May 2002 of heart failure. "He took adversity and turned it into triumph," eldest daughter Ellie once said of her father. As a young man wrestling at New York's Yankee Stadium, Hart rubbed shoulders with legends like Mickey Mantle and Babe Ruth. In later years, he was able to take advantage of his acquaintances. He cajoled Muhammad Ali, Jack Demspey, Joe Lewis and Max Baer to be guest referees for Stampede Wrestling cards. "They all came out to guest referee my main events," Hart recalled in a 2000 interview. "It was a fairly nice touch for them - they got (up to) $12,000 for the night. But they were wonderful." Hart's later years were filled with pain and tragedy. Son Dean died of kidney failure in 1990. Hart's 13-year- old grandson Matthew Annis died of flesh-eating disease in 1996, and youngest son Owen (Blue Blazer) Hart plunged to his death on pay-per-view TV when a stunt went horribly wrong in 1999. A family feud ensued over a wrongful death lawsuit filed against the WWF by Owen's widow, Martha, was particularly hard on Helen and Stu, who supported their daughter-in-law. Bret accused some of his siblings of sponging off his parents and being interested in a portion of the multimillion-dollar settlement. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ TRIBUTES TO STU HART - LORD OF THE RING In the last 24 hours family, friends and fans of Stu Hart have paid their respects to one of professional wrestling's most famous sons. Here is a selection of thoughts and memories from around the world: Bret "The Hitman" Hart: "He was an institution... wrestling was his life. He touched so many people, he became an indelible character no one forgot. The better quality wrestling out there, he was the grass roots of that. The matches down at the old Stampede Pavilion were the most realistic -- you don't get that today... dad brought believability and you had to be pretty tough to get into his ring. I was always Stu Hart's kid, before I was Bret the Hitman." Bruce Hart: "He was a common kind of man who never got a big head, never forgot his roots and was immensely proud to be a Calgarian and Albertan." WWE Chairman, Vince McMahon: "It was with great sorrow that we learned today of the death of Stu Hart. Stu was a pioneer in professional wrestling. More importantly, he was a great man. His influence within our industry, his community and his country was immense. He will be missed, but his legend will live on. All of us at WWE send our condolences to Stu's family. Our thoughts and our prayers are with them during this difficult time." Alberta Premier Ralph Klein: "As a sportsman, as a community man, as a friend, and above all as a family man, Stu personified the qualities that distinguish Calgary and all Alberta. I'm talking about qualities such as friendliness, good humour, a strong sense of fairness and compassion, energy, ambition, and just being a down-to-earth fellow with no pretensions." Wrestling Legend Harley Race: "To me he was a lot like a father figure. He was a rough and tough old guy who was as good as good could be to a lot of people. Tell his family they have my deepest, deepest sympathy and if I can possibly make it, I will be there for the funeral." Wrestling Legend "Killer" Kowalski: "He always took care of me. When (Stu's son) Owen died, I came for the funeral and stayed at their house and they fed me and everything and treated me like I was part of the family." WWE star Chris Jericho: "I trained in the Dungeon a few times and Stu was pretty old then. But even then he loved to get a hold of you and make you scream in pain." Former WWE star Paul Bearer: "Every time I saw Stu and Helen Hart they always made me feel right at home, from the very first time I met them. They always enjoyed The PB character and told me many times. I last saw Stu in April at The Cauliflower Alley Reunion. Stu was a class act, and will always be remembered as a true Legend of our industry." A statement from NWA-TNA: TNA joins the rest of the wrestling world in mourning the passing of the legendary Stu Hart. We send our condolences to the entire Hart family. Our thoughts and prayers are with them. Ayza Corujo Canter of Miami, FL writes: There have been very few wrestling trainers like Stu Hart. From some of today’s greats including Chris Jerico and Chris Beniot to his Sons and Grandchildren in the business, his legacy will live on for decades and maybe centuries to come. I for one will not forget one thing that all his students say: "If you don’t believe in pain start when you get into the dungeon." I will always remember him for all the great talent he developed but more especially for what a great and strong family man he was. To the Hart family... my thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time. Stu thank you for all the past, present and future memories you have given... may you rest in peace in Heaven's wrestling ring. Mike Marino of Orlando, FL writes: This is a great loss to the wrestling world and the world in general. Stu Hart will be sorely missed by many. My condolences to the Hart family... Bryon Haugen of Alvin, TX: I remember hearing so many great stories about the Hart family. I know that Owen, Stu, and British Bulldog are now together in heaven and very happy to see each other again. Rest in peace Stu... we will never forget you. Vanessa of Fullerton, CA writes: To the Hrt family... I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. I know that your father will be missed by you and all of us. H T Carter of Caernarfon, Wales writes: I was saddened to hear of the passing of Stu Hart. He was truly a great man, and he will never be forgotten... Kristy Palmer of New Brunswick, Canada writes: So sorry to have lost such a wonderful man. He will be remembered both as a legend and the father of legends! Nick Faraone of New Britain, CT writes: It is sad that as time goes on, so many legends are passing away. However we can always remember how Stu lived and not how he died. Stu was shooter and a hooker and one of the toughest guys to ever live. Keep his legacy going and rest in peace Stu. Now you and Owen are once again together. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
