Question about Owen's death

[JoeDirt]

As the whole tragic event happened, the WWF was showing a promo for the Blue Blazer and Godfather match that was about to take place. My question is why was it so important for Owen to rappel or whatever from the rafters and make his "superhero" entrance on that night when it wasn't even going to be shown on the PPV telecast?

[Guest drdrainoscott]

I'm pretty sure that he fell before he began repelling. I think he was just hanging at the top, waiting for his cue to come down when his harness broke. That would make the most sense at least.

[Lil' Bitch]

I think the whole point of it was WWE just taking a stab at WCW with a parody of Sting's entrance.

[Only The Strong Survive]

I heard what Deon just said before. I think that that's just sad...

[cawthon777]

Owen was supposed to come down during the promo ... then they would cut to him already in the ring ... he would unhook himself ... walk a step ... fall down.

 

That was the joke.

[Papacita]

I think the whole point of it was WWE just taking a stab at WCW with a parody of Sting's entrance.

 

I don't think so. They were just playing up the superhero aspect of the character by having him fly in. Plus, WCW was really just starting to lag behind WWF in ratings and popularity, so what would've been the point of taking a shot at Sting?

[cawthon777]

I don't think so. They were just playing up the superhero aspect of the character by having him fly in. Plus, WCW was really just starting to lag behind WWF in ratings and popularity, so what would've been the point of taking a shot at Sting?

If you notice, the Blue Blazer character was basically mocking the Hogan of the 80s in his promos. If the WWF sent the Blazer in that direction, why not take a shot at Sting while at it?

[iliketurtles]

From the articles and reports I've read, he was adjusting the harness and accidently pressed the release thing and that's what made him fall. He was basically waiting for the cue from whoever to go down. I guess God was kind of looking over him by not having him do it when they came back from the Promo package, rather right before it...

[Guest cobainwasmurdered]

I wouldn't say this is for sure but I'd bet that among other reasons they wanted to pop the crowd.

 

but that's just a WILD geuss.

[Papacita]

I don't think so.  They were just playing up the superhero aspect of the character by having him fly in.  Plus, WCW was really just starting to lag behind WWF in ratings and popularity, so what would've been the point of taking a shot at Sting?

If you notice, the Blue Blazer character was basically mocking the Hogan of the 80s in his promos. If the WWF sent the Blazer in that direction, why not take a shot at Sting while at it?

Just because they had a similar catchphrase doesn't mean that they were mocking Hogan. Really, the whole thing just added to the "wholesome" superhero persona they were trying to pull off for him. And even if they wanted to mock WCW, I'm sure they'd have went after someone other than Sting, who wasn't even a real figurehead in the company following his stint in the Wolfpac.

[chaosrage]

From the articles and reports I've read, he was adjusting the harness and accidently pressed the release thing and that's what made him fall. He was basically waiting for the cue from whoever to go down. I guess God was kind of looking over him by not having him do it when they came back from the Promo package, rather right before it...

I thought one of the feathers from the costume got stuck in the release and that made it let him go.

[Guest theoldxpac]

I heard he didnt even want to do it, but he got talked into doing it by someone working for the company.

[Guest The Masked Avenger]

Insofar as I have been told (by Shane Douglas, who hates Vince, so...) and have read on numerous web sites, Owen absolutely hated rappelling from the rafters but was forced by the management to do it as punishment for refusing to work an infidelity angle. I believe his wife wrote something about him being supposed to carry midget wrestler Max Mini on that fateful night but refused this as well, thus at least saving one life.

[WrestlingDeacon]

You forget that Owen played the Blue Blazer in his first stint in the WWF in the late eighties, to hide how young he was at the time. I remember the Blazer repelling from the rafter and doing backflips into the ring and all kinds of stuff like that during his first run, it was part of the character.

[Guest The Masked Avenger]

Indeed, and as far as I know he hated it then as well. That was why management forced him to do it again...

[HurriShane]

Does anybody know if he was scheduled to go over the Godfather that night?

[Lil' Bitch]

Does anybody know if he was scheduled to go over the Godfather that night?

 

Unfortunately, he was.

[Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes]

Why must this be brought up. Can't everyone just be at peace and not worry about something that happend 5 years ago. It's a very upsetting moment in wrestling, and it has too many rumors circulating around it.

[Jebus]

I don't recall the Blazer coming down the rafters in Owen's late 80's run...the flips yes. He did come down the rafters a couple of times in 99 though.

 

BTW, Owen was scheduled to be a double champion...sort of

 

Blazer would be the IC Champ while Owen and Jarrett were gonna regain the titles from X-Pac and Kane. I guess it would've been a wink wink kinda thing. Anyway, the title changes went ahead as planned (Jarrett won the IC and the Acolytes won the tag titles...both the day after RAW is Owen)

[Use Your Illusion]

So did anyone where actually watch the show live? (not that there is any other way you could of seen it unless someone taped it for you)

 

UYI

[1234-5678]

I don't recall the Blazer coming down the rafters in Owen's late 80's run...the flips yes. He did come down the rafters a couple of times in 99 though.

Yeah I don't remember Owen coming down from the rafters during his first run as the Blazer either.

[Guest TDinDC1112]

He did not press something before he was supposed to. No feathers got stuck in anything. The design of the harness was faulty. The maker was some European company who had already had problems with it. The mechanism that released him was designed to release on 5 pounds of pressure, so obviously he never had a chance. That's why the WWE was able to recoup most of what they lost in court to the Harts back from that company. During the lawsuit, the Harts inexplicably dropped the suit against the manufacturer and solely went after the WWE, even after it was determined that the harness was totally faulty. The judge allowed it for some reason. Afterwards, the WWE sued the company, and won a huge settlement, as up to that time they were the only ones who had been found guilty of anything.

[Slickster]

So what you're saying is that the WWE had no idea that the harness wouldn't hold his weight.

 

So the harness manufacturers either lied or gave incorrect information to the WWE?

 

(Not accusing you, just want to make totally sure that's what you mean to say.)

[Guest MikeSC]

So what you're saying is that the WWE had no idea that the harness wouldn't hold his weight.

 

So the harness manufacturers either lied or gave incorrect information to the WWE?

 

(Not accusing you, just want to make totally sure that's what you mean to say.)

What I've always assumed is that there is no way the WWF SHOULD know. They hired the group because that is THEIR area of expertise. When you don't know what you're doing, you hire somebody else to do it.

 

BTW, did this group do just this show?

-=Mike

[Slickster]

I thought the WWE had their own light/setup crew who did ALL the shows, like roadies for bands.

 

I thought they only purchased the part from the European supplier and the WWE crew set up the harness system themselves.

[Guest BrokenWings]

Okay, now excuse me if I'm wrong, but I think I recall all of this being mentioned on the Owen biography on A&E...

 

They hired this new guy to perform this stunt, who said he had done all of Sting's runs in WCW. Rather than look up his past and credentials and such, they went on his word, when in actuality the guy had been a stage hand in two or three of Sting's runs - not the one to organize everything.

 

And yes, Max Mini was supposed to be strapped to Owen's body during the repell, but Owen didn't want to the stunt, and purposely delayed the practice runs as long as possible, and then the WWF didn't have time to practice with Mini, so they scrapped the idea... thank god.

 

He also spoke to Harley Race just before the show, and told him how nervous he was, and that he didn't want to do the stunt, but was afraid he'd lose his job if he refused as he had turned down so many angles already.

 

However, as Cawthon mentioned, the entire angle was for him to be released in the ring, take a step and then fall over... how hilarious.

 

I hate reliving this tragedy.

[Guest The Masked Avenger]

Agreed. It was a horrible, horrible accident. Such a thing shouldn't happen to anyone but it is so damn f***ed up that it happened to Owen of all people...

[Papacita]

Hadn't Owen done the stunt before?

 

I remember a Raw in late 98/early 99 where the Blazer dropped from the rafters and got stuck up on the harness. Was that Owen, or someone else.

[JustJoe2k5]

I was watching the PPV live with a friend, it is a little foggy but I seem to remember seeing the Blue Blazer interview, and then them cutting immediately to a shot of the crowd. Jim Ross said Owen Hart had fallen, Jerry Lawler left the announce position and checked on him in the ring, and I believe they showed a few clips of Owen being attended to. I think I remember seeing him move atleast once, but that was all. Then, later in the show Jim Ross announced that Owen Hart had died. I read a report that he was supposed to come down the wire, and then release the harness like five feet too early and fall on his face in the ring like a comedy moment, and he was scheduled to win the Intercontinental title and most likely go on to a World title feud against Triple H. One of the saddest moments I've ever experienced as a wrestling fan.

[yankovic fan]

I have the ppv on tape, and they don't show the ring at all while he's being attended to.

 

They only show the crowd and Jim Ross.