The WWE Hall of Fame ceremony airs Tuesday night on Peacock and the WWE Network. Several performers will take their rightful place in the Hall of Fame, but there are several wrestlers who are overlooked year after year.

Below we look at some of the top names still missing from the WWE Hall of Fame. They are listed in no particular order:

• Miss Elizabeth
• Lex Luger
• Owen Hart
• Demolition
• Nancy Benoit

Miss Elizabeth

If you weren’t a WWF fan in the 1980s, it’s hard to describe just what Miss Elizabeth meant to the company at the time. Even though she barely spoke, her presence was something that was larger than life. She was the centerpiece of the year-long angle between “Macho Man” Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan between WrestleMania IV and V. Elizabeth’s class and elegance was unlike anything else wrestling had seen at the time or since.

Booker T recently spent some time on his podcast discussing his belief that Miss Elizabeth should be in the Hall of Fame.

“Lovely Elizabeth definitely deserves her spot inside the Hall of Fame,” Booker T said.

“Elizabeth, of course, she wasn’t a wrestler, but what she gave to the business and the footprint that she left is definitely something — we’re talking about it right now — it’s definitely something that’s going to be remembered for many, many years.”

 “I don’t think there would’ve been a King Booker and Queen Sharmell if there wasn’t the Macho Man Randy Savage and the lovely Elizabeth. I just don’t think it would’ve been. The Macho Man, finger up in the air, and King Booker’s pinky up in the air, it never would’ve happened if it wouldn’t have been for the Macho Man and the lovely Elizabeth. So, I think it’s yes, she deserves a spot inside the Hall of Fame. Hopefully, she’ll get there.”

Lex Luger

There was a point in time when Vince McMahon hand-picked Lex Luger to be Hulk Hogan’s successor. He was decked out in red, white, and blue and traveled across the country in the Lex Express as if he campaigning to be elected as the new Hogan. He slammed Yokozuna on the 4th of July and was set to become America’s next big hero. It didn’t really take off, however, and it would be Bret Hart who would defeat Yokozuna for the title at WrestleMania X.

Mick Foley recently spent some time talking about why he feels Lex Luger should be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

“In the simplest terms, Lex Luger was far too big of a star not to be in the WWE Hall of Fame. He was one of the very biggest stars of his era, and during his heyday – 1987-1999 – he headlined more pay-per-view shows, sold more tickets, and appeared on more magazine covers than all but a select few superstars of his era,” Foley wrote.

“For comparison’s sake, I consider myself a pretty solid choice for the WWE Hall of Fame. I certainly don’t remember any type of outcry coming from people who did not think I deserved induction. My career covered the same general era as Luger’s – give or take a few years. I headlined 10 PPV main events in my career – about half as many as Lex. I appeared on the cover of PWI twice. And I was a pretty darn important guy in the business. But so was Lex – and unlike me, he had the pressure of carrying his promotion for months on end.”

Owen Hart

Owen Hart will never go into the WWE Hall of Fame because that’s not what his wife and kids want. A reckless act robbed that family of Owen for the rest of their lives. Owen Hart is honored in the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame (PWHF) and Museum in Texas, and the Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame.

That Owen Hart will never be in the WWE Hall of Fame is a black eye on the company and the Hall of Fame itself. His glaring omission from it will always be present.

Owen Hart’s legacy is celebrated through the Owen Hart Foundation and the charitable work it does.

Demolition

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, there was no more dominate a tag-team in WWE than Demolition. Ax and Smash set the record for the longest single reign of the WWE Tag Team Championships with a 478 day reign beginning at WrestleMania IV. It would be decades until New Day topped the record.

Demolition was a major part of WWE during their time in the company. Both were part of a class-action lawsuit against WWE regarding the impacts of traumatic brain injuries to wrestlers under its employ, however. The lawsuit was eventually tossed out but Demolition’s inclusion in it may be what is keeping them out of the HOF.

In an interview from 2016, Bret Hart spoke about several tag-teams omitted from the Hall of Fame and made special mention of Demolition.

“There’s so many people that they haven’t called forward to be in there. If you’re going to induct The Freebirds, and I have no objection to that, but what about Demolition?” Bret Hart asked when speaking to WrestleZone about the Fabulous Freebirds induction in 2016.

“It’s all great that The Freebirds did what they did down in Texas and whatnot. They never made history in the WWE so much as The Bulldogs, Demolition or The Hart Foundation.”

Woman (Nancy Benoit)

There is no secret as to why Nancy Benoit has not been honored in the WWE Hall of Fame. WWE does not seem interested in drudging up history that doesn’t reflect well on the company, even if it is to honor someone who deserves it. Nancy Benoit is not the only one omitted from the WWE Hall of Fame for this reason.

Nancy Benoit did so much during her 13-year career in wrestling. From debuting in Florida Championship Wrestling to her time as a valet with the Four Horsemen, Woman always brought a strong presence with her.

Last year, Mick Foley made a plea for Nancy Benoit to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

“For the past thirteen years, Nancy Benoit’s life has been largely defined in the public eye by how she died. I think it’s about time we changed that way of thinking. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could pause for a moment to remember instead, how she lived, how she worked, and to reflect on what her legacy in pro wrestling should be?” Foley wrote.

“Inducting Nancy Toffoloni into the WWE Hall of Fame is the right thing to do. Let us remember her, and define her for who she was and what she did in life.”

After the infamous Montreal Screwjob in 1997, Owen Hart returned to the WWF and looked as though he was going to enter a long-term program with Shawn Michaels. It didn’t work out that way, however. Owen and Shawn’s feud never seemed to take off and eventually, Owen and Triple H began feuding over the European Championship leading to WrestleMania 14.

On a recent episode of Grillin Jr, the topic of Owen Hart and Shawn Michaels’ abbreviated program in 1998 was brought up. Conrad Thompson mentioned that some rumors hold that Triple H and HBK quashed the idea of Shawn working with Owen. JR believes that while that might be true, it’s also the case that Vince McMahon didn’t have full faith in Owen.

“Could it have happened? Of course, it could have happened,” JR responded when asked if Triple H and HBK quashed the idea of Owen feuding with Shawn. “Can I confirm that it definitely happened? No, I cannot. I don’t know the answer.”

“I don’t know if there was as much confidence in Vince’s eyes in Owen because of the perception that Owen didn’t have this animal magnetism that Bret possessed.”

“So maybe Vince’s lack of total confidence in Owen affected that decision making. Owen was another guy just like Shawn, you knew that bell-to-bell, nobody was going to be better. Owen Hart was a great worker but maybe he didn’t have that zest of charisma to the level that Bret had and that is what he was being compared to. That was obviously not that fair, but that’s the only thing I can think of, Conrad.”

“Maybe Shawn and Hunter just wanted to get away from the Hart thing. They rode that horse a long time. I don’t know, I don’t have the answer to that scenario, I wish I did.”

A clip of JR talking with Conrad Thompson about the Owen Hart vs Shawn Michaels feud in 1998 is below:

During the first episode of his new Confessions of a Hitman series, Bret Hart reflected on his feud with his brother Owen Hart back in 1993. He also spoke about how Owen never got a big break in WWE despite his in-ring talent.

Hart recalled how when he was first pitched about feuding with his brother, he didn’t want to do it. When WWE told him the planned story, “The Hitman” shared how he needed to think about it as he was reticent over feuding with his brother. 

Speaking with his mother on the subject, Hart shared how she began crying down the phone. He argued that Owen needed a break and that this feud could be the very thing that could help:

“I needed to do this for Owen, so he could show everybody that he’s better than they give him credit for. They didn’t understand how good of a talent Owen was.”

Bret Hart On Getting Owen Hart A Big Break

Bret Hart had informed Owen of WWE’s plans and told him to think about it too. He reflected on his close relationship with Vince McMahon at the time, noting he had some “leverage” as “they needed me and they had to re-sign me.” 

He spoke with WWE and explained that Owen needed to be pushed, adding “I’m not asking you. I’m telling you because he’s too good of a wrestler and he’s going to quit and become a fireman because you guys aren’t using him very [well]!’”

According to Hart, he spoke with his brother the next day to get his thoughts. Owen was apparently all in on the idea. This surprised Bret who had decided he didn’t want to feud with Owen.

“He goes, ‘why can’t I work with you? I’d make’ – because I was the highest paid wrestler with the company at that time and whenever you wrestled me, you got paid the highest – he goes, ‘why can’t I get my break? I can work with you and we’ll have great matches.'”

It was because this conversation that Bret Hart would agree to their sibling rivalry.

Turning his attention to Owen’s time in WWE, Bret Hart believes the company “never gave him a real break.” According to him, WWE just pushed Owen to the side. He noted how by being beaten down enough times, it’s hard to “make your stock rise unless something magical happens.”

He added how if an individual is torn down so many times, you can’t be revived. If that happens, your career is done. This is something he believes was happening to his brother.

“I remember talking to Owen about it. I said, ‘quit, go home, go somewhere else. Go to Japan for a couple of years. Then, come back and you’ll get your break.’ They needed good wrestlers, but they obviously missed the boat with Owen. I think for a long time.”

If you are interested in subscribing to his Confessions of a Hitman series, you can do so here.

Owen Hart’s tragic death was the topic of Dark Side of the Ring’s Season 2 finale earlier this year. The episode brought in record-numbers for the show and Vice TV. Now, UK-based company, Kaleidoscope Film Distribution, plans to release a feature-length documentary on the youngest son of Stu & Helen Hart next year.

“Told in five enthralling chapters covering Owen’s upbringing, rise to fame, his life away from the ring, through the pressure-cooker atmosphere of the WWE, and its increasingly outlandish storylines that eventually led to his death, ‘Owen‘ will feature wrestling legends including Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart, Owen’s close friend, The Rock, Mick Foley, Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler, Jim Ross, and many more,” reads a description for the film.

The film is currently in production. It is expected to be released in late Q1 (spring) in 2021.

Vaughan Sivell (Pistorius, Mr. Calzaghe), Keaton Stone, and Jo Lewis are listed as producers. Lewis will direct the film.

Owen Hart Merchandise To Support The Owen Hart Foundation

• Official Owen Hart Merchandise Available For First Time In Over 20 Years

In the build-up to the Dark Side of the Ring episode focussed on Owen, the Owen Hart Foundation and Vice released official merchandise. Proceeds from the first official Owen Hart t-shirts available in two decades will go to support the Foundation’s work.

Vice released a deleted scene from the episode after its premiere. The clip features people talking about Owen’s epic pranks.

• Wrestling World Remembers Owen Hart

Chris Jericho has said that when he was growing up, he used to dream of forming a tag-team with Owen Hart. Jericho even attended the Hart brothers school in Calgary along with Lance Storm when he started his training. Jericho took part in an interview with Sportskeeda recently to promote the UK airing of the Dark Side of the Ring episode focused on Owen. During the discussion, Jericho said he’s never felt it would be right for Owen to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

“I never thought Owen should go in the Hall of Fame it’s just not right. I think anybody who had any problems with that should watch it and will understand where the family’s coming from.”

Jericho continued to say that Owen’s contributions to the wrestling business can be celebrated outside of WWE.

“His influence doesn’t go away and it shouldn’t be minimized but if (Martha) doesn’t want to do that through the WWE system, I totally get that,” Jericho continued. He then said he’d like to see Martha Hart do something to honor Owen in AEW.

“I’d love to see (Martha) do something with AEW. I think the spirit of Owen Hart lives on in AEW for sure.”

Jericho would continue to talk about having been influenced by Owen and that it’s important for his contributions to wrestling to be remembered.

“I’m very much influenced by Owen Hart. So I think that, whether it’s New Japan or AEW, I think it’s important for Owen to be remembered by his fans and by the people that he influenced, myself included.”

• Official Owen Hart Merchandise Available For First Time In Over 20 Years

The interview can be heard in the player below:

In the build-up to and following the season 2 finale of VICE’s Dark Side of the Ring, the topic of Owen Hart’s death has made frequent headlines. Unfortunately, much of this news is focussed on the way Owen Hart died. In a recently released deleted scene from the documentary, however, Owen’s fondness for practical jokes and his sense of humor take center stage.

VICE has recently released the below deleted scene from the Dark Side of the Ring episode on Owen Hart. In the scene, several wrestling personalities detail Owen’s infamous ribbing.

Evidently, Owen’s pranking was not limited to his wrestling life. His son Oje recalled a story of Owen ordering pizza for the family in the deleted scene.

“Dad was interested in getting pizza so he calls the number and he puts in the order. About 30 minutes later his friend walks in the door and he says ‘hey, we should get pizza.’ and (Owen’s) like ‘yeah, yeah we should get pizza.’ So he pretends to phone again and is like ‘Yah, I’ll get the thin crust, pepperoni pizza with extra this and that.’ Then, of course, the pizza shows up a minute and a half later and the guy’s like ‘f**k, did you cook that in your car?”

Martha Hart also spoke about Owen’s sense of humour in the scene.

“One time we were jogging and there was this big group of runners just passing us and Owen was just a little bit ahead of me. Just as they were passing us, he looked back and he yelled ‘would you stop chasing me, I told you I don’t want to go out with you!'”

Owen Hart Prank Stories

More stories are told including Owen having a bunch of pigs loaded into Vince McMahon’s office. Jim Ross told a story about Owen calling him pretending to be Stu. D’Lo Brown and Jim Cornette also tell stories in the scene.

There is actually a book published on Owen Hart’s infamous ribs. The book is titled “Owen Hart: King of Pranks.” It can be purchased here.

• Official Owen Hart Merchandise Available For First Time In Over 20 Years

The full scene can be viewed in the player below:

Dr. Martha Hart has been taking part in several media interviews this week. Vice’s Dark Side of the Ring covered Owen Hart’s tragic fall in their season 2 finale Tuesday night. Martha spoke about WWE’s legal tactics as the wrongful death lawsuit was unfolding when speaking with Chris Jericho on Talk is Jericho and in an interview with CBS Sports. WWE lawyer Jerry McDevitt responded to her comments in a lengthy, and at times aggressive, statement to CBS Sports.

“We were basically trying to find out what happened that night. Martha wasn’t even interested from a distance to find out what had happened that night; she just wanted to use it as a vehicle to beat a business in which she didn’t like her husband being, the wrestling business,” McDevitt said about Martha.

• Bret Hart & Jerry McDevitt Issue Statements On Martha Hart’s Comments
• Martha Hart Reveals Details Of WWE’s Lawsuit Against Her

Martha Hart Responds To Jerry McDevitt

“In response to Jerry McDevitt’s recent comments I want to make it very clear, if there was one person on this planet who wanted to get to the bottom of what happened to my husband Owen it was me!” Martha Hart said in a statement released to media.

“The defense on the other hand was doing everything in their power to muddy the waters (as they try to continue to do) in an effort to detract from the case because they didn’t have one. I read every single affidavit taken, sat through endless face-to-face depositions, and spent over a year of my life dissecting every solitary fact of this case. To insinuate for one second that I of all people did not care about the truth behind Owen’s death, but instead was more interested in a ridiculous vendetta against the wrestling business, is beyond the pale.”

McDevitt’s full statement can be found here and Martha’s full response can be found here.

Celebrate Owen Hart and Support The Owen Hart Foundation

Unfortunately, the nastiness involved in the aftermath of Owen Hart’s death remains even to this day. On May 23rd it will be exactly 21-years since the world lost Owen Hart. Fans of Owen’s do have an option to celebrate Owen’s life and career, however.

VICE media and the Owen Hart Foundation have teamed up to create the first official Owen Hart merchandise in over 20 years. All proceeds from the sales of the below t-shirts go to support the Owen Hart Foundation.

In an interview with Chris Jericho on Talk is Jericho, Dr. Martha Hart stated that much of the work the Owen Hart Foundation does mirror the kind of person Owen was in life. She told the story of Owen once offering a person experiencing homelessness use of his hotel room. The Owen Hart Foundation now offers programs to help low-income families and individuals purchase homes. The Foundation also provides scholarships for students.

The Foundation was created with funds from the wrongful death lawsuit against WWE.

Examples of the great work done by the Owen Hart Foundation can be found in the below Tweets:

• Martha Hart Calls WWE’s Hall Of Fame A “Fake Entity”

According to documents pertaining to Owen Hart’s tragic fall from the Kemper Arena ceiling in 1999, Max Mini was originally supposed to be part of the fatal stunt.

Reporter David Bixenspan posted to Twitter portions of a file from the Kansas City Police Department’s investigation into Owen Hart’s death. In the highlighted section below is a portion of the transcript from an interview with the stunt’s rigger, Bobby Talbert. His comments to the police stated that Max Mini was originally supposed to be attached to Owen Hart for the stunt but the plan changed last minute.

“Talbert stated originally the stunt was to be that a midget MAX-MINI would be attached to the victim, however, they later decided against performing that stunt and were only going to lower the victim to the ring,” the police report reads.

Later in the transcript, Talbert stated that he had done similar stunts involving two wrestlers attached together in WCW.

Bixenspan also posted the below video of Max Mini speaking about Owen Hart.

“I only knew Owen a little,” Max says in the video. “He was very modest and calm. And me, the day that the accident happened, I was with him all day. I was supposed to be his mascot. And when they told me, he was already…lost. We love you very much. May God watch out for you.”

Dark Side of the Ring’s season finale tonight will focus on Owen Hart’s tragic death at the Over the Edge PPV in 1999. In the build-up to the episode airing, Martha Hart has been taking part in media interviews and speaking about the events surrounding her husband’s death.

Bret Hart has since responded to comments Martha Hart made to the Wrap regarding the fallout between his and Martha’s relationship. Martha stated that her fallout with Bret had to do with Bret wanting access to his wrestling footage and rekindling his relationship with Vince McMahon.

“(Bret) was very upset that he didn’t get his footage. It prompted him to befriend Vince again so he could have access to his footage. That was the first fracture in our relationship,” Martha said.

Bret has since released the following statement on the matter:

“While I am not interested in engaging in any more media mudslinging between Martha and myself especially in light of a global pandemic, I will say that our fallout is multifaceted. To say that it only involved being able to access and use my WWE footage and photos for future projects would merely be an oversimplification and inaccurate. I will not comment any further on the matter.”

WWE Lawyer Comments On Martha Hart Statements

In a recent interview with CBS Sports and on Talk is Jericho, Martha Hart spoke about the negligence involved in Owen’s fall. She also spoke about WWE taking legal action against her in an attempt to force the wrongful death suit to be filed in Connecticut where punitive damages would be less of a factor.

“It was really tough. I have to say it was a knock-down-drag-out fight/battle against them,” Martha said on Talk is Jericho. “A lot of people might not realize this but they actually sued me for breach of Owen’s contract.”

• Martha Hart Reveals Details Of WWE’s Lawsuit Against Her

“They had in their contract that you could only sue them in Connecticut but I wasn’t suing them about Owen’s contract, it was something totally different. But through that process of the lawsuit, they were trying anything and everything to muddy the waters or just intimidate me.”

Jerry McDevitt Comments

WWE lawyer Jerry McDevitt has since issued a response to CBS Sports.

“The reality is, we’ve never told our side of the story of what happened — at least not outside of court,” the statement McDevitt provided reads. “We told it in court, but when she talks about the way the lawsuit unfolded over the years, it really isn’t accurate what she’s saying.”

McDevitt then made accusation about Martha’s lawyers attempting to fix the judicial selection process to get a judge they favoured.

“What she did whenever this happened is, she hired a lawyer in Kansas City who we caught essentially trying to fix the judicial selection process to get a judge that was more to their liking. We caught them and went all the way to the Missouri Supreme Court. The Missouri Supreme Court said, ‘No, no, no. We’re not going to let that happen.’ They essentially appointed an independent judge to come in from outside of Kansas City to oversee the proceedings. We were basically trying to find out what happened that night.”

McDevitt then stated that Owen Hart’s widow wanted to damage the wrestling business.

“Martha was not even remotely interested in finding out what happened that night; she just wanted to used it as a vehicle to beat up a business that she didn’t like that her husband was in, the wrestling business.”

McDevitt’s full statement along with Martha’s comments to CBS Sports can be read here.

Martha talking about WWE’s legal action against her can be heard in the player below:

Tonight’s season finale of Dark Side of the Ring focusses on Owen Hart’s tragic death on May 23rd, 1999. In conjunction with the episode, the Owen Hart Foundation and VICE media have produced official Owen Hart merchandise for the first time in over 20 years. All proceeds will go to support the foundation Martha Hart set-up in Owen’s name.

Two T-shirts are currently available on ProWrestlingTees.com. One has a picture of Owen and the Dark Side of the Ring logo in the corner. The other shirt features a pink and black heart logo with the words “In our hearts forever.”

The Owen Hart Foundation

• Martha Hart Calls WWE’s Hall Of Fame A “Fake Entity”

Established following the wrongful death lawsuit regarding Owen’s tragic fall, the Owen Hart Foundation supports a variety of programs including helping low-income families and individuals purchase homes and a scholarship program for students.

“Owen was a practical man of profound integrity, a wonderful husband and devoted father. He would be extremely proud of the good work carried out by the Foundation and would be honoured to be remembered for what he loved best, which was his sincere kindness to all people,” reads the website of the Owen Hart Foundation. 

Owen Hart was inducted into the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2019. The Hall of Fame and Museum are located in Wichita Falls, Texas and was founded by Tony Vellano in 1999. Do not expect Owen to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, however. Owen Hart’s widow Martha Hart recently took part in an interview with CBS Sports and commented on WWE’s version of a pro-wrestling Hall of Fame.

“Their Hall of Fame? They don’t even have a Hallway of Fame. It doesn’t exist,” Martha said about the possibility of Owen being inducted into WWE’s Hall of Fame. “There’s nothing. It’s a fake entity. There’s nothing real or tangible. It’s just an event they have to make money. They put it on TV and have a celebration, and it’s just so ridiculous. I would never even entertain it. It’s garbage.”

Owen was also inducted into the Lou Thesz/George Tragos Hall of Fame in 2018:

Martha Hart On Over The Edge PPV Continuing After Owen’s Death

Martha also spoke about how disrespectful it was for WWE to continue on with the Over the Edge PPV in 1999 after Owen had died.

“When Owen died, they scooped him out like a piece of garbage and they paraded wrestlers out to wrestle in a ring that had Owen’s blood, where the boards were broken from Owen’s fall and where the guys could feel the dip in the ring from where he fell. Just that disrespect and lack of respect for a human life that had just been lost,” Martha Hart said. “The fact that they didn’t stop the show is just appalling. Vince McMahon was a poor leader, and he failed because that talent was looking for leadership and he failed them.”

Martha’s full interview with CBS Sports can be found here.

• Martha Hart Reveals Details Of WWE’s Lawsuit Against Her

The Owen Hart Foundation

Fans of Owen Hart are encouraged to support the Owen Hart Foundation. The organization was set-up following the wrongful death lawsuit against WWE. Martha has said that much of the work the Owen Hart Foundation does mirrors the kind of person Owen was in life.

Recently on Talk is Jericho, Martha spoke about how she remembered one time Owen offered a person experiencing homelessness use of his hotel room. Now, the Owen Hart Foundation helps low-income families and individuals purchase homes. The Owen Hart Foundation also offers scholarships for students.

“Owen was a practical man of profound integrity, a wonderful husband and devoted father. He would be extremely proud of the good work carried out by the Foundation and would be honoured to be remembered for what he loved best, which was his sincere kindness to all people,” reads the website of the Owen Hart Foundation. 

Martha also noted recently that official Owen Hart merchandise will likely be available soon.

Dark Side the Ring’s season 2 finale will focus on the tragic death of Owen Hart.

The world lost Owen Hart on May 23rd, 1999. He fell to his death in front of thousands of onlookers from the Kemper Arena ceiling during the Over the Edge PPV in Kansas City. He was only 34-years-old at the time of his death. Owen left behind a wife, 2 children, and countless friends, family, and fans.

Owen’s tragic fall will be the topic of Dark Side of the Ring’s season 2 finale. His widow Martha appeared on Talk is Jericho recently to discuss Owen, the documentary, and more. During the conversation, Martha revealed the legal battles that have taken place between her and WWE.

“It was really tough. I have to say it was a knock-down-drag-out fight/battle against them,” Martha said during the discussion. “A lot of people might not realize this but they actually sued me for breach of Owen’s contract.”

“They had in their contract that you could only sue them in Connecticut but I wasn’t suing them about Owen’s contract, it was something totally different. But through that process of the lawsuit, they were trying anything and everything to muddy the waters or just intimidate me.”

“This was a company, they have deep pockets, and they can pay lawyers forever to just keep this case going and going.”

Martha continued to mention details of the lawsuit filed against her.

“Vince sued me because he wanted the case moved to Connecticut because in Missouri you are allowed punitive damages but in Connecticut you’re not. So he was so worried that ‘oh my god, there’s so much negligence here that the punitive damages are just going to be through the roof.’ So he sued me which was really tough because I had to actually hire lawyers in Connecticut to fight that lawsuit while I was battling the wrongful death lawsuit in Kansas City.”

Martha continued to talk about coming to the realization that the wrongful death lawsuit would only ever end up being about money. This motivated her to create the Owen Hart Foundation.

The Owen Hart Foundation

The Owen Hart foundation helps fund many charitable causes including a scholarship fund and a homeowners fund for low-income families and individuals. Martha would continue to talk about how the work of the foundation mirrors the kind of person Owen Hart was.

“Owen was a practical man of profound integrity, a wonderful husband and devoted father. He would be extremely proud of the good work carried out by the Foundation and would be honoured to be remembered for what he loved best, which was his sincere kindness to all people,” reads the website of the Owen Hart Foundation.

A clip from Talk is Jericho featuring Martha Hart’s comments can be heard in the player below:

Owen Hart tragically fell to his death in Kemper Arena on May 23rd, 1999. On May 7th, 2000, WCW held Slamboree in the same arena. During the show, Mike Awesome tossed Kanyon off the Ready To Rumble cage to the ramp 20-feet below. Some fans have since expressed that doing such a stunt in the same building as the Owen Hart tragedy had taken place in less than a year earlier was in bad taste.

Eric Bischoff and Conrad Thompson recently discussed this on an episode of the 83 Weeks podcast.

“In hindsight, do you think that maybe this wasn’t the best idea to do in this arena given this is where the Owen Hart tragedy happened a year before?” Thompson asked Bischoff.

“No, I don’t feel that way,” Bischoff said. “I’ll try to explain why. In any other form of entertainment/sport, or sports-entertainment or sports. Let’s just take NASCAR. When someone is killed in a NASCAR event, do they stop turning left at 180 miles per hour? Do they quit racing? Do they stop for 6-months or a month or if someone is unfortunately killed at Talladega, do they not race at Talladega anymore?”

Bischoff continued to talk about wrestling being scripted violence before Thompson chimed back in.

“Well hang on now, this is a little different,” Thompson interjected. “This is the arena where he died, roughly a year later, on his actual birthday. So, there is a good chance that some of these fans in the crowd were at Over the Edge the year before and now they’re here and they see another guy flying down to the f***ing floor from up high.”

Bischoff rejected the comparison, however.

“I disagree,” Bischoff said. “You can’t draw a parallel between what happened to Owen and the stunt we created and rehearsed and felt was safe here. They’re not connected.”

• Eric Bischoff Comments On Chris Jericho Not Wanting To Join The NWO

The discussion between Bischoff and Thompson can be heard in the player below:

20 years ago today the world lost Owen Hart. The wrestling world has been remembering Owen in their own ways. Sean Waltman, Chris Jericho, and Jim Ross all have podcasts released in remembrance of Owen. Several other wrestling personalities have been posting tributes online as well.

Remembering Owen Hart

Bret Hart on Owen Going Into The WWE Hall of Fame

Bret Hart spoke to CBS Sports last summer about the possibility of Owen being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

“I think for what Owen gave to wrestling that it would be important for him to be in the Hall of Fame,” Bret said. “I think it would have meant a lot to my dad [the late Stu Hart], and it would mean a lot to me. I don’t think the Hall of Fame is the same without him. 

“I know that Mark Henry, as an example, made a strong speech this past year about getting Owen to the Hall of Fame, and I totally agree.”

Mark Henry also commented on wishing Owen was in the Hall of Fame in the same interview as well.

“Owen brought so much joy to my life,” Henry said. “I wish that he could be here with us, and I miss him dearly.”

“I would love to be able to look down one day and see [Owen’s son] Oje able to be among us. This is his birthright,” Henry continued.

The world lost Owen Hart 20 years ago today. On May 23rd, 1999 Hart fell from the ceiling of the Kemper Arena and lost his life. Tom Buchanan was working as a ringside photographer at the time. He posted a lengthy Facebook post today detailing the rigging setup used for what was supposed to be Owen’s entrance from that night.

• Wrestling World Remembers Owen Hart

The Night Owen Hart Fell

“Twenty years ago today professional wrestler Owen Hart was killed by a poorly rigged stunt during a live pay per view in Kansas City,” Buchanan begins his post. “I was working as a WWF/WWE ringside photographer that night when Owen fell 80 feet from the overhead catwalk and landed just 20 feet away. It was a horrible moment and a painful night that just never seemed to end. And twenty years later, May 23, 1999 remains the worst night of my life.”

Following the PPV, Buchanan photographed the police investigation.

“I had been working for WWF/WWE for more than ten years and had been a consistent advocate to management about safety issues, and I had photographed several prior accidents during WWF/WWE productions.”

He continued to say the accident should have never happened and the stunt should not have gone through as planned.

“It shocked me that a professional rigger would fly a wrestler with no stunt experience using just a single snap shackle without any back-up. When the rest of our crew learned how the stunt had been rigged they were equally aghast,” he continued. “This accident should never have happened, and probably wouldn’t have happened if any of the WWF/WWE riggers had even a whiff of how Bobby Talbert, a newly hired independent contractor, was planning to rig the stunt.”

All Elite Wrestling (AEW) star Chris Jericho recently shared a Q&A session he did with fans on the latest episode of his “Talk Is Jericho” podcast. The Q&A was recorded on his First Annual Chris Jericho Rock & Wrestling Rager At Sea cruise. During the session, Jericho revealed his all-time dream opponent, and what he’d like the match stipulation to be.

“Y2J” admitted that one of his biggest regrets was not being able to have shared the ring with the late Owen Hart. Jericho said he would’ve liked a 30-minute clown nose match with Hart:

“I think when I go through, like, my three heroes when I was a kid were Shawn Michaels, Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat, who is also here on this ship – I will be doing a live Talk Is Jericho with ‘The Dragon’. And the other one was Owen Hart. And I got to work with Shawn extensively.

“I got to work with Steamboat a bunch of times. I never got to work with Owen Hart and one of the reasons why I left WCW to go to WWE, if you have a list of 100 reasons, one of the 80 reasons or the 90th reason, or lower level reasons was ‘maybe I’ll get a chance to work with Owen Hart’ and before I got there, he passed away.

“So I never had the chance to work with Owen. I would have loved to have worked with him and I would have loved to have worked with him as a motivated performer.” Jericho added, “so if I could work with anybody, it would be Owen Hart. Stipulation: 30 minutes, clown nose match.”

• Chris Jericho Names Who He Would Like To Induct Him Into WWE’s Hall Of Fame

Unfortunately, Hart passed away in May of 1999 after an accidental fall at the Over The Edge pay-per-view (PPV). He was 34-years-old at the time of his death. Hart was a two-time Intercontinental Champion, a four-time Tag Team Champion, and the 1994 King Of The Ring winner.

What do you think about Jericho naming Hart as his dream opponent?

Owen Hart was inducted into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fam last month.

Accepting the honor on Owen’s behalf was Davey Boy Smith, Jr., Diana Hart, Keith Hart, Bruce Hart and Ross Hart. A few notable names were missing from the ceremony. One was Owen’s brother, WWE Hall Of Famer Bret Hart. He was at a UFC event in Canada.

Another was Owen’s wife, Martha. Instead, however, The Dan Gable Wrestling Museum Twitter account posted a photo of Martha posing with Owen’s Hall Of Fame plaque:

“Martha Hart holding her husband’s Hall of Fame plaque. Owen Hart was inducted posthumously into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame on July 28.”

Martha Hart holding her husband’s Hall of Fame plaque. Owen Hart was inducted posthumously into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame on July 28. pic.twitter.com/ECYLzMKbFo

— Dan Gable Museum (@wrestlingmuseum) August 28, 2018

Owen Hart In WWE

During his time in WWE, Hart won several titles with the promotion. He is a former European Champion, a two-time Intercontinental Champion, a four-time Tag Team Champion and the 1994 King Of The Ring winner.

Unfortunately, Owen’s life was tragically cut short during a freak accident during a WWE pay-per-view (PPV). At the Over The Edge PPV in 1999, Hart fell from the rafters of the Kemper Arena. There was an issue with the harness and grapple that was supposed to support him while being lowered down.

While Owen Hart may not be in the WWE Hall Of Fame, he was inducted into the Lous Thesz/George Targos Hall of Fame this past Saturday.

Lou Thesz Hall Of Fame

To accept the award in his honor was Davey Boy Smith Jr., Adam Pearce, Diana Hart, Bruce Hart, Ross Hart, and Keith Hart.

Owen will go down with the names like Dan Severn, Booker T, Bruiser Brody, Ben Askern, and Koji Miyamoto.

#OwenHart wasn’t only a tremendous and gifted athlete: he was also a dedicated family man. It’s fitting to have so many members of the #HartFamily with us to induct Owen into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame. #Thesz pic.twitter.com/CihON8qCkr

— Dan Gable Museum (@wrestlingmuseum) July 29, 2018

Martha Hart’s Stand On Owen’s WWE Hall Of Fame

It’s no secret that Owen’s widow doesn’t want him in the WWE Hall Of Fame as it’s the same company where his untimely death occurred. It has been reported that Martha doesn’t want WWE to profit off his name if he is to be inducted and has made several in the industry very upset.

Bret Hart has even gone as far as to blame Martha for “erasing” Owen from WWE history as she doesn’t want Owen to be promoted. More on that here.

Maybe this could be the right step in persuading Martha into eventually letting Owen into the WWE Hall Of Fame.

Bret Hart and Martha Hart have been debating Owen Hart’s legacy in public. Recently, Martha Hart made a public statement regarding Hart’s comments about her erasing Owen’s legacy.

Early this morning, Bret Hart posted a response to Marth on his Facebook page. He is saying that Martha has isolated her family from the rest of the Harts so much that Bret wouldn’t even recognize his own niece if he saw her.

https://t.co/ohssXNFzf6 pic.twitter.com/f6NYALUt3J

— Bret Hart (@BretHart) July 19, 2018

Bret Hart’s Responds To Martha Hart and the Owen Hart Foundation

Bret Hart on Martha’s Comments About Him:

“This past week, I have received multiple requests for comment regarding my recent interview on a podcast and the rebuttal made by Dr. Martha Hart. First of all, I want to express my disappointment in both the Calgary Sun and Calgary Herald for running a gossip-style article and making it front page news when there are more pressing issues in the world to highlight. You are better than that. I listened back to the interview in question and I specifically want to address Martha’s comments about my words being “cruel, reckless, irresponsible, and hurtful”.

Stampede Wrestling was an institution in the city of Calgary. Wrestling was our family business. My brothers and I either wrestled for my father Stu or worked behind the scenes. Fans packed the Victoria Pavilion every Friday night for decades. Martha has seemed to have forgotten that she attended those same shows before she met Owen. She was, by definition, a wrestling fan. That same group Martha appears to look down upon and ignore.”

The Issue of Owen Hart Not Being In The WWE Hall of Fame

“Earlier this year, Mark Henry took time during his WWE Hall of Fame induction to specifically address Martha,” Hart continued. “With tears in his eyes, Henry pleaded with her to allow Owen to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. My nieces and nephews were in the audience with tears in their eyes as he expressed how much he deserved to be there with his peers. Fans have told me they had tears in their eyes when they watched the moment on television.

Those same fans Martha sat side-by-side with at Stampede Wrestling and WWE events. Those same fans that donate to the Owen Hart Foundation and helped make it what it is today because they remember the joy he brought to their lives and not by how he died. Those royalty checks she receives from the company she says she doesn’t want any part of? Those are also from those same fans. To her, their tears do not matter. To me, that is cruel and hurtful.”

Bret Hart On His Relationship With Marth Hart

“It is true that Martha and I were close at one time. I was right by her side after Owen’s death until she received her settlement from WWE and proclaimed me a “pest”. Martha later declared herself and her children Harts in name only, called us all “black sheep”, and ceased contact with the rest of the Hart family.

She further isolated from us when we all came together in 2010 to honour our father Stu being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and participated in a DVD that celebrated our family (Hart & Soul). Owen’s children do not have a relationship with his brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, and cousins.

One of my nieces, in fact, named her son Owen after him. I do not know Oje and I wouldn’t know Athena if she walked passed me on the street. Owen’s children only know of their father’s family by what is told by their mother, whatever that may be, painting us all with one broad brush. To block Owen’s children from knowing their father’s family, to me, is cruel, reckless, and irresponsible.”

On Owen Hart’s Death

“Owen’s tragic accident almost 20 years ago changed our family forever. Martha lost her soulmate and her children lost their father. You have to remember, however, that I also lost my brother. My children lost their uncle. My grandchildren will only know him through pictures and stories. His peers lost a close friend who filled them with endless laughter through long periods on the road. The fans lost someone that they lovingly connected to. Martha is not alone in her loss and grief.”

On the Owen Hart Foundation

“The Owen Hart Foundation is a wonderful charity that has raised millions of dollars and has helped many people in its 19 year history. I am not disputing or denying that whatsoever. I disagree, however, that it should be the sole outlet to remember Owen by.

This is not just about Owen being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. This is about his wrestling career, his wrestling legacy, his contribution to the business that he loved and honouring that contribution. Owen Hart was a world-renowned professional wrester, and a damn good one.

He was part of the foundation that our family name was built on not just in the city of Calgary but all over the world. For Martha to want to rewrite history, to refuse to acknowledge or recognize his great wrestling career, to brush off what he, myself, and my father did as “that fake stuff” is wrong.”

On Owen Hart’s Wrestling Legacy

“Owen Hart was a wrestler. The next generation deserve to know how great he truly was.

I am happy to hear that my brother Owen will be inducted into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame on July 28 in Waterloo, Iowa. My father and I are past honourees. While I will not be in attendance, the Hart family will be well-represented with my brothers Ross, Bruce, Keith, sister Diana, and my nephew Harry Smith accepting the honour on his behalf. Thank you to the Board of Directors for recognizing his wrestling career, his contributions to the wrestling business, and his legacy. I’m sure the event will be filled with laughter, tears, and an overall appreciation for the man that he was. I can only hope that this is only the beginning.

Bret Hart x”

Bret Hart has been openly critical of his brother Owen’s widow, Martha. According to the Hitman, Martha Hart’s continued efforts to prevent WWE from using Owen’s image has been detrimental to his legacy.

“I think Martha, Owen’s widow, she’s a very obtuse, square-headed person,” Hart said recently. “I think she’s done more to erase my brother Owen’s memory than she ever did to remember him.”

Martha Hart Responds To Bret Hart

Marth Hart published her response to Bret’s comments on the Owen Hart Foundation website.

“The suggestion by Bret Hart that I am “erasing” the memory of my late husband, Owen Hart, is reckless, irresponsible, and clearly untrue,” Martha’s statement begins.

“Bret’s comments are rooted in the fact that I have steadfastly refused to work with the WWE to exploit Owen’s image for commercial gain. Owen was an incredible entertainer and I know that his many fans around the world enjoyed his wrestling career immensely. I encourage them to continue to do so. But I am firm in my belief that the WWE was responsible for Owen’s death. As a result, I cannot and will not support any efforts by the WWE to profit from Owen’s memory.”

After giving the above statement regarding why Martha refuses to work with WWE, she then spoke on the work the Owen Hart Foundation has done and how that work honors Owen’s memory.

The Owen Hart Foundation

“Instead, I, my son Oje and daughter Athena have worked tirelessly to honor Owen through the good works of The Owen Hart Foundation, which has exceeded $4 million in gift giving and contributions toward scholarships, home owner bursaries, and other special projects that have greatly improved the lives of so many in Canada and around the world. We have always believed that this is the most fitting public tribute to a man of profound integrity; a wonderful human being who just happened to wrestle. I know that Owen would be very proud of the tremendous accomplishments the Foundation has achieved in his name.”

Severed Ties Between Bret Hart and Martha Hart

According to Bret’s book, Bret and Martha were very close in the days following Owen’s death. Over the years, however, the topic of WWE using Owen’s likeness has driven a significant wedge between them.

“Bret Hart’s comments are disrespectful and cruel. It is disappointing that so many in the media have chosen to report them without seeking my perspective. Whatever Bret may believe, the fact is that, far from “erasing” Owen’s memory, I have devoted the last 20 years to celebrating his life in a very public way. I can think of very few people who have been remembered so glowingly by their spouse.”

Ex-wife of WWE Hall Of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin, Jeanie Clarke, recently did an interview with The Dirty Sheets podcast to promote her new book,  “Through The Shattered Glass.” During the interview, Clarke revealed how Austin truly felt about the late Owen Hart, who died following an accidental fall at WWE’s Over The Edge pay-per-view (PPV) in 1999.

Clarke claimed that Austin refused to attend Hart’s funeral due to the fact that he was never able to forgive him for injuring his neck during one of their matches. To make matters worse, Hart never apologized for the injury which didn’t sit well with “The Texas Rattlesnake.” Clarke also claimed Austin believed Hart may have injured him on purpose. Despite her recent book, Clarke and Austin are reportedly on good terms with one another.

Discussion: Are you buying any of Clarke’s claims about Austin’s feelings towards Hart?

The most tragic moment in WWE history occurred 18 years ago at WWE Over The Edge 1999 when WWE Superstar Owen Hart suffered a tragic fall from the rafters that subsequently led to his death. One man who witnessed the account firsthand was longtime WWE commentator and WWE Hall Of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler.

Lawler took to his podcast, Dinner With The King, to reflect on that night, which occurred 18 years ago this week:

Owen’s accident being 18 years ago:

“It just seems hard to believe it’s been 18 years since that night. Because that night is still so vivid in my mind. For some reason I was looking around as the promo was playing. I glanced up and was looking around. And as the promo was going, I just saw something. I couldn’t say that I saw it; saw Owen actually fall. I just saw a blur.”

Rushing to Hart’s side after it happened:

“Once your heart is no longer beating anymore, I could just see his face turn gray, from the tip of his nose all the way down his face as the blood was settling in his body. I knew, I realized that moment right then, that Owen was gone.”

You can listen to the episode here (King begins speaking on the incident around the 11:30 mark).

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcribed quotes

– Owen Hart would have celebrated his 51st birthday today.

– The Rock noted on Twitter that his new “Rock Clock” alarm app hit 1 million downloads in the first week.

– As seen below, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan’s wife went on Twitter to shoot down an incorrect report on Bobby passing away. We noted a few days ago that Heenan was hospitalized after falling.

https://twitter.com/Cynthia_Heenan/status/728763423778086913

– The E! channel has released the above video which shows Natalya on an episode of Hollywood Medium. She visits a psychic to try and “connect” with her uncle, the late Owen Hart.

– Chris Jericho is being advertised for several WWE events and TV tapings after WrestleMania 32. There are currently no tour dates for Chris Jericho’s band Fozzy in the near future. Speaking of Jericho, he’ll be appearing on Sunday’s episode of Hollywood Game Night on NBC.

Biggs fun is coming our way Sunday at 10/9c! #HGNhttps://t.co/cxCtDhbOrS

— Hollywood Game Night (@NBCGameNight) March 11, 2016

– John Cena gave an update on his health in the form of a cryptic tweet. Cena is recovering from a shoulder surgery in January, and says he’s currently speeding up towards his “finish line.”

Another week in the books. Speeding towards the "finish line" but first a much needed few days to regroup for the final charge #NeverGiveUp

— John Cena (@JohnCena) March 12, 2016

Bret Hart doesn’t think his brother Owen will be joining him in the WWE Hall of Fame any time soon. In a recent interview with Ring Rust Radio, Bret explains why he doesn’t think Owen will be inducted, despite the release of WWE’s DVD set about the late Hart Foundation member.

“I can confirm it to a certain degree, but no one has told me officially,” Hart said about reports that Owen will not be inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame this year. “I have heard from various family members that are closely tied in with WWE that it doesn’t look like Owen is being inducted. I think it’s a real shame and it breaks my heart. The main obstacle I think is his widow Martha, who is really obtuse and kind of a bitter woman that never understood that it wasn’t the wrestling fans or wrestlers that killed Owen. It’s pretty easy now to look back on it and see that it was really just an unfortunate accident. I think Martha is guilty of burying and doing nothing to help keep Owen’s memory alive. Wrestling fans have every right to remember Owen and cherish his career. A lot of people loved Owen just for the type of person he was and not just the wrestler he was. A lot of wrestling fans got to know him over the years and miss him. I just think it’s really sad that Martha is still so obtuse and has it in her head the only ones that can grieve over Owen are her and her kids and everyone else can go to hell. The rest of us miss him too and I don’t agree with her and her idea on how to remember Owen. It’s a shame that she can’t accept that fans love him and miss him just as much she does.”

Hart also spoke about being diagnosed with prostate cancer, which he announced to the public on Monday.

“I think just by being open and honest about it. Letting people know that I’m in the fight, and as I go through it, I’ll show people just that,” Hart said. “Hopefully in the near future I can prove to people that I will overcome this battle and be on the better side of it in six months or so. Hopefully, people will gain strength from that and use me as somebody they can look up to if someone in their family or themselves goes through it.”

Related: Bret Hart Says Roman Reigns Is Like Kevin Nash, Heyman Is “Best Manager Ever”