Stu Hart will join the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2010. Stone Cold Steve Austin made the announcement official this past week on Monday Night RAW while overseeing the contract signing between Mr. McMahon and Bret “Hit Man” Hart for their No Holds Barred Match at WrestleMania XXVI.
While Stu is probably most famous to today’s fans as being the father of Bret Hart, he built himself a legacy as a pioneer of Canadian pro wrestling. Hart was a naturally gifted athlete who played football but excelled in wrestling. While in the Navy he was introduced to professional wrestling and never looked back. He established Stampede Wrestling in 1948 in Calgary, running the promotion for nearly 50 years. While there he raised a family with his wife Helen and had twelve children, all of whom became associated with the pro wrestling business through some avenue.
Stampede Wrestling, under the watchful eye of Stu, was a big success for many years. Many big stars of the industry passed through Stampede at some point in their career, but it was the homegrown talent that Hart produced really cemented his legacy. Aside from his sons, most notably Bret, Owen, Keith and Bruce, Hart helped train an amazing crop of talent in the infamous Dungeon training spot located in the basement of Hart House. Among those who Stu helped trained reads like a who’s who of pro wrestling talent, including Davey Boy Smith, Dynamite, Jim Neidhart, Bad News Allen Coage, Jushin “Thunder” Liger, Superstar Billy Graham, Chris Benoit, Brian Pillman and so many others.
The Hart family is still well known and regarded in Canada as local celebrities, and their contributions to the professional wrestling business are almost unparalleled. Stu’s legacy not only lives on his in what he did, but can still be seen on WWE television today thanks to the welcome return of Bret Hart and through the legacy of his grandchildren, Natalya Neidhart and DH Smith, who are featured weekly on SmackDown as part of The Hart Dynasty.
Hart was well liked and respected among the pro wrestling industry. He was an upstanding businessman who put on a solid wrestling product and was well regarded for his amazing, albeit torturous and unorthodox, training style. While Hart himself carved out a fine career for himself as his in ring competitor, his legacy to the wrestling business is in that of his famous children, The Dungeon training center that produced some many others and the work done with Stampede Wrestling.
It is expected he will either be inducted into the Hall by Bret Hart or Bret will be the one accepting the award while other family members (perhaps The Hart Dynasty) do the presentation.
WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2010
“Million $ Man” Ted DiBiase (inducted by Ted DiBiase, Jr. & Brett DiBiase)
Antonio Inoki (inducted by Stan “The Lariat” Hansen)
Wendi Richter (inducted by Rowdy Roddy Piper)
Mad Dog Vachon (inducted by Pat Patterson)
Gorgeous George (inducted by ex-wife Betty Wagner)
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