WWE: The unfortunate story of the Hart Foundation

The Hart Foundation

When you turn the pages of the professional wrestling encyclopedia, there are so many stables which will go down as some of the greatest factions in the history of the industry. From the Four Horsemen to the NWO, they revolutionized the business, creating a massive impact on the industry and leaving their mark.

One of such legendary factions was the original Hart Foundation in the WWE, which started with Jimmy Hart and continued till 1997, when Bret Hart left the then WWF to WCW.

Only very few factions were/are as great as The Hart Foundation, which saw a great deal of success with the likes of Bret, Owen, Davey, Pillman and Neidhart. But unlike Four Horsemen or NWO, the future of those who were a part of the Hart Foundation wasn’t as great.

In fact, in a tale which can only be beaten by the story of the Von Erichs, Hart Foundation’s story hasn’t seen a happy ending.

“I would take these four men with me to fight the devil himself!” – Bret Hart

Hart Foundation comprised of some of the most influential and outstanding wrestlers in the history of the industry.

Brian Pillman, being dubbed ‘The Loose Cannon’, revolutionized how a performer could behave in front of the camera. One can understand the importance of Brian in the industry by the simple fact that Stone Cold Steve Austin adopted Pillman’s gimmick, turning into the ‘Bionic Redneck’ during his heyday in the Attitude Era.

With Pillman also being one half of the Hollywood Blondes, he brought the concept of Lubra Libre style of wrestling in the United States, and made it famous through his moves during his bouts.

Jim Neidhart, being the other half of the famous Hart Foundation tag team along with Bret Hart was equally responsible for Bret’s career taking off in the then WWF as a tag team specialist.

As it is often said, for a tag team to become great, both the partners have to contribute equally, and that was what Neidhart did. Being dubbed “The Anvil”, Neidhart struck fear in the hearts of his opponents, and was instrumental in Hart Foundation winning the tag team gold.

When it came to “The British Bulldog” Davey Smith, he was one of the most powerful individuals in the organization! It is famously said that Davey used to have competitions with the likes of Luger, and used to come out on top.

With Bulldog winning the Intercontinental championship at Wembley being one of the most memorable moments in wrestling history, he became one of the biggest names in the wrestling circuit, also being known for his charisma along with his in-ring skills.