Born on July 2, 1957, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Bret Hart was introduced to wrestling from a very young age by his father Stu Hart who was a wrestling trainer and promoter. From a young age, he started handing out fliers and selling tickets to local wrestling shows of his father’s wrestling promotion company, Stampede Wrestling. He began training as a wrestler from the age of 9 and eventually proved to be a standout amateur wrestler when he attended Ernest Manning High School in Calgary, Alberta. He enrolled to study filmmaking at Mount Royal College where he continued in his winning ways as an amateur wrestler.
Hart started training with his father’s Stampede Wrestling in 1976 in readiness for launching his professional career. He worked as a referee for the first few years and eventually made his in-ring debut in 1978. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, he rose to become one of the most successful performers in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) as he won numerous championships under the promotion. He headlined WrestleMania IX, X, and XII among several other major WWF events.
Bret Hart’s stint with the WWF came to an end in November 1997 following the infamous “Montreal Screwjob” in which he lost the WWF World Heavyweight Championship to Shawn Michaels under controversial circumstances. He joined another rival promotion World Championship Wrestling (WCW) where he continued in his winning ways. He became the first pro wrestler to capture all six major titles from the 2 prominent wrestling promotions (WWF Tag Team, WWF Intercontinental, WWF World titles, WCW Tag Team, WCW US, and WCW World Titles).
Hart was a five-time WWF World Heavyweight Champion, two-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion and he won a total of 32 championships in his entire career. Reckoned to be one of the greatest wrestlers in the history of the sport, Bret Hart was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006 among other recognitions. After suffering a concussion in December 1999, Bret Hart officially announced his retirement from the sport in October 2000. However, he rejoined the WWE as an in-ring competitor from 2010 to 2011 during which he won his final championship, headlined the 2010 SummerSlam event, and also served as the general manager of the WWE Raw brand.
Siblings
Bret Hart grew up in a very large household alongside 11 siblings, 7 brothers Smith, Bruce, Keith, Wayne, Dean, Ross, and Owen, and 4 sisters, Ellie, Georgia, Alison, and Diana. Just like Hart, all his brothers were all trained by their father Stu Hart and they ultimately became professional wrestlers.
Bret and his younger brother Owen had the most successful pro wrestling careers and consequently are the most famous among the brothers. Sadly, Owen Hart died in May 1999 due to injuries sustained following an equipment malfunction at the WWF’s Over the Edge pay-per-view event.
Wife, Daughter
Bret Hart has been married to Stephanie Washington for nearly a decade. The couple tied the knot on July 24, 2010. Hart has 4 children and at least 3 grandchildren. He had all 4 of his children during his marriage to his first wife Julie Smadu.
His first child was born in March 1983, a daughter named Jade Michelle Hart. He welcomed his second child in August 1984, a son named Dallas Jeffery Hart. His third child, Alexandra Sabina Hart was born in May 1988. His last child Blade Colton Hart was born in June 1990.
Net Worth
Bret Hart amassed a vast amount of wealth during his long and illustrious stint as a professional wrestler in terms of career earnings and endorsements. He has equally been involved in other lucrative ventures over the years. He was a founding member of the Calgary Hitmen, a major junior ice hockey team based in his home city of Calgary, Alberta. The team was established in 1994 and its name is derived from Hart’s nickname ‘Hitman’. The veteran wrestler has authored at least 2 biographies and he also writes a weekly column for the Calgary Sun, a newspaper published in his hometown. Bret Hart’s net worth is pegged at an estimated $14 million.
Is Bret Hart Dead?
In June 2002, Bret Hart suffered a stroke after falling on his head in a bicycle accident. However, he survived and recovered fully after several months of physical therapy. He was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer in February 2016 which he equally survived following surgery. Having survived these major health challenges, Bret Hart is still very much alive and well.
Height
Bret Hart is 6 feet (183 cm) in height. Though retired from professional wrestling, he still sports a relatively trim physique. The sexagenarian maintains a body weight of 107 kg (235 lb).
