by Stephen Von Slagle
Stu Hart was unquestionably one of the most influential and important figures in wrestling during the second half of the 20th century. His many contributions to the sport as a wrestler, promoter, and trainer have been both high-profile, as well as very subtle. Although his career in the ring (and, even more so, the amateur mat) was full of championship accomplishments, his importance to the sport as a promoter and trainer is where Hart truly made his most influential contributions to professional wrestling. The patriarch of one of the greatest families in wrestling history, his influence and legacy is still being felt to this day and pro wrestling is surely better off for having had him as one of its own. Through his tireless efforts in the ring, his exemplary work ethic, unique promotional techniques, and his invaluable contributions to the future of the sport, Stu Hart placed himself into a position that few others in professional wrestling history have ascended.
While competing in the Northeast, Hart also formed a popular tag team with Lord James Blears and the two enjoyed a great deal of success together. Despite his inexperience, the talented Canadian grappler received several title opportunities, main-eventing cards against National Wrestling Association champion Lou Thesz as well as American Wrestling Association (Boston version) titleholder Frank Sexton. Yet, although he had become a top attraction and was poised to have a lengthy run in the lucrative Northeast market, Hart ended up leaving the region after less than two years and began working for Larry Tillman’s promotion in Montana both as a wrestler and booker.
Stampede Wrestling quickly gained a reputation for tough wrestlers, an even tougher traveling schedule, and a consistently high level of competition. It also garnered a well-deserved reputation among newer wrestlers as a place to hone your skills, and for Junior Heavyweights, to catch a break and be used in the top storylines and feuds. The crowds may not have been as big and the paydays not as large as in they were in many U.S. promotions, but if you were trying to break into the sport or were a veteran looking to advance your career, Stampede Wrestling was one of the best places to do it.
In 1955, Hart acquired television coverage and began a program that would go on to run (nearly) non-stop for the next 29 years in Canada and was eventually broadcast in nearly 50 different countries. With his wife Helen working on the business end of things, the promotion, like most other wrestling companies, had its share of ups and downs during its many years of existence. Often, it was a “feast or famine” scenario for Stampede, with the highs being very high and its lows being quite low. In addition to problems it faced retaining its television slot and the normal issues regarding talent retention and variances in attendance, Hart often faced competition from other NWA members, such as Sandor Kovacs & Al Tomko’s All-Star Wrestling and Don Owens’ Pacific Northwest Wrestling. However, whether it be temporary losses of television coverage, competition from other promotions, costly fines and suspensions levied by the Calgary Boxing and Wrestling Commission, deaths in their family or any number of other major obstacles they faced, Stu (and Helen) persevered, overcame each roadblock and soldiered on. Eventually, though, with the rise of the World Wrestling Federation in the mid-1980s, Stu Hart came to see the writing on the wall and sold his promotion to Vince McMahon in 1984. After promoting the region for a year, McMahon, in turn, re-sold the promotion back to the Harts in 1985 and, from 1985-1989, Bruce Hart oversaw the last great run of Stampede Wrestling. This was a time period that produced future superstars such as Brian Pillman, Chris Benoit and, of course, Owen Hart, however, by December of 1989 the promotion essentially closed its doors for good. Granted, there were a few subsequent attempts to revive Stampede by members of the Hart family, however, Stu Hart himself was not involved with those ventures and they were not particularly successful.
The list of wrestling superstars that Stu Hart has personally trained reads like a “who’s who” of wrestling celebrities, starting, of course, with his own sons. Although Smith, Bruce and Keith’s ring careers did not last as long as many had hoped, they were nevertheless top attractions in Stampede. Meanwhile, Ross and Wayne Hart worked behind the scenes for their father’s promotion, and while some of the Harts may have left the ring, they never fully left the sport and continued to be a big part of the Canadian wrestling business. Not much needs to be said about Bret “The Hitman” Hart. His numerous WWF & WCW World championship reigns, as well as lengthy stints as a World Tag Team, Intercontinental and United States champion have earned him a lofty spot in wrestling history as one of the greatest of all-time. But, Bret would be the first to admit that his “Excellence of Execution” owed a great deal of credit to the training he received from his father, and without Stu’s influence, Bret Hart would likely never have become “the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be.” The youngest Hart, Owen, was arguably even more talented than Bret, and his WWF Intercontinental, World Tag Team, European Heavyweight, and King of the Ring title runs placed him among the elite competitors in professional wrestling during the 1990s.
On October 16, 2003, Stu Hart passed away at the age of 88.