Biography
Bret Sergeant Hart is a Canadian television personality, writer, actor, and retired professional and amateur wrestler. Like many members of the Hart wrestling family, he has a background in amateur wrestling, having competed at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College. Known by his famous nickname "Hit Man," Hart's agile and technical wrestling style earned him the title "The Excellence of Execution." He was also referred to as "The Pink and Black Attack," a nod to his ring gear, and was recognized for his signature mirrored sunglasses, which he often gave to young fans before matches.
Hart began his professional wrestling career in 1978 with Stampede Wrestling, a promotion founded by his father, Stu Hart. He gained widespread popularity and championship success during the 1980s and 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, later WWE), where he led the Hart Foundation, a group consisting of family members and allies. After the controversial "Montreal Screwjob" in 1997, he left WWF for World Championship Wrestling (WCW), where he continued to win championships until 2000, when a concussion forced his retirement. In 2001, Hart became the on-screen commissioner of World Wrestling All-Stars (WWA), but his tenure ended early after a stroke in 2002 left him temporarily wheelchair-bound. Following his recovery, he made non-wrestling appearances with independent promotions throughout the decade and returned to WWE programming in 2005. The following year, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by former rival Stone Cold Steve Austin. Hart returned to limited in-ring action in WWE in 2010, winning his final championship and briefly serving as Raw's General Manager. He continues to appear on WWE shows.
Hart has won championships in every decade since the 1970s, totaling thirty-two titles in his career, including seventeen between WWF/WWE and WCW. He is a seven-time world champion, holding the WWF Championship five times—with the longest combined reign in the 1990s—and the WCW World Heavyweight Championship twice, becoming the first non-American-born United States champion. Hart shares the record for five WCW/WWE United States Championship reigns, with four of those in WCW being the most in the organization's history. He is also the second WWF Triple Crown Champion. Beyond championships, Hart won the 1994 Royal Rumble (tied with Lex Luger) and is the only two-time King of the Ring winner in WWE history, having claimed the titles in 1991 and at the inaugural King of the Ring pay-per-view in 1993. WWE and WCW publications, fellow wrestlers, industry insiders, and fans regard Hart as one of the greatest and most popular professional wrestlers ever.
