Written by Sabine Demosthenes
MONTREAL – At this exact moment, I’m listening to one of my favorite songs from Arcade Fire, Month of May. I’m gladly smiling. Why am I smiling?
The World Wrestling Entertainment, better known as the WWE, has announced one more inductee in this year’s Hall of Fame event.
The Hart Foundation will be inducted! For those who are not familiar with wrestling, here a small summary: Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart were the dynamic duo of wrestling in 1985. For Canadians, they were comparable to Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky. They were so perfect together! You never got bored watching them wrestle.
Being a young girl in the eighties, I was initially attracted by their hot pink attire, but what kept me mesmerized was the energy Bret and Jim showcased during their matches and promos.
By the end of the eighties, they had given us unforgettable matches, like one of my all-time favorites, the SummerSlam 1990, where they beat The Demolition.
In the early nineties, Bret and Jim went their separate ways. They reconnected in 1997 as part of the fab five. Brian Pillman, Davey Boy Smith, Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart, Bret “The Hitman” Hart and the one I will always have a special place in my heart for, Owen Hart. He and I shared the same birthday, so I always felt a special connection with him.
Someday, I will write about meeting Owen Hart in 1997.
When we think about the birth of the Attitude Era in WWE, the Hart Foundation was the pioneer. They were considered the villains in the eyes of the American fans, but they were loved everywhere else in the world.
Induction into the WWE Hall of Fame will be a bittersweet moment, especially for Bret and his family.
I will be forever grateful to the Hart Foundation. When I say the Hart Foundation, I mean the whole family too. I am grateful to Hart’s and Neidhart’s family members for sharing their father with the rest of the world. He has entertained us, made us believe we could achieve whatever we want and brought big smiles to our faces.
The kid in me will certainly have a big smile on her face when she hears the theme song one last time. (Oh, please play the original version of The Hart Attack at this year’s WWE Hall Of Fame event.)
The 2019 Hall of Fame ceremony will be a time to celebrate the legacy of the Hart Foundation. The Hart Foundation is more than two men who trained at the Hart Dungeon in Calgary and actually made it, becoming incredible superstars. It’s about a family that gave everything for the wrestling business. Like any family, they fought and they reconciled, but they always stood together, no matter what. For all their sacrifices in order to entertain us, I will be forever grateful.
The word family was very important in Jim’s life too. He loved his girls (his wife, Ellie, and his three daughters), he loved his wrestling brothers, and he loved wrestling itself.
Bret and Jim (in spirit) will dance together, one last time, during Bret’s speech at the Hall of Fame ceremony. Together, we will all share in some laughter and some tears.
And in the end,
The love you take,
Is equal to the love you make.- The Beatles