WRESTLING FURY: June 1989
OWEN HART BLAZES INTO THE WWF
Possibly a warning heralded too late but, beware World Wrestling Federation gladiators! He’s tried the rest, now he’ll take on the best. Just when you though professional wrestling an out of surprises, a pleasant breath of fresh talent has ventured down from the foothills of Western Canada to the highly publicized, mega-marketed wrestling organization operated by Vince McMahon, Jr. and based in Stamford, Connecticut.
Although he has been touring the pro mat circuits for less than five years, many veterans of the grappling game already hail him as one of the best technicians ever to step into the ring. One former National Wrestling Alliance heavyweight champion has gone as far as comparing The Blue Blazer to the great Lou Thesz.
No matter how his performances are assessed, spectacular and superb are usually the first two words used to describe the moves he puts on his opponents. Even under a mask and fancy robes, the true identity of The Blue Blazer can’t be hidden. Owen Hart, of the famous wrestling Hart family from Calgary, Alberta, Canada already has gained a legion of faithful followers in the United States, hoping he’ll get a crack at the prestigious title belts recognized by the WWF.
There’s no way the so-called brain trust of the WWF could have kept the Blazer’s identity a secret. The technical holds and acrobatic maneuvers executed with such perfection could only be administered by the youngest of the wrestling Hart brothers.
[Owen was the North American Heavyweight champ in his native Canada.]
Before signing on with the WWF, Owen Hart was already recognized worldwide as a wrestling superstar. Some of his most exciting ring encounters took place in Japan. The style of wrestling in the Orient is much like that in Western Canada and the Japanese fans quickly grew to admire the young Hart, always more than anxious for his next return.
The winning attitude that has enveloped Owen is due to having built-in-trainers. Keith, Bruce and Bret “The Hit Man” Hart, along with brothers-in-law Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart and Davey Boy Smith, have instructed Own from their years of experience on the ins and outs of what will not work to a wrestler’s advantage while in the ring.
Owen’s father, former wrestling expert Stu Hart, who took on everyone from Gene Kinski to Joe Louis, has overseen his son’s entry in the limelight of the sport and is quite pleased with his progression. When asked by a fan as to when Owen would return to action in the Stampede Wrestling rings, Stu prideful replied, “Unfortunately he will not be available to us in the foreseeable future. I have tremendous respect for Owen, not only as a wrestler but as a son, a young man of whom I am extremely proud. I feel very strongly in my heart that Owen can make the same contribution to wrestling that Wayne Gretzky has made to hockey. To my way of thinking, if you can pardon my saying so, he is simply the best that there is in the game, both in and out of the ring.”
[As the Blue Blazer, Hart far outclasses most of the competition. (photo by Brown)]
With one highlight after another in Japan and Canada, where he held the North American heavyweight title several times, Owen Hart literally wrote his own ticket to the promotion that would financially satisfy him the most. When you are the best in the sport from a promoter’s and fans’ viewpoint, it is better to have the talented athlete on your team rather than opposing it. And, that’s exactly what the WWF did. Instead of letting the NWA or AWA get his name on a contract, the WWF recognized the endless amount of talent Owen Hart possesses and proceeded to add him to their ever-growing parade of stars.
The question asked by fans throughout North America is why the mask? Perhaps the WWF hierarchy was afraid the young Canadian would outshine their number one superstars, such as Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan. Would Owen put either Hogan or Savage in the position that the fans would demand a showdown between the two? In Hogan’s case it wouldn’t be a great surprise how that confrontation would conclude. One is a wrestler known as an exciting ring tactician and one has been labeled a living cartoon.
Thus far as the Blue Blazer, Owen’s abilities seem to have been toned down in the Federation. The majority of the Blazer’s matches fall into the preliminary category, usually the opening contest against the likes of men such as Steve Lombardi and Barry Horrowitz. Both Lombardi and Horowitz are well qualified to be labeled wrestlers and have always given their challengers a tiresome time in the ring. However, they aren’t in the same ballpark as Randy Savage or Jim Duggan as far as drawing large crowds to the arenas are concerned.
[Here’s a look at a flying head butt done Owen Hart Style.]
The Blazer’s ring performance resembled the way the British Bulldog marched into the WWF five years back. Davey Boy Smith and Dynamite Kid plainly and simply outclassed and nearly embarrassed those who stepped onto the canvas against them. They made all the other so-called WWF athletes look effective. When the Blue Blazer entered the scene, the same scenario arose again.
The mask, artificial identity and the fact of being delegated to preliminary mat action appears to have taken their roll on Owen Hart. This past Thanksgiving, as the Blue Blazer, he was caught off guardian submitted to Greg Valentine’s figure -four leg lock. Perhaps that unusual ending to his participation in the Survivor Series match should be taken as a signal that they (the WWF) may be destroying the confidence of wrestling’s newest hero. It was also during this exciting event that Owen suffered another injury that will prevent him from wrestling for a short time.
Never quite a number one contender in the Federation but a man known to give you the fight of your life, “Iron” Mike Sharpe recently stated, “The best offense is a good defense when squaring off against the Blue Blazer. The suplexes, sunset flips and dives off the top ropes he does are incredible. His moves are carried out flawlessly. The Blazer is a thinking man’s wrestler.” He continued by saying, “He has to be careful when dazzling his challengers, the chances he takes in the ring are too risky to end in injury, if his mind wandered. Believe me, the Blue Blazer has all the ingredients to soon be the #1 contender for the Inter-Continental and Heavyweight championships.”
Will he or won’t he, hidden under a hood as the Blue Blazer, combine forces with his brother “The Hit Man” to pursue the WWF Tag Team champions? Should Jim Neidhart graciously step aside and give his blessings on the brothers to unite their wrestling energies, having the title belts put around their waists? That would be a mere technicality waiting to happen.
[These aerial maneuvers are what makes Owen so great. (photo by Brown)]
It’s generally accepted by fans, promoters and wrestlers themselves that Bret and Owen are the two most best all-around wrestlers in the support of wrestling today. It’s almost a certainty that should the Hart Brothers be put in the same ring as Demolition, The Rougeaus or The Powers of Pain, record gate receipts will be achieved. The Harts aren't the largest or most muscular pair in the WWF, just the best schooled wrestlers on the group’s roster.
In singles competition, just think of the Blue Blazer getting the opportunity to renew his feud with the Honky Tonk Man from their days when they both worked out of Calgary. When turned to Bad News Brown, the Blue Blazer is capable of knocking Harlem, New York’s wrestling thug down a couple of notches in the rankings. Without the mask on, in Canadian towns such as Edmonton, Camrose and Winnipeg, Owen Hart convincingly handed Brown pinning defeats.
[Owen and his finance Martha have been doing some modeling in Canada
Owen’s body is rock solid perfect. ]
When battling world class competitors as Makkhan Singh, “Strangler” Steve DiAlvo and Comrade Jerry Morrow, as an athlete, Owen became a better professional. Stampede Wrestling out of Calgary has always been over stuffed with talented wrestlers who rely on their athletic ability to advance their career, not gimmicks to get them the necessary push to main event status.
Biff Ellington, Johnny Smith, Chris Beneoit and Goldie Rogers are just a handful of respected grapplers that, along with Owen, have put Calgary on the international wrestling map of excellence.
As the Blue Blazer in the WWF, Owen Hart isn’t asking for anything he isn’t deserving of. When the time comes and the Blazer is able to spread his wrestling wings, his ring actions will lead to many to say “I told you so.” Owen Hart has proven he is a winner, a dedicated professional and an all-around class act. After all, his wrestling roots are second to none.
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Saw this on Twitter, from a 1983 issue of Gong magazine. I'm trying to use Google Translate (and a little common sense) to figure out who everybody is.
Hulk Hogan (roller skating in California)
Bruiser Brody (riding the space shuttle, piloted by a gorilla)
Terry Funk and Dory Funk Jr. (falling off a horse)
Fritz, Kevin, Kerry, and David Von Erich (standing together in Texas)
Ric Flair (literally jet-flying, wearing the NWA world title)
Harley Race (in Missouri, punching out the Funks' horse)
Ted DiBiase and the Junkyard Dog (dressed like jazz guys, to represent New Orleans and Mid-South)
Verne Gagne (in Minnesota, giving the thumbs up)
Nick Bockwinkel (holding the AWA world title)
Dick the Bruiser (dressed like a Chicago gangster)
Jerry Lawler (dressed like Elvis because he's in Memphis; a curious foreshadowing of his cousin becoming Honky Tonk Man in 1986)
Stan Hansen (wearing a cowboy hat, standing in Georgia)
Ricky Steamboat (in the Carolinas, pointing at Lawler)
Andre the Giant (standing between Canada and New York)
Dusty Rhodes (representing Florida, riding the surfboard)
Bob Backlund (swinging off the Statue of Liberty, wearing the WWF world title)
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I'm going to use the "F" word. Be warned.
I fucking get it, I really fucking do. YouTube wants to protect the masses (read: their own damn asses.)
They have their rules, no death, violence, forward presenting nipples, sex.
The "F" word can be found throughout their platform. In movie clips, in video blogs, in news reports.... Language is not banned or blocked I have seen content with "fuck" "fucking" "fucker" etc shared here on tumblr & other platforms. As a matter of fact there are songs on this blog with the "F" word in the title and/or in the songs.
"Foul" language does not look to be monitored by YouTube as a whole.
BUT I think if someone complains, they render the video "age restricted." Until the artist or label fights it. (there have been titles that have had the restriction removed)
In the past week titles that have been affected are by NWA, The Dead Kennedys, The Specials, Chip Taylor & The New Ukrainians.
Now the "Fs" involved have nothing to do with sex, they are general fuck *insert group* or a simple fuck off.
I am convinced that some stick up the ass holier than though *savior* (or group of them) is reporting things to youtube.
They are titles that have been up for years, by artists or songs that are well known. Songs by lesser known artists are flying under the radar.
So fuck off you fucking fuckers that feel the need to police what other people watch or listen to.
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