Bret “The Hitman” Hart is a legendary professional wrestler who rose to fame in the 1980s. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest in-ring performers of all time and was a key figure in WWE’s Golden and Next Generation Eras. Hart was a multi-time champion, holding the Intercontinental Championship, the Tag Team Championship, and multiple world titles during his career.
From his signature moves to his intense rivalries, Hart’s WWE career in the 1980s was filled with memorable moments that cemented his place in the annals of professional wrestling history. Everything he did in this decade set up the legendary career he would have in the 1990s. This list will examine 10 things to know about Bret Hart’s wrestling career in the 1980s.
10 Wrestled in New Japan Pro Wrestling
Bret Hart’s career in New Japan Pro Wrestling in the 1980s was relatively brief, but impactful nonetheless. His father, Stu Hart, who was a wrestler and promoter in Canada, introduced him to the Japanese wrestling scene.
During his time at New Japan, Hart honed his skills and developed a unique style that combined technical wrestling with a high-flying repertoire. He was part of a group of international wrestlers who helped popularize the sport in Japan and brought a new level of excitement to the ring.
9 competed for the AWA championship
In the early 1980s, the AWA was one of the best known wrestling promotions in existence. Although Hart was never officially an AWA wrestler, he did compete for the AWA Championship in the ’80s. While still competing in Stampede Wrestling, Hart wrestled Nick Bockwinkel for the AWA top prize.
He never won the title, but his matches against Bockwinkel were crucial. He spent the mid-1980s wrestling in Stampede, where he won virtually every title in the promotion. He won the Stampede North American Heavyweight Champion on six different occasions.
8 debuted in wwe
Bret Hart made his WWE debut in 1984, joining his father Stu Hart’s wrestling promotion, Stampede Wrestling, which was a major power system for WWE. He quickly made a name for himself as a talented and versatile fighter, impressing audiences with his in-ring skills and athleticism.
Hart’s WWE debut was marked by a number of impressive matches and memorable moments, including his legendary rivalry with the British Bulldogs and his tag team partnership with Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart as part of The Hart Foundation.
7 Wrestled Randy Savage in a televised match
Bret Hart and “Macho Man” Randy Savage only had one televised singles match in WWE. It happened in the Saturday Night Main Event in 1987. Hart was a decade away from the Montreal Screwjob and Savage was one of the most famous wrestlers on the WWE roster. The two played a great game in the middle of the bill. It’s clear, even in this match, that the two should have crossed paths more than once on WWE television.
6 He wrestled Owen Hart for the first time in WWE
Bret and Owen never crossed paths in Stampede Wrestling. Hart’s first official match against Owen occurred in 1986 in WWE. Although they didn’t have a singles match until the 1990s, at a house show, The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart) defeated Owen James & SD Jones. Owen was basically a middleman, but the basis of the feud that is now known as “one of the greatest sibling rivalries in wrestling history” began in the 1980s.
5 Won two tag matches at WrestleMania
Bret Hart competed at WrestleMania II, III, IV and V in the 1980s. Although his first WrestleMania match, at WrestleMania II, was in the forgettable WWE & NFL Battle Royal, Hart scored some significant Mania victories in the ’80s. At WrestleMania III, The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart, Danny Davis and Jim Neidhart) defeated The British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith and The Dynamite Kid) and Tito Santana. At WrestleMania V, The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart) defeated Greg Valentine & The Honky Tonk Man. They were the biggest matches of his early WWE career.
4 Competed under the name “Buddy Hart”
Bret Hart has wrestled most of his career under the ring name “Bret Hart”. For a very short period of time in 1984, Bret Hart wrestled under the ring name “Buddy Hart”. He was introduced to the audience as a heartthrob character with this name. He competed in the MLW Canadian Heavyweight Title Tournament as Buddy Hart. He never used the name at any later point in his career.
3 He became the first person to participate in a Royal Rumble
Bret Hart ended up winning the 1994 Royal Rumble (with Lex Luger). He also competed in the inaugural Royal Rumble in 1988. Bret Hart has a very interesting superlative in Rumble History that was achieved in 1988.
Hitman is the first person to participate in a Royal Rumble. He entered number 1 in the first Rumble in history and lasted 25 minutes before being eliminated by Don Muraco.
2 Wrestled his only singles match against Andre The Giant
By the time Bret Hart began to rise to fame in the world of wrestling, Andre the Giant was past his best days. The two met in a single match that took place in 1989. In Milan, Italy, Andre the Giant defeated Bret Hart in the only singles match of his careers. The two would fight in a couple of tag matches when the Hart Foundation fought The Colossal Connection (Andre The Giant & Haku).
1 Won his first title in WWE
Bret Hart won his first WWE Tag Team Championship with his partner Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart as part of The Hart Foundation in 1987. The Hart Foundation defeated The Islanders (Haku & Tama) on an episode of WWE Superstars.
Their first Tag Team Championship win was a defining moment in their careers, and they went on to go on to go on to the titles on several occasions, cementing their place as one of the greatest tag teams in WWE history. It was the first of many titles that Hart would win in WWE and outside of the company.