You may have been looking for the author Bret Harte.

Bret Sergeant Hart (born July 2, 1957 was a Canadian professional wrestler spawned from the famous Hart family of wrestling. He had several monikers: Bret "The Hitman" Hart, (adopted from boxer Thomas Hearns), the "Excellence of Execution," and perhaps the most resounding, "The best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be."

Early life

He was born in Calgary, Alberta as the eighth of the 12 children of wrestling promoter Stu Hart. His seven brothers were either wrestlers or involved backstage with the wrestling business; his four sisters all married professional wrestlers. Two of his brothers-in-law, Davey Boy Smith and Jim Neidhart, had very successful careers in the business. His youngest brother, Owen Hart, became a prominent wrestler in his own right before his death in 1999 when a wrestling stunt went horribly wrong.

Wrestling career

Hart's appearance was highlighted by his wrap-around sunglasses and he is still regarded by many as one of the most technically sound pro wrestlers ever to grace a wrestling ring. He was once labeled by Vince McMahon as the 'greatest storyteller in the business' and was adept at creating tense and entertaining matches. He rose to fame in the World Wrestling Federation in the early 1990s, winning the WWF Tag Team title twice as one half of The Hart Foundation, the WWF Intercontinental title twice, the WWF World title five times, and winning the original televised "King of the Ring" tournament in 1993. One of his world title reigns came by defeating The Undertaker, another by defeating the nearly 600 pound Yokozuna.

Following a controversial match (known to fans as the Montreal Screwjob) with Shawn Michaels, in November 1997, he left the WWF and joined World Championship Wrestling (WCW). In WCW he wasn't given the same push he was given in the WWF, although he did win the World title twice (1999).

After wrestling

In late 1999, he suffered a severe concussion in a match against Bill Goldberg, which turned out to be career-ending.

In 2002, he suffered a stroke after falling off his bicycle. He has made a remarkable recovery from the stroke. He currently writes a column for the Calgary Sun newspaper and is working on his three-volume autobiography.

In 2004, Hart was chosen as one of the Greatest Canadians, coming in at number thirty-nine. He was also the advocate for Don Cherry during the televised portion of the competition.

The Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League take their nickname and colours from Hart, who is part owner.

Famous Quotes

• "The Excellence of Execution"
• "I'm the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be."

Signature and Finishing maneuvers

• Sharpshooter
• Hart Attack (tandem maneuver with Jim Neidhart)
• Ring Post Figure Four

External links

• Bret Hart's column
• Bret Hart's Web Page
• Archive of Bret's Columns