WWE: How Bret vs. Owen Hart Ushered In A New Era Spotlighting Athletic Competition

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Bret and Owen

Debuting in the WWE in 1984 and 1988 respectively, Bret Hart and his younger brother, Owen, were both tenured with the company during the height of Hulkamania’s popularity. They were also right there towing the company line even as their owner (and their promotion) faced an uncertain future.

While both brothers had wrestling styles unique unto themselves, their in-ring work was a stark contrast to what fans were accustomed to seeing from their more brawny counterparts. Guys like Warrior and Hogan worked a slower style that could be a bit stiff and predictable from time to time, and even sometimes sloppy.

The Hart brothers helped to usher in an era where the focus wasn’t solely on power moves, but more so on in-ring psychology, match storytelling, and athleticism. They wrestled the same style of matches that Ricky Steamboat and Randy Savage used to steal the show away from many of their larger peers in the 80s. In the 90s, Bret and Owen steered that wave, as all eyes were on them.

Bret Hart initially cut his teeth in the WWE as he teamed up with his brother-in-law Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart to form the legendary Hart Foundation tag-team. Alongside Jim’s brute strength, Bret’s expertise in mat-based technical wrestling was a key component to the success of their team. Later, Bret delved into singles competition where he further outclassed his competition, and truly came into his own, with the precise delivery of his moves, which showed why he was known as the “Excellence of Execution.”

Upon Owen Hart’s WWE arrival, he wasn’t directly tied to his already established brother. He was afforded a unique opportunity that was more in line with his ring work. While he definitely had a significant technical style in the same vein as Bret, Owen added a high-risk element to his repertoire. He was well known as a high flier in the ring who fearlessly performed daredevil-esque maneuvers that not only impressed wrestling fans, but his backstage peers as well. Owen debuted with the company as The Blue Blazer, a type of “superhero” character that allowed Owen to showcase his aerial talents.