It seemed like an easy decision to make.
Maybe becasue... it had already been made for him.
In the wake of the Bret Hart/Vince McMahon controversy which marred the Survivors Series, it was only a matter of days before the future of the Hart Foundation unfolded. Although Bret was already headed out even before the bell rang in Montreal, Quebec, Davey Boy Smith and Jim Neidhart soon packed their bags and set their sights south. Call it "family unity", or call it ridiculous, but whatever the caes... the Pink & Black Attack went bye-bye.
In the eyes of the Hart Clan, Owen's decision to follow should have been easy. From their perspectives it was simple-as one of them had been done "terribly wrong"-they were all working en masse. A united front... was the only front. Anything less would have tainted the "Hart name".
My oh my, when fiction becomes reality... it's a very scary thing. Less than 24 hours after what he perceived as the "death of a legend", Bret Hart asked his younger brother Owen to demand a release from his World Wrestling Federation contract-becasue in his eyes, Vince McMahon had screwed the mighty "Canadian Hero", Owen Hart shouldn't, couldn't and wouldn't work for a "monset" like that. One can only wonder how many times in his lifetime Bret had made Owen's mind up for him. The "shadow conspiracy" that cursed Owen all his life apperently wasn't just a made-up story for magazines like this one. It existed. It was real. Yes, maybe Owen Hart did have a lot to thank his brother for, but in the end a "thank you" wasn't nearly enough to show his appreciation. Bret was asking Owen to alter his entire life.
Nine years is a great investment, whether you're a professional wrestler, a truck driver or a lowly magazine editor... it doesn't matter. When you put nine years in... you're doing it in the hope of getting something out. Owen had invested a lot in Vince McMahon and the Federation. The truth is - he had invested his ENTIRE youth. Now 32 years old, Owen began wrestling here when he was only 23... under a mask, I might add - a faceless wrestler known as the Blue Blazer. The "shadow conspiracy." Owen wrestled umdercard for the World Wrestling Federation for more than seven years. The fact is, Owen didn't become a main eventer until WrestleMania X... where he defeated Bret at Madison Square Garden. At that point, his investment began to "pay off." Fans began to sit up and take notice of Bret's "younger brother." I hate cliches, but... you can't deny talent. Shadow, or no shadow, Owen Hart was starting to come into his own.
Between 1995 and the winter of 1997, Owen Hart became a bona fide superstar. His wars with Shawn Michaels and Stone Cold Steve Austin were nothing less than unforgettable. Owen was one of the few Worls Wrestling Federation superstars who could bring the best out of anybody - anytime. And with all due respect to Bret, his "younger brother" began to take over center stage. It was inevitable. He was younger. While Bret was relying on reputation. Owen was thriving on spit and fire, It wa his time... his turn... and nobody deserved it more. Nothing could stop him now... not even "the bell heard around the world."
Despite the threat of being "disowned" by his own family, Owen decided to stay with the World Wrestling Federation. He had made the investment for himself... and also for his wife and two young children. While Bret and his brothers-in-law did what they had to do - Owen did what he felt he had to do. In an atmoshere of "is it fact... or is it fiction," Owen Hart lives in the "real world." Whether it was right or wrong, he UNDERSTOOD why. It was strictly business. In the end, the "younger brother" was the one acting like the seasoned veteran.
In closing, I only hope that one day Bret Hart will be able to see things differently.. and quite honestly, I think he will. The notion of "betrayal" is a ridiculous one. The notion of the "yournger brother" finally gaining his respect should be far more "real."