by The Schmooze

Created on: June 26, 2008

There's no denying that the best technical wrestlers come from Canada, and the Hitman, Bret Hart topped the list. His in ring ability, agility and technicality are second to none. His finishing move, the Sharp-Shooter, remains one of the most painful submission holds in professional wrestling, and is employed by a number of current superstars in varying form.

Bret Hart's fairytale affair with professional wrestling began in his childhood days as he watched his father train with other greats of the business. After nine years with Stampede Wrestling, Hart joined the then WWF (now WWE.) Hart first tried his hand at tag-team wrestling, forming the Hart Foundation' alongside Jim Neidhart. He won two WWF tag team titles, before embarking on what proved to be a remarkably successful singles career.

He first tasted gold when he won the WWF Intercontinental title in 1991, defeating the late Mr. Perfect. Hart wasn't just a wrestler he was also an innovator. The now famous ladder match was, you will be surprised to learn, his brainchild. The first ever ladder match was contested by the Hitman and the Heart Break Kid, Shawn Michaels. The winner? You guessed correctly - Bret Hart.

From then on, his star kept rising. The master of the Sharpshooter won his first WWF title after beating the Legendary Ric Flair. Though he lost his title a while later to Yokozuna, he showed the fight he had in him by reclaiming his title from the much larger Yokozuna.

After unceremoniously losing his title to Bob Backland in 1994, Hart captured the gold with victory over Diesel, once again overcoming the size disadvantage that he faced in most matches. Though size wasn't a big factor in Bret's matches what he lacked in size, he made up for in agility, technical ability and a sheer determination to win.

Hart would later relinquish his title to his real-life nemesis, Shawn Michaels in a controversial 60-minute match. It was Bret's ability to pick up the pieces after the disappointment of a defeat that made him stand out from the rest of the WWF Superstars.

The Excellence of Execution, as Bret was rightly referred to, had a long standing rivalry with the rattlesnake, Stone Cold Steve Austin that, in my opinion, made Austin the prominent and famous superstar he was.

The pair's Wrestlemania XIII duel has been lauded by many as the greatest ever Wrestlemania match up. It was therefore all the more fitting when Steve Austin, who is in real life a close friend of the Hitman, inducted Bret into the WWE Hall of Fame before Wrestlemania XXII kicked off.

His final match at the WWF, the infamous Montreal Screw job, is the most controversial moments in WWF history. Bret lost his title when the referee awarded Shawn Michaels the match, and the title, when it was quite clear that Hart hadn't been bitten. A bitter Hart would go on to express his anger by spitting on WWF owner, Mr. McMahon. Backstage, Hart would also punch McMahon and confront Michaels, leading to a real-life feud between the two.

After all the controversy, Hart moved to WCW, where he ended his brilliant career. At WCW, Hart won the Heavyweight Championship twice, and had a 3-0 record against the formidable Bill Goldberg. Hart retired from professional wrestling in 2000 as a result of the head injuries (read concussions) he had received in the course of his career.

Bret Hart the Excellence of Execution; the best there is, the best there was and the best that there ever will be period!

Learn more about this author, The Schmooze.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.