Owen Hart, 1965-1999

I debated for awhile whether I should put my comments on the death of WWF wrestler Owen Hart on my wrestling site, or my news and editorials site. I decided to stick to the editorial site, for one simple reason: wrestling is supposed to be a light-hearted, fun passtime to watch, although this past week it's been, understandably, ultra-serious. But I don't want to diminish the enjoyment that I, or any other fans, get from the sport. So I decided to put my rant on a very serious subject on a more serious page. You can still enjoy wrestling, but Owen's death -- which should never have happened -- does deserve to be commented on.

Owen Hart was going to wrestle on Sunday, May 23, as "The Blue Blazer", a ring persona he took upon himself every now and again, which he created back in 1988 or '89. He was going to lower himself into the ring on a setup of wires and a harness. However, something went wrong with the equipment -- there is some debate as to whether Owen accidentally triggered a release mechanism, which WWF owner/CEO Vince McMahon suspects, or the harness and wires weren't set up properly, or, finally, whether they snapped.

If you ask me, what went wrong with the equipment is absolutely secondary to the fact that there was a great loss. Owen Hart was a wonderful wrestler, almost as good, if not just as good or better, maybe, as some would say, as his older, more famous, legendary brother, Bret "Hitman" Hart, who has been one of my favourite wrestlers for a very long time. He loved his family, from what I hear, and he was very young. He was thirty-four years old.

I ask you, the wrestling fans who might read this, how could WE do this to Owen? Anyone can turn around and point the finger at Vince McMahon for "making" Owen do this stunt. Anyone can turn around and point the finger at Owen for actually listening to Vince and going up there. Anyone can turn around and point a finger at whoever set up the harness for not doing it properly. But the fact is, they'd have never done that stunt if we hadn't asked for flashier, more dangerous, glitzy things from wrestling: anything from storylines to ring entrances to the very moves wrestlers do nowadays are dangerous, and I'm surpised there haven't been more ring fatalities from people moonsaulting wrong and breaking their necks, or being piledriven without it being done properly.

If Owen Hart had walked to the ring that night, down the aisle, chants of "BO-RING" would have pursued him. But if Owen Hart had walked to the ring that night, he would still be alive today. Kind of puts things in perspective when you think about it, doesn't it? Does the two-second spectacle of seeing someone "fly" to the ring, and our expectation of stunts like that, surpass the right that that wrestler has to feel secure, comfortable, and safe in his job? These men are not acrobats. They weren't trained in the circus, and they aren't stuntmen. Or rather they shouldn't be. But perhaps wrestlers, if they have to do things like this, should have some kind of stunt training. Or else we have to realize what we're asking of them.

Vince McMahon wasn't wrong in trying to give the fans what they wanted. That's business. We were wrong in asking too much.

I would like to commend the WWF for paying proper tribute to Owen Hart. Even though they kept the event on Sunday night going, which is a questionable choice, the fact is, if they'd stopped it, just as many fans would have been angry. And that can't be argued. It was a case of "Damned if we do and damned if we don't." But the tribute on RAW was one of the nicest tributes to a wrestler I've seen yet, and the cancellation of other cards was a very fitting move.

I'd also like to applaud WCW for getting beyond the politics, one-upmanship, and ratings wars, and understanding that life and death goes beyond that. This wasn't about ratings -- although the stunt that killed Owen was -- this was about a father, brother, husband, son, uncle, who will never be able to be seen by his family, friends, or fans again, and who probably didn't get to say a proper goodbye to his family.

My prayers are with Owen's family and friends -- those who knew him and mourn him more than we wrestling fans ever could -- and to anyone who's lost family in work-related tragedies. It's a pain I can't even imagine. Take care of yourself: and realize that some things just aren't worth risking your life for ... and that's the truth.

Click here to get back to my homepage.