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Showing posts with label Owen Hart. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Owen Hart. Show all posts

September 20, 2021

AEW And The Owen Hart Foundation Announce Partnership, Tournament To Be Held

 All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and The Owen Hart Foundation (OHF), a nonprofit charity which provides a vast range of assistance and opportunities to individuals in-need across the world, are collaborating to honor the legacy of late wrestler Owen Hart, a beloved figure in the professional wrestling community and beyond. This collaboration includes launching the annual Owen Hart Cup Tournament within AEW, which will see the winner receive a Cup known as “The Owen,” as well as the production and distribution of unique and original Owen Hart merchandise, including specified retail goods as well as the upcoming AEW console video game.

This alliance incorporates opportunities to develop Owen Hart action figures via AEW’s partnership with Jazwares, apparel, posters, and additional collectable merchandise. Owen Hart is survived by his wife, Dr. Martha Hart, who spearheads The Owen Hart Foundation with a mission of providing global aid to at-risk communities (e.g., scholarships, housing, various forms international assistance, food drives, backpack giveaways and Christmas projects).

“AEW’s relationship with the Hart family dates back to our inaugural pay-per-view event, Double or Nothing in 2019, and Owen’s influence is still felt today,” said Tony Khan, AEW CEO, GM and Head of Creative. “To extend his memory and his legacy even further through this agreement is a powerful and meaningful moment for the entire wrestling community.”

“The Owen Hart Foundation is extremely pleased to partner with AEW in this wonderful joint venture to honor Owen’s substantial international wrestling career and the lasting influence he and his craft has had in the sport. AEW’s Owen Hart Cup Tournament serves as a tremendous tribute to Owen and provides an incredible way for professional wrestling enthusiasts to celebrate his work in a most fitting way. We trust that Tony Khan and his amazing AEW team will do a brilliant job with this highly anticipated project. This OHF/AEW partnership is my special gift to all of Owen’s magnificent loyal fans who forever remember him and his inspiring repertoire of talents,” said Dr. Martha Hart.

May 7, 2015

WWE Working on a DVD and Blu-ray for Owen Hart


WrestlingDVDNews.com reports that WWE is currently working on a DVD about the life and career of the late Owen Hart, who would have celebrated his 50th birthday today.

The release is going forward with the full backing and support of Owen's widow Martha Hart and his family. The issues between WWE and Martha have been well-documented over the years.

November 5, 2014

Backstage News On Kevin Steen's WWE NXT Debut


Kevin Steen's new NXT ring name Kevin Owens is indeed a tribute to the late Owen Hart, who Steen named his son Owen after. We noted that Steen recently filmed vignettes for his NXT TV debut and that he's expected to debut at either Takeover on December 11th or the TV tapings on December 12th. Steen also did an individual work-out in front of Triple H a few weeks back.

July 4, 2014

Vince Russo Talks Montreal Screwjob: Coming Up With The Finish, Undertaker's Reaction, Owen's Call


Vince Russo was the latest guest on Steve Austin's "The Steve Austin Show," and one of the topics they discussed in length was the Montreal Screwjob, which happened at WWE Survivor Series 1997 involving Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels. Listen to it here.

The former WWE writer spoke about his thoughts on the issue, and shed some light on what went down that fateful week.

Russo said they discussed numerous endings with Hart before the main event contest, and after they couldn't find an alternative, Vince McMahon pulled Russo aside, and told him he was going to call Hart since he needed Russo to be a third party on the telephone.

The controversial character proclaimed his love for Hart, but did confirm he was on the phone and said Hart refused everything, including trying to work in Jim Neidhart to help with the finish.

Russo then said he told McMahon to let Michaels put Hart in his own move, The Sharpshooter, and call for the bell. Russo stated it was late at night on the Thursday before, and they simply couldn't find any alternatives.

"Vince didn't say a word," confessed Russo.

The next day, Russo didn't hear anything from McMahon, and he didn't even talk to him at the pay-per-view. Russo had no idea what was going to happen, while he watched the match next to The Undertaker.

"All of a sudden I'm watching, and I see that finish go down," Russo said. "Taker was going to kill somebody. If he had known, I would not be here today."

Russo explained that Owen Hart was still on the roster, and that less than a week later, the younger Hart brother called him crying.

"Vince, you have to talk to Bret," Owen told him. "Bret says if I stay with the WWE, he's going to disown me as a brother…he (doesn't) want anything to do with me. Please, you've got to talk to him."

On the other side of the phone, Russo told Owen he should be calling McMahon about his issue, but Owen stated that he couldn't get a hold of him. Russo also said McMahon would have fired him for talking to Bret. Russo then stated less than a week after that, he called Bret on the phone.

Russo said he wanted to kill everybody, and told Bret at the end of the day, McMahon was looking to protect his entire company. He told Bret it had nothing to do with McMahon not trusting Bret, but more so Eric Bischoff.

He didn't want the WCW boss to parade his WWE title on his program, much like Bischoff did with Madusa when she joined WCW and put the WWE Women's Championship in the trash.

Russo then told Bret he stood behind Vince for what he did, despite Hart probably wanting to rip his head off when he heard that statement.

Russo said Vince simply had no choice.

Austin then said it was shocking for him to see at the time, and that Bret was still a close friend to this day, not to mention one of his favorite guys to work with. Austin also stated he agreed with the decision, as far as protecting the business and the company Vince McMahon Sr. had started. He was on board with the decision, but said he was in complete shock and that everyone was completely confused.

May 23, 2014

This Day In Wrestling History - Owen Hart Passes Away

Owen Hart died in a tragic fall during the WWF(E) PPV "Over the Edge"

May 23, 1999

April 10, 2014

Wrestling Columnist Posts "Memo To Nancy Grace"


Source: PWInsider.com

Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com has posted a piece entitled Memo to Nancy Grace, Crusading Wrestling Journalist that we wanted to share with all of you:

Dear Nancy Grace,

Thank you for the insightful piece on your CNN Headline News series yesterday on the Ultimate Warrior. I know with the fine journalistic standards you have set for yourself, the facts would certainly be at the forefront of this sad, tragic story.

After all, watching your segment last night, I learned:

*Warrior was found dead.

*There are allegations of "illegal steroid and drug use" in his passing.

*Warrior was a "top WWE Superstar" at the time of his passing.

*Warrior collapsed at his hotel while walking to his car with his wife (Hey....wait a minute, didn't you just say he was found dead?)

*Lots of wrestlers have died young, with implications of drug use - including wrestlers like Mark Curtis (stomach cancer), Owen Hart (fall to his death), Brady Boone (car accident), Joey Marella (actually a referee, car accident), Chris Candido (blood clot following surgery) and DJ Peterson (motorcycle wreck).

*That you have no idea what the term "catastrophic medical event" could mean.

*That you don't recognize Diamond Dallas Page when he's not "half-naked."

*That "not everyone" used steroids back in the day, because you never used them.

*That Warrior was referred to as "Ultimate"....well, at least by you.

Thank you so much for the fine upstanding research your team does on your show. Not since the days where your show told me that Chris Benoit may have committed murder because he was upset that he was demoted from the Four Horsemen to ECW and that wrestling fans looked up to "The Grunge" have we seen such hard-hitting, insightful mainstream media work on professional wrestling and those who populate that unique genre.

This incredible attention to detail and journalistic ethics brings me nothing but confidence that every other story you present will be conveyed to your viewers with the same incredible reporting. Your credibility speaks for itself.

Sincerely,

Mike Johnson

Diamond Dallas Page Issues Statement On Nancy Grace Show Appearance


Diamond Dallas Page has issued the following statement regarding his appearance on Wednesday night's Nancy Grace show on CNN:

"I went on Nancy Grace last night expecting to discuss Warrior the man. Had I known the only topic discussed would be steroids I would not have participated. At the time I was also unaware of the list that was shown to the viewing audience. To imply that all of the wrestlers on that list died from steroids was wrong and for that they owe the families an apology. Again, my only intention was to discuss Warrior the man and share some stories about how dedicated he was to the wrestling business. I am saddened that was not what happened and my thoughts remain with his family. - DDP"

As previously reported, Grace repeatedly insinuated that Warrior's death was caused by steroid use, and she also provided a list of wrestling talent that she claimed had died as a result of steroid use. Some of those talent included Owen Hart, Joey Marella, Brian Hildebrand, and others who had actually died of other causes. Wrestling fans have been in an uproar since Grace's show and her comments Wednesday night, and a Change.org petition has also been launched by a fan calling for CNN to remove Grace from their network because of her coverage of Warrior's death, as well as her incorrect statements.

Recap of DDP on Nancy Grace Tonight; DDP Praises WWE’s Wellness Policy Amidst Grace’s Attempts to Link Warrior’s Death to “Steroids & Drugs”


Former WWE star Diamond Dallas Page appeared on Nancy Grace tonight to speak on the death of the Ultimate Warrior.

Grace began with the news recap of Warrior's death, then continued to reiterate an overly-dramatic subliminal message throughout the segment that "rumors of steroid and drug use are swirling" in the case of Ultimate Warrior's death.

To my knowledge, there hasn't been a single media outlet that has linked steroid or drug use to the sudden death of Ultimate Warrior.

Grace brought a doctor onto the show to discuss the long term effects anabolic steroids have on your body, and the lasting problems they can cause even if you've stopped using them long ago. This was clearly Grace's indirect way to blame Warrior's past steroid use (which he has admitted to) for his death yesterday.

At one point in the segment, she listed numerous pro wrestling names who have died young, and attempted to group them into the same "steroid" umbrella that she was using against Warrior, even if some of the names she mentioned had never been linked to steroid use.

DDP talked briefly about wrestlers using steroids in the past, but praised WWE's Wellness Policy for getting guys like Scott Hall and Jake Roberts the help they needed to get their lives back on track following their past drug use.

Grace continued to reiterate "rumors of steroid and drug use are swirling," and then introduced a correspondent who spoke on the "catastrophic medical condition" Warrior suffered yesterday. Grace asked for clarification of the phrase "catastrophic medical condition," but the correspondent said nothing else is known at this time. She did mention most people believe the cause of Warrior's death to be a heart attack, but those details remain unconfirmed.

DDP mentioned Warrior's vigorous workout habits, and noted he was a very intense man, but added he is not a doctor, and cannot speak to the truth of any drug or steroid related causes of Warrior's death.

The segment closed with Grace reiterating, for the hundredth time, "rumors of steroid and drug use are swirling," and at this point she's said it so many times she has to be the person who started the rumors, and is continuing to "swirl" them.

February 8, 2014

WWE Network to Edit Over The Edge 1999, Stephanie McMahon Comments on Benoit & Owen Decision

CBS Pittsburgh has published an article on WWE deciding to air the controversial Over The Edge 1999 pay-per-view on the WWE Network.

WWE issued the following statement on Friday:

“WWE Network will be airing the 1999 Over The Edge pay-per-view. However, portions of the event will be edited out of respect for Owen Hart.”

Before the Royal Rumble last month, CBS spoke with Stephanie McMahon about Over The Edge 1999 and she said they had not made a decision at that time. Stephanie did confirm that Chris Benoit matches will be on the Network.

In the video above, Stephanie said:

“They are incredible challenging decisions to make. At the end of the day, we try to do what’s right for our fans and we try to give them exactly what they want to see.”

April 29, 2013

Martha Hart/WWE Lawsuit Officially Closed


According to PWInsider.com, the lawsuit between Martha Hart and WWE has been closed, as both sides reached a settlement. The terms of the settlement prohibit Hart from re-opening the case at any point in the future, and both Hart and WWE agreed to pay their own legal fees.

April 3, 2013

WWE & Martha Hart Settle Lawsuit Over Owen Hart Royalties


World Wrestling Entertainment and the widow of performer Owen Hart have settled a lawsuit over royalties and the use of Hart’s image.

The settlement was announced Wednesday by Martha Hart, WWE chief executive Vince McMahon, his wife and former CEO Linda McMahon, and the Stamford, Conn., company. The two sides did not disclose details.

Owen Hart died in 1999 while being lowered into the wrestling ring at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo. He was 34.

Martha Hart sued in June 2010, alleging that WWE did not pay royalty payments owed to Owen Hart’s estate and violated a contract restricting the use of her late husband’s name and likeness.

source: associated press

December 21, 2012

Owen Hart's Widow Turns Down Offer From WWE


At one point, WWE officials had been discussing inducting Owen Hart into the 2013 Hall of Fame class as a part of a settlement with Martha Hart.

WWE reached out to Martha about settling her lawsuit against the company and inducting Owen but she turned the offer down. There is a feeling that eventually the lawsuit will be thrown out but that may take some time.

December 4, 2012

This Day In Wrestling History


Alex Aberg draws with Ed "Strangler" Lewis at the Manhattan Opera House.
December 4, 1915

In a rather controversial segment, Rowdy Roddy Piper blamed Vince Russo for the death of Owen Hart live on NWA TNA's weekly PPV event.
December 4, 2002

Paul Heyman made his exit from World Wrestling Entertainment. Heyman was sent home from a Raw/ECW taping in North Carolina following a meeting with Vince McMahon, one day after the disastrous ECW December to Dismember Pay-per-view. Heyman was removed from the ECW Creative team, while a storyline reason for his departure was posted on WWE.com, stating Vince sent him home because: "The WWE Chairman cited slumping television ratings and a disgruntled talent roster as causes for Mr. Heyman's dismissal." Heyman had been portraying the heel "ECW Representative" on television.

The backstage story was that Vince McMahon was irate about how awful the PPV was and wanted to pin the blame on Heyman for it, despite many feeling that the poor PPV (which ended a half hour early) was the result of what the McMahons (Vince and Stephanie) booked for the show. Heyman was said to be unhappy with the way that the PPV was booked and backstage sources claim he voiced that concern both before the show began and after it. It was obvious that there were issues between Vince McMahon and Heyman because of the how the show played out on PPV, with everyone knowing it was a disaster.

A number of sources stated that a meeting was held around two o'clock with Heyman, Vince McMahon and Stephanie McMahon-Levesque. Heyman came out of the meeting and seemed like his normal self, with no one realizing what had just taken place. Shortly thereafter, Heyman gathered his things and left the building to go home.
December 4, 2006

Eddie Fatu, better known to WWE fans as Umaga, passes away.
December 4, 2009

partial source: pwinsider.com

December 1, 2012

Update on Martha Hart’s Lawsuit Against WWE & The McMahons


There has been some changes recently in Martha Hart’s lawsuit against WWE, Vince McMahon and Linda McMahon with part of what was still in court being thrown out.

On November 16th, Judge Stefan R. Underhill dismissed more of Hart’s lawsuit against WWE. It remains to be seen what was actually dismissed and what is left but it appears that WWE continues to whittle down the charges brought against them by Owen Hart’s widow.

Before the November 16th hearing, what was remaining were claims that Owen’s name would have reverted back to his usage and his usage alone in his passing and that his legal name would not be considered his “ring name”, meaning WWE does not have the rights to use, market and promote that name in their materials and DVD releases. The claim also remained that WWE released eight DVD’s and other materials including the WWE Encyclopedia without proper payments to Owen’s estate per his Booking Contract with Titan Sports, which required royalty payments continue after his death, per the written contract. Furthermore, the claims that WWE used original intellectual property including family photos without the permission of Owen’s estate and that the Owen Hart Foundation has been hurt due to its unwanted association with WWE through WWE’s use of Owen video and other material.

On November 27th, a judge partially approved a motion to dismiss Hart’s copyright infringement claim against Vince personally. Judge Underhill ruled that Hart’s camp “failed to prevent sufficient evidence of McMahon’s vicarious liability for copyright infringement.” The Judge noted that to establish liability in a copyright infringement claim, Hart’s camp would need to prove that Vince had “the right and ability to supervise and an obvious and direct financial interest in the exploitation of copyrighted materials.” The only proof Hart had was that Vince is WWE’s President and majority shareholder but that was not enough to leave him personally responsible for any alleged copyright infringements.

It’s worth noting that Linda was not mentioned in any of the recent rulings so parts of the lawsuit against her personally may still be going on.

Vince and Linda had requested the court order Hart’s attorneys to pay for some of WWE’s legal fees but the court denied that sanctioning. The court also refused to remove certain remarks made in Hart’s most recent amended lawsuit against WWE and the McMahons.

source: pwinsider.com

November 7, 2012

This Day In Wrestling History


Frank Gotch, who hasn't wrestled since August, again announces his "retirement." This time he says Jess Westegaard deserves the title. Gotch would be back in action before the year is out.
November 7, 1912

The WWF(E) agrees to pay $18 million to the Hart family as a settlement for the Owen Hart wrongful death suit.
November 7, 2000

November 2, 2012

This Day In Wrestling History


In Houston, Texas, Vince McMahon creates the WWF "Hardcore Championship" and awards it to Mankind (Mick Foley). Ironically, Mankind would hold the title for less than a month, and never win it back. Despite this, the Hardcore Title is often associated with Foley.
November 2, 1998

WWE announces settlement in the Owen Hart case.
November 2, 2000

David Hart Smith and Chris Masters were suspended by WWE for Wellness Policy violations. They were the first two workers to be named under the terms of the revised provision where Wellness Policy violators' names would be released to the public. Masters would later be released from the company.
November 2, 2007

source: pwinsider.com

July 5, 2012

This Day in Wrestling History


Stanislaus Zbyszko tells the Spokane Spokesman-Review that, "When I am more than sixty I will do my best wrestling."
July 5, 1925

Buddy Rogers & Handsome John Barend defeated Johnny Valentine & Cowboy Bob Ellis for the WWWF(WWE) Tag Team title.
July 5, 1962

Bret Hart makes first public appearance in wrestling on WCW Monday Nitro since his brother Owen's death. Hart says he is unsure if he will ever wrestle again.
July 5, 1999

June 12, 2012

Update on Martha Hart vs. The McMahons & WWE


WWE and The McMahons each filed separate motions to dismiss the lawsuit brought against them by Martha Hart and the Owen Hart Estate yesterday.

The latest version of Hart's lawsuit, trimmed down with of the allegations thrown out already, alleges:

*Owen Hart's name would have reverted back to his usage and his usage alone in his passing, so WWE does not have the right to use his legal name to use, market and promote that name in their materials and DVD releases.

*That WWE released eight DVDs and other materials, including the WWE Encylopedia without proper payments to Owen Hart's estate per his Booking Contract with Titan Sports, which required that royalty payments continue after his death, per the written contract Owen signed.

*WWE used original intellectual property, including family photos, without permission of Owen Hart's estate.

*That the Owen Hart Foundation has been hurt its unwanted association with WWE through their usage of Owen Hart video and material.

Attempts to settle the lawsuit, thus far, have been unsuccessful.

source: pwinsider.com

May 23, 2012

This Day in Wrestling History - Owen Hart Passes Away

Owen Hart died in a tragic fall during the WWF(E) PPV "Over the Edge"

May 23, 1999

May 13, 2012

ESPN anchor says he was held back due to WWE background


ESPN anchor Jonathan Coachman ("The Coach" in WWE) says he was held back by ESPN management due to his background as an on-air WWE commentator and wrestling heel prior to joining the sports network.

"It really held me back for a while. There were certain people (ESPN executives) that were fearful of some negative backlash that they hired a guy best known for wrestling," Coachman told the local newspaper in Hutchinson, Kansas. "It was frustrating. I knew where I should be, at and I knew where I wasn't. But I also knew the reason." Coach also talked about being in Kemper Arena when Owen Hart died at the Over the Edge 1999 PPV when he was a sports reporter for Kansas City's ABC affiliate...More?

source: hutchnews.com

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