[WWW] Don Callis column Hart's legacy all locked up

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Hart's legacy all locked up

By DON 'Cyrus' CALLIS -- For SLAM! Wrestling

Stu Hart, the legendary patriarch of the Hart family, died this past
week from complications after being admitted to hospital for
pneumonia. He was 88.

Stu Hart was a wrestling legend, but more than that, he was a Canadian
legend and an Alberta institution. How many other wrestling people
have ever been admitted to the Order of Canada? None. Who has had more
influence on Canadian wrestling and wrestlers in general than Stu
Hart? Nobody. In Canada we seem to play down our accomplishments and
don't like to elevate our heroes to legendary status, but Stu Hart is
a legend if there ever was one.

I first had the pleasure of meeting Stu on a trip to Germany that had
been organized by the Hart brothers, mainly Bruce and Keith. It was an
awesome trip, four weeks in Europe wrestling in front of hot crowds
and hanging out with my friends, Gerry Morrow, Gama Singh, Jason
Anderson and Bad News Allen. But I have to say that the best part of
the entire trip was getting to meet Stu Hart, who came along acting as
a wrestling emissary, and receiving an award for lifelong achievement
in one of the big cities we wrestled in.

I will confess to being quite in awe of Stu, whom I had heard so many
stories about, including how he liked to get a hold of young wresters
and put them in painful holds just to see if they could handle it.
Well Stu's eyes lit up when he heard that I was from Winnipeg because
a shooter friend of his, George Gordienko, was also from my hometown.
I was treated to a long story about George and other shooters, which
meant that I was in absolute heaven. You see, I love nothing better
than listening to great old stories about the glory days of the
business, and who better to give you that valuable knowledge than Stu
Hart?

The funny thing was that Stu's late wife Helen (a super lady) would
always pop around the table where Stu was talking to me, and tell Stu
to leave me alone and that I "didn't want to hear all those old
stories." I would then beg her to let me hang out for one more story.
This routine went on every morning, and I looked forward to it.

The other thing that I think we all must remember is the debt that we
owe Stu in terms of being Canadians in the wrestling business. Go to
the States as a Canadian wrestler and someone will invariably ask you
about Stu or Stampede Wrestling, the promotion he made famous. It gave
you that extra credibility with folks that you had wrestled in Canada,
even if, like me, you never met Stu until four years into your career.

His territory, Stampede Wrestling, was the proving ground for many top
stars and was revolutionary at the time for the style it employed,
utilizing Japanese and Mexican styles and producing some of the best
wrestlers of the modern era, including Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Dynamite
Kid, Chris Benoit and Davey Boy Smith, to name just a few. Stu's
wrestling school also went on to train some of the big current stars
such as Chris Jericho and Lance Storm, and his son Bret continued
Stu's legacy of helping young Canadian wrestlers when he helped make
the careers of Test, Christian, Edge and myself.

Stu Hart was a name that was Canadian wrestling and at the same time
transcended it. He was a former Edmonton Eskimo, a great amateur
wrestler and one of the legit toughest men ever in the industry.
Despite having the tough reputation, he was loved and admired by
everyone who came into contact with him and had a positive affect on
many lives. He was a great father and grandfather and will be sorely
missed by everyone.