Remember the 1995 King of the Ring? How can we forget? *LOL* The night of the infamous Kiss My Foot match, in which Jerry Lawler kissed not only Bret Hart's feet, but his own foot as well, after Bret shoved it into the King's mouth. For weeks prior to the match, Lawler had not washed his foot. He would dip it in horse maneur, and other tasteless substances to prepare it for Bret, but in the end, it was Lawler who got a taste of his own medicine! A picture paints 1000 words!
In perhaps the most historic night for the Hart Foundation, the underrated Owen Hart easily mowed through the overrated Rocky Maivia to secure the World Wrestling Federation Intercontinental belt which he had deserved for so long. With the inspiration of Pillman's prayers and his brother Bret with Davey Boy Smith at ringside, a true champion was crowned.
After Brian Pillman fought through a devastating blood bath with Stone Cold Steve Austin, the Hart Foundation's 5 opponents for In Your House: Canadian Stampede were named. The unlucky competitors were Goldust, Hawk, Animal, Ken Shamrock, led by Stone Cold Steve Austin. Despite Pillman's friendly warning, the 5 competitors crossed the border and entered the Hart Foundation's backyard. Needless to say, those 5 men were no match for the Harts who prevailled at the Canadian Stampede in Calgary, this past July.
This was the night it all started. Owen and Davey over the previous weeks had shown that despite the fact that they were WWF tag team champions, they could no longer co-exist. Owen wanted the bulldog's European title; a title he felt that he should have won in the first place. So on Monday Night RAW, a match was made between the brother-in-laws with the European gold on the line. The fight was so intense that the referee got knocked out, and Owen was about to use a chair on the Bulldog. Then, out of nowhere, Bret Hart darted into the ring and broke up the fight. He grabbed the mic, and told them that this is what the American wrestling fans wanted to see. They had their family fighting each other for years. The brother-in-laws realized what Bret meant and he was right. So despite the contempt shown by the crowd, the three men hugged each other and walked away together. The dynasty had just begun.
This was one of the most historic speeches of the year in the WWF. When Bret returned to the WWF in November of 1996, his goal was to be a role model. To play by the rules, and to give the people a hero to look up to and respect. Day in and day out, he would work his ass off, but the majority of fans in America showed no appreciation whatsoever for his hard work and dedication to the sport. In an era of the anti-hero, where blood-thirsty fans cheer on rulebreakers, those fans had literally turned their backs on the Hitman. So, the night after Wrestlemania 13, Bret apologized to his millions of fans across Canada, Germany, the U.K., South Africa, India, the Middle East and all over the world, but it was time for a change of attitude. Time to fight fire with fire. Time to throw the rulebook out the window because there were no rules in the WWF. Time to teach that group of fans the meaning of the word "respect". And through thick and through thin, Bret's fans across the globe in the rest of the world have not lost an ounce of respect for the Excellence of Execution.
Remember this past March in Germany, when Davey Boy Smith was crowned the first prestigious World Wrestling Federation European Champion? After mowing through Vader and Mankind in the previous matches leading up to the finals, the Bulldog and Owen Hart put on a spectacular match that will be remembered for years. There truly were no losers at the end of that match, as the two brother-in-laws shook hands after their hard-fought efforts. The British Bulldog goes down in history as the the first World Wrestling Federation European Champion.
Remember the night on RAW where Jim 'The Anvil' Neidhart made his long awaited return to the WWF? After Stone Cold Steve Austin stalked a crippled Bret Hart, Neidhart appeared out of nowhere and viciously attacked Austin. Bret would then nail Austin with his crutch, sending him down a highly elevated ramp which led to a cold hard concrete floor. The Pink and Black Attack was finally back, and the Hart Foundation have reigned supreme ever since.
Remember the 1994 King of the Ring tournament where the very deserving Owen Hart was crowned the King of Harts? After destroying Mo from Men on a Mission in his KOTR Qualifying match on WWF Superstars, Owen advanced into the tournament. In one night he defeated Tatanka, 1-2-3 Kid, and Razor Ramon to win the crown. With the powerhouse Jim 'The Anvil' Neidhart by his side, the King of Harts was born!
Remember the night on RAW when Brian Pillman, fresh from his vicious attack on Stone Cold Steve Austin the week before, revealed his alliance with the Hart Foundation and prayed throughout the entire show during different segments. He prayed for Bret to arrive to the arena safely, for Owen to win the IC belt from Rocky Maivia, for Bulldog to cripple the Undertaker, and for Steve Austin to leave the building in an ambulance, and when the night was over, it all happened.
