Owen Hart was in the 1997 Royal Rumble, but he was eliminated. He didn't win it, obviously. This year, Steve Austin won the Royal Rumble, even though he was eliminated. The ref's didn't see that Austin was eliminated, so he snuck back into the ring and eliminated Owen's brother Bret to get the win.
A few months after the 1996 Survivor Series, Doug Furnas and Philip LaFon finally got a shot at the World Wrestling Federation Tag Team Belts, it was at the February 1997 edition of In Your House that was dubbed Final Four, because that night was the night when a new WWF Champion would be crowned as former WWF Champion had forfeited his belt due to injuries. Doug Furnas and Philip LaFon did not walk away with the Tag Team Belts, but they did win the match as a result of a disqualification. As we all know, a belt in the World Wrestling Federation can not change hands on a count out or a disqualification. Unless there is some type of stipulation beforehand.
Owen Hart and the British Bulldog were having problems as a Tag Team in the World Wrestling Federation, they were seemingly going to break up, especially with the European belt coming into play. The WWF introduced a new belt and during the month of February there was a tournament for that belt, and the Bulldog and Owen Hart got to the final round, and they had to wrestle each other for the belt on an edition of RAW called Thursday RAW Thursday. The Bulldog got the pin on Owen Hart, and he became the new European Champion.
The Tag Team of Bulldog and Owen was seemingly broken, but they weren't broken as a team. They remained being a Tag Team even though they were having problems. On a night where the Undertaker became the World Wrestling Federation Champion, on a night where Stone Cold was defeated by Bret Hart in a submission type match, it was Wrestlemania XIII. The British Bulldog and Owen Hart teamed up against Mankind and Vader, managed by one Paul Bearer. The match was declared a no contest.
The April 1997 In Your House came along, and the Tag Team Champions were set to defend against the Legion of Doom, and that they tried to do. During the match, Bret Hart came down to the ring and attacked the Legion of Doom giving the disqualification victory to the LOD. Being that a title can't change hands unless there is a pin fall or submission, still your Tag Team Champions were the British Bulldog and Owen Hart.
On an edition of RAW is WAR, Owen Hart was going against them Intercontinental Champion Rocky Maivia, and Owen Hart dedicated the match to his loving brother Bret Hart. Owen Hart wound up walking away with the Intercontinental Championship. The Harts reunited, and the Hart Foundation would soon be reformed.
Why exactly did the Hart Foundation reunite? Was it because the brothers finally put their differences behind them? Yes, in a way. The Hart brothers finally put all their differences behind them, and they went on a mission in the World Wrestling Federation to try to take Stone Cold Steve Austin out of action. Bret Hart as of late was having major problems with one Stone Cold Steve Austin. Austin even injured Bret so badly that he had to be put in a wheel chair. Now Austin was alone, and The Hart Foundation had 5 people to go against Austin. Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Jim Neidhart, The British Bulldog and tag along Brian Pillman. WeirdKevin feels that Brian Pillman was part of the Hart Foundation because he used to be a Tag Team with Austin in WCW, and the Hart Foundation were out to do away with Austin.
The May edition of In Your House in 1997 came along, and it was dubbed a Cold Day In Hell, because Stone Cold Steve Austin was getting a World Title shot at the Undertaker. The Hart Foundation reserved front row seats so they can be in the front row during this match, were they there to distract Stone Cold? Yes, they were. The Undertaker retained the World Wrestling Federation Championship, and after the match, The Hart Foundation came out of the crowd and started beating on the Undertaker and Austin.
The 1997 King of the ring was approaching, and Bret Hart was supposed to go against Shawn Michaels, but being that Bret Hart was injured, he couldn't go against one Shawn Michaels. Prior to the King Of The Ring, Shawn Michaels and Steve Austin were put together as a Tag Team, and they went against The Bulldog and Owen for the Tag Team Belts and they came out the victors and won the match and the Tag Team Championship. Austin and Shawn Michaels were doing ok as a team, but they couldn't get along, and it was all because of the Hart Foundation. The Hart Foundation were playing tricks on HBK and Austin causing friction between the Tag Team Champions. Being that Shawn Michaels didn't have an opponent anymore, because Bret was injured, he faced his own Tag Team Partner and Champion Steve Austin at the King Of The Ring. The match ended up being a brawl from hell and there was no winner. The Hart Foundation must have loved the fact that the guys trying to do away with the Hart Foundation were going at each other like no one's seen before. Owen Hart wrestled at the 1997 King Of The Ring with his partner Bulldog and the Anvil against the Legion of Doom and Sid. The match ended when Owen Hart pinned Sid with a sunset flip.
Shawn Michaels and Steve Austin broke apart as a Tag Team. Shawn Michaels decided that he could no longer wrestle with the World Wrestling Federation, and he took some time off to find himself. There was a Tag Team Tournament, and the winners of the Tournament would go against Steve Austin and a partner. Owen Hart and the British Bulldog won the Tournament and got a shot at Steve Austin and a partner, and Steve's partner was Dude Love. Steve Austin and Dude Love won the match and became the Tag Team Champions again, Owen and Bulldog were defeated.
The July 1997 edition of In Your House came along, and it was dubbed the Canadian Stampede, because the Hart Foundation were going against 5 American wrestlers in Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Legion of Doom, Goldust and Ken Shamrock. The Hart Foundation, Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Jim Neidhart, the Bulldog and Brian Pillman all won the match when Owen Hart pinned Steve Austin by hooking the tights.
Being that Owen Hart pinned Austin at the Canadian Stampede, Steve Austin didn't take it too well. Steve Austin challenged Owen Hart for his Intercontinental Belt at Summer Slam, and Steve Austin said that if he couldn't beat Owen Hart, he said that Owen can pull his little tights down, and Austin would kiss his ass if he couldn't kick it, and thats the way its gonna be. Steve Austin and Owen Hart went to Summer Slam to wrestle one on one, and that they did. The match came to an end when Owen Hart gave Steve Austin a piledriver and he hurt Austin's neck badly. Owen Hart showed mercy for Austin, and Austin was able to get a pin on Owen Hart winning the Intercontinental Championship.
Owen Hart and the British Bulldog were part of a Fatal Four Way Tag Team Championship match at the September's In Your House called Ground Zero. Owen Hart and the British Bulldog didn't win the match as Stone Cold Steve Austin came to the ring and gave Owen Hart the stunner, giving a Headbanger a chance to pin Owen Hart and win the match and the Tag Team Belts.
Being that Stone Cold Steve Austin was seriously injured at Summer Slam, he had to give up his Tag Team Championship belt, and his Intercontinental Championship. There was a tournament for the Intercontinental Belt, and the 2 final men would face at In Your House Badd Blood in October 1997. Owen Hart and Faarooq wound up getting to the final round. Steve Austin was at ring side during that match, and Austin helped Owen Hart win the match. Many people were wondering why Austin helped it, and it was because Austin wanted to get a hold of Owen Hart and his Intercontinental Title in one shot. Austin whacked Faarooq on the head with the belt, and Owen Hart pinned him winning the Intercontinental Championship.
Owen Hart went to the Survivor Series to defend his Intercontinental Championship against Stone Cold Steve Austin, and it was a short match. Steve Austin walked away with the Intercontinental Championship, and he got a bit of revenge on the Slammy Award winner. Austin got the stunner on Owen, and the Anvil when he tried to interject himself that night.
On that very same night, we saw the end of the Hart Foundation. Bret Hart was to go against Shawn Michaels, and the planned ending was to have a brawl and no winner. Bret Hart had said he was leaving the World Wrestling Federation to explore other options, which was fine, so Vince said that Bret Hart has to drop the World Wrestling Federation belt, but Bret Hart didn't want to do it in Canada, in his own back yard. Vince, Shawn and Bret agreed to end the match where there would be no winner, and Bret Hart would give a speech on RAW saying that he's leaving, and he'd give up the belt and such. Vince had other plans up his sleeve. During that match, Shawn Michaels put the Sharpshooter on Bret Hart, and as soon as he got it on, Vince told the timekeeper to ring the bell and stop the match. He also told the Ring announcer to announce a new WWF Champion in Shawn Michaels. Bret Hart was irate, he was leaving the WWF anyway, but Vince just screwed up his leaving on good terms. The Hart Foundation was over. There was no more Hart Foundation. Prior to the Survivor Series, Shawn Michaels defeated the Bulldog for the European belt. Brian Pillman had past away, and Jim Neidhart was made a fool of on RAW is WAR not too long after the Survivor Series.
Seemingly, Owen Hart and the rest of the Hart Foundation were gone from the WWF. In Your House Degeneration X came along, and Shawn Michaels was defending his World Wrestling Federation Title against Ken Shamrock, and he was disqualified because dX interfered in the match, then all of the sudden out of no where while Shawn Michaels was celebrating keeping his WWF title, Owen Hart attacked Shawn Michaels. Seemingly gone from the WWF, he popped out of no where.
Shawn Michaels and Degeneration X claimed that they flushed the Hart Foundation down the toilet. They did away with each member of the Hart Foundation, then Owen Hart floats back up to the top of the toilet. Degeneration X said that Owen Hart was a nugget. You know when someone takes a shit, and you get this one nugget that floats back up to the top of the toilet? Thats Owen Hart, the nugget. Owen Hart went onto the 1998 Royal Rumble to try to win the Rumble. Owen Hart wasn't able to win the rumble because Chyna of Degeneration X distracted him and caused him to get eliminated.
Owen Hart went to In Your House in February 1998 in an 8 man brawl with Steve Austin, Cactus Jack and Chainsaw Charlie against The New Age Outlaws, Triple H and Savio Vega. The team that Owen Hart was on won after Steve Austin gave the Road Dog the Stone Cold Stunner.
Owen Hart was headed to Wrestlemania to face Triple H for the European belt, but prior to Wrestlemania, Owen Hart was scheduled to wrestle Triple H on an edition of RAW is WAR for the European Belt, and Triple H was injured, so Goldust took his place and dressed up like and acted like Triple H. Sgt. Slaughter, the Commissioner of the World Wrestling Federation said that since Goldust was supposed to be Triple H, that he was the title holder. Goldust lost to Owen Hart and Owen won the European Championship. That didn't last like as Triple H came back and won the belt. Wrestlemania comes along, and Triple H wins the match with the help of Chyna, even though Chyna was cuffed to Slaughter!
Triple H and Owen Hart got involved in another match. This time, it was a totally different Degeneration X that you saw at Wrestlemania, and Chyna was hung above the ring inside of a cage. Owen Hart lost the match due to the fact that X-pac, a new member of Degeneration X interfered in the match, hitting Hart with a fire extinguisher. Triple H retained the European Championship.
Owen Hart got sick and tired of Degeneration X interfering in his matches, costing him belts, and just being there in general. Owen Hart allied himself with the Nation, and he stated that "Enough is Enough, and its time for a change." They went on to Over The Edge in May to go against Degeneration X in a six man tag. It was The New Age Outlaws, and Triple H against The Godfather, D'Lo Brown, and Owen Hart. This time, Owen Hart came out victorious with the Nation by his side.
Owen Hart went to the 1998 King Of The Ring to face a member of Degeneration X in X-Pac. X-Pac was the newest member of Degeneration X, and he was just coming back from a neck injury. X-Pac was in World Championship Wrestling for quite some time, so some of the newer wrestling fans may not know who this guy is, but he's got a great history in his career. Owen Hart wound back up on the losing end of Degeneration X at the King Of The Ring as X-Pac was able to defeat him.
Owen Hart then stopped facing Degeneration X and went on to face Ken Shamrock. Owen Hart let the Nation take care of his problems with Degeneration X. D'Lo Brown captured the European belt from Triple H, and defended against Triple H at Fully Loaded in July of 1998. Owen Hart was going against the 1998 King Of The Ring in a Dungeon match right in Owen Hart's fathers basement known as Stu's Dungeon. The special ref was Dan Severn. We all know that Dan Severn and Ken Shamrock have quite the history from their UFC days. It was a hard fought match, and Owen Hart won the match when Ken Shamrock "tapped out". Owen Hart knocked out Ken Shamrock and got some kind of weird hold on him, and Owen tapped Shamrock's hand on the floor, and Severn thought it was Ken tapping out, so he called for the bell.
Ken Shamrock knew that he got ripped off in the Dungeon match, so he challenged Owen Hart to a Lion's Den match. A match that Ken Shamrock was used to from his UFC days. It was a circle type ring with a cage around it. It wasn't exactly an octagon, it was similar but smaller. Ken Shamrock won that one when Owen Hart tapped out due to the fact that a Lion's Den Match was a submission only match.
Owen Hart went to the next pay per view called Breakdown to go against Edge. Edge was a new comer to the World Wrestling Federation and he's from Canada as well as Owen Hart. Owen Hart was able to defeat Edge as some mysterious man distracted Edge on the outside of the ring.
One week on RAW is WAR Owen Hart was going against Dan Severn, and Owen Hart gave Dan Severn a piledriver wrong, and seriously injured the neck of Severn. A year before this, Owen Hart gave the very same piledriver to Steve Austin, and he was put out of action for 4 months. Owen Hart didn't take it too lightly that he could have ended another man's career, so one week he came out and said that he is going to retire. He retired.
Owen Hart was retired, and out of no where came the Blue Blazer attacking the likes of Steve Blackman and Ken Shamrock. Everyone thought that the Blue Blazer was none other than Owen Hart, but week after week Owen Hart came out and tried to prove that it wasn't him. One week, Dan Severn called out Owen Hart face to face, and Owen wound up shoving Severn causing him to have to be taken out in an ambulance. Owen Hart was in the back, and Blackman came and attacked him, and the Blue Blazer came out and helped Owen Hart. Was that proof that Owen Hart wasn't the Blue Blazer? Many thought that it was proof enough.
One week on RAW is WAR, Steve Blackman came out and said that he was going to take the mask off of the Blue Blazer, and he did, and it turned out to be Owen Hart. Owen Hart was the Blue Blazer! Then after that, Steve Blackman was in a match, and Owen Hart was commentating and the Blue Blazer came out to attack Blackman, and Blackman took off the mask of that Blue Blazer, and it was Jeff Jarrett! Jeff Jarrett and Owen Hart played the parts of the Blue Blazers.
Owen Hart and Steve Blackman went one on one at Rock Bottom. Owen Hart wasn't able to beat Steve Blackman as Steve Blackman must have done something to Owen during the match causing him to walk out on the match. Owen Hart walked out and got counted out, he looked like he was hurt, and it looked pretty legit.
