Things WWE Fans Should Know About Owen Hart’s Death

Everyone who has ever entered the wrestling business knows full well that they are putting their body, and even their life at risk every time they go to the ring. That being said, the events of May 23, 1999 – the eerily named WWE Over The Edge show could have been prevented in one very major way. The stunt that claimed Owen Hart’s life was a needless one that didn’t have to happen at all.

The death of Owen Hart doesn’t necessarily remain a mystery. But it does remain a fascinating subject for fans all over the world. The tragedy could have been avoided, to be sure. Because of this, the final days of Owen Hart will forever be dissected.

Owen’s Final Words To Oje

He Couldn’t Have Known His Fate, Could He?

• Owen married Martha Joan Patterson in 1989 and they were married until Owen’s death.
• Martha, like Owen, had a huge family; 10 siblings – her and Owen were the youngest of their families.
• The King Of Harts left behind a son, Oje, and a daughter – Athena.

It was probably just something plenty of fathers say to their children before leaving the house – especially fathers to sons. When Owen left Calgary for Kansas City, he said goodbye to his family and told his son Oje to take care of his mother and sister while he was away. Of course, young Oje thought nothing of those words until after Owen was gone. Oje has followed his father’s wishes ever since.

The Rigging Team

Why Do A Good Job When You Can Do A Cheap Job?

• In order to save a few bucks, WWE decided to not use the rigging team that worked with Sting.
• The carabiner that held Owen was not meant for any human, much less a 230 pound man.
• The rigging was designed to be a quick release.

Six pounds of pressure – that’s all the tiny little clip needed to release whatever load it was holding. On May 23, 1999, that load was Owen Hart. Despite being used by WCW just about every night for Sting, WWE opted to use a different team of riggers for the stunt. The company was still no slouch and, according to Martha, had done rigs for the likes of Elton John. The WWE, unfortunately, should have hired the best team instead of a different one.

Owen Seemed Uneasy All Day

A Promoter’s Kid Wouldn’t Want To Say No To The Promoter

• Owen’s ribs are legendary stories now handed down like folklore.
• He ribbed Stu Hart, having him believe Owen was famed belt maker Reggie Parks challenging him to a fight.
• Another rib saw Owen send all of Henry Godwinn’s pigs into Vince’s office.

During The Final Days Of Owen Hart episode of Dark Side of the Ring, Jim Ross details Owen’s demeanor that day. It wasn’t his usual jovial mode. Owen was either getting in the zone for the stunt or was feeling completely uneasy about it. However, doing the stunt or anything for that matter isn’t something Owen would have said no to. While he would say no to certain bookings to spend some quality family time with his own, once he was at work, he was a hard-working company man.

Owen’s Final Words

Looking Out For Others Until The Tragic End

• Martha Hart has a movie blog in association with The Monaco International Film Festival.
• Her career is a researcher at the University Of Calgary Alberta’s Children’s Hospital.
• She established The Owen Hart Foundation in 2000 to present scholarships to underprivileged and deserving kids.

The King Of Harts was always looking out for his fellow friends and locker room brothers. In his final moments, he was still thinking of them. In theory, landing on referee Jimmy Korderas might have actually saved Owen’s life (and injured Korderas). But Owen instead thought it better to avoid landing on his friend and screamed “look out!” Or at least that’s what Korderas thought he heard as Owen fell.

Kansas City PD Didn’t Stop The Show

Perhaps The Biggest Looming Question Of All

• The stunt had been done at several events prior to Over The Edge 1999.
• Jim Ross only had ten seconds to tell fans that Owen Hart had died.
• Over The Edge 1999 is on Peacock/WWE Network, with all references to Owen removed.

As with many showbiz entities, there is an old notion that “the show must go on.” That clearly means that even after Owen Hart tragically died, WWE made the very controversial decision to go on with the show.

The controversial decision was even more so when you realize, as Martha Hart explained during the Dark Side episode, that the Kansas authorities, for some unknown reason, didn’t bother stopping the show. A show that was happening right on top of the scene of an accident or a crime. The rest of the evening took place over a blood-stained mat and wooden boards that Owen’s body smashed when he had fallen.

And Will Likely Be Never Shown To The Public

• Thankfully, a pre-recorded promo was airing when the accident happened.
• Jerry Lawler has described the incident in several interviews.
• The King headed right for the ring to check on Owen and declared on-air, “it doesn’t look good at all.”

Coincidentally, as Owen was descending and then tragically falling and dying, the viewers at home and in the arena had their eyes fixed on a pre-taped interview. A pretty funny one at that too – Owen, as the Blue Blazer telling everyone how The Godfather was making his “blue blood boil”. But in the ring, Jerry Lawley looked up in time to bear witness. The WWE cameras were rolling as well as the team are instructed to always film everything. If the footage still exists, there is a very good chance that no one in WWE will ever release it to the public.

Martha Needed To See

Martha Hart’s Resolve Knows No Bounds

• Jeff Jarrett and Harley Race were at the hospital waiting and praying for good news.
• Martha Hart finally told her story to wrestling fans on Dark Side Of The Ring.
• In order to participate, the creators of the show had to answer a series of questions Martha had sent to them.

Martha Hart met Owen when she was just 15 and the two began dating. As seen on Dark Side Of The Ring and their home videos, family was everything to Owen, and he wasn’t planning on being a wrestler for life. After the tragedy, Martha, of course, was completely devastated – her world was shattered. But she took the time to collect herself and steel her resolve. She traveled to The Kemper Arena not just to see the site where Owen died, but to walk up to the very catwalk Owen was on moments before he fell and understand the level of risk he took that night. The Dark Side episode is as much about the impeccable and indominatable will of Dr. Martha Hart as much as it about celebrating her late husband’s life.

Martha Asked The Harts To Stay Out Of Her Way

She Knew The Family Had Deep Ties To WWE

• It took 33 minutes from Owen’s fall until he was declared dead.
• The impact of his fall severed his aorta, bleeding to death internally.
• Over 300 wrestlers arrived in Calgary for The Rocket’s funeral.

Shockingly, WWE sued Martha for breaching Owen’s contract. All in an attempt to draw out the lawsuit process. Vince wanted the case moved to Connecticut because punitive damage payout laws in Kansas City were bigger than in Connecticut. Martha had to fight her battle not just on those two fronts, but on a third – her own in-laws. Martha wanted justice for Owen and wanted WWE to be held accountable. She didn’t ask for support from her in-laws because she knew the familial relations between the Harts and McMahons.

A Lot Of Harts Didn’t Listen

Some Harts Hoped To Be Hired By WWE

• WWE settled with Martha For $18 million.
• In Bret Hart’s old Calgary Sun column, The Hitman criticized WWE, asking if this kind of stunt was necessary.
• Fans were disgusted that WWE continued on with the show.

Martha asked the entire family not to stand against her as she fought for their brother’s justice. But some of her own family, still grieving over Owen, were angling for jobs too.

They actually handed WWE Martha’s playbook for the lawsuit in hopes of future bookings. Yes, some members of The Hart family seemingly cared more about the mere possibility of getting booked than getting justice for Owen.

Why Owen Will Never Be In The WWE Hall Of Fame

Fans Can Still Honor Him In Other Ways

• During his own induction, Mark Henry made an impassioned plea to Owen’s family to let him get inducted.
• Aside from WWE, Owen has been inducted into several Halls Of Fame.
• Thanks to Chris Jericho, Martha partnered up with AEW for the Owen Hart Tournament.

Throughout the wrestling world, both fans, wrestlers, and Harts all would agree that Owen, both in and out of the ring, was the best of the family. He is certainly deserving of any accolade that are bestowed upon him. But being in the WWE Hall Of Fame is not in the cards, nor will it ever be. Martha, along with their children Oje and Athena, want nothing to do with WWE and refuse to allow the company to put Owen’s name on a plaque.