Bret "the Hitman" Hart

NICKNAME: The Hitman
STATS 6'0, 234 pounds
HOMETOWN: Calgary, Alberta
BORN: July 2, 1957

"I’m the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be" booms a victorious pink and black clad giant from the wrestling ring upon pummeling a now cowering opponent into the mat one last time. This is a scene wrestling fans the world over have witnessed on countless occasions, much to the misfortune of adversaries of the man considered to be the world’s greatest wrestler: Bret "The Hitman" Hart. [BretHart.net]

[FROM GARY WILL'S WEBSITE] Most successful member of the Hart family, holding every major WWF belt. A 5-time WWF champion -- matching the record set by Hulk Hogan. Was calling himself the best pro wrestler in the world when few others would have agreed, but rose to the challenge and showed an amazing drive to "walk the talk." Never backed down from going head-to-head with acclaimed wrestlers like Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels, although his eagerness to trash those wrestlers publicly didn't win him many fans.

Indisputably one of the best North American wrestlers of the 1990s -- both in ring skills and popularity. And he became awesome with the microphone too. Was the wrestler who proved -- after the Hulk Hogan era -- that wrestlers didn't have to be huge monsters to be over with the audience.

Had his first pro match in 1974 at the age of 16.

Bret was the object of a huge bidding war between the WWF and WCW in 1996. Nearly went with WCW before accepting a 20-year deal with WWF. The deal only lasted a year before Bret left the WWF for WCW in one of the most acrimonious splits in memory.

He soon became the WCW heavyweight champion there.

Bret holds dual Canadian-American citizenship (their mother, Helen, is from the U.S.).

"The world's best technical wrestler."
"The best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be." (Bret Hart describing himself)

Prominent Titles:

• 2-time (at least) Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight champion (Calgary), 1978-79
• 5-time Stampede International tag champion, 1978-82
• 6-time Stampede North American champion, 1980-83
• 2-time WWF tag champion, with Jim Neidhardt, 1987, 1990-91
• 2-time WWF Intercontinental champion, 1991-92
• 2-time WWF King of the Ring champion, 1991,93
• 5-time WWF champion, 1992-97
• WWF Royal Rumble co-champion, 1994
• 4-time WCW U.S. champion, 1998-99
• Current WCW world champion, 1999
• WCW tag champion, with Goldberg, 1999
• WCW champion, 1999