Hart Foundation facts for kids

The Hart Foundation logo from 1997.

The Hart Foundation is a name used by several groups of professional wrestlers. These groups were mostly made up of members and close friends of the Hart wrestling family. The name first started in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1985. The original Hart Foundation included brothers-in-law Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart.

Their manager was Jimmy Hart (who was not related to them). This team won the WWF Tag Team Championship two times. Many people in wrestling history consider the first Hart Foundation to be one of the best tag teams ever.

Later, other groups used the name. The New Foundation was a short-lived team in 1991 with Neidhart and Owen Hart, Bret's younger brother. They also teamed up again in 1994.

In 1997, the Hart Foundation reformed as a bigger group called a "stable." This group included Bret, Owen, Neidhart, Davey Boy Smith, and Brian Pillman. They were known for being pro-Canadian and anti-American. They held all the major WWF championships at that time.

Since the early 2000s, Bret and Owen's nephew Teddy Hart has used the Hart Foundation name with his friend Jack Evans. In 2007, a new generation of Harts formed a stable called the Next Generation Hart Foundation. This group included Teddy, David Hart Smith, Natalya, and Tyson Kidd.

The Original Hart Foundation (1985-1991)

Quick facts for kids The Hart Foundation
Bret Hart (left) and Jim Neidhart (right), around 1987.
Tag team
Members	Bret Hart Jim Neidhart Jimmy Hart (Manager)
Name(s)	The Hart Foundation
Combined weight	515 lb (234 kg; 36.8 st)
Debut	1985
Disbanded	1991

The first Hart Foundation started in 1985. Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart and Bret "Hitman" Hart joined forces. They were a "villain" tag team, meaning they were the bad guys in wrestling. Bret suggested the team to WWF management. He wanted to team with Neidhart instead of being a "Cowboy" character.

The name "Hart Foundation" was already used for wrestlers managed by Jimmy Hart. But soon, it became known only for Bret, Jim, and their manager. All three had "Hart" in their names.

The Hart Foundation first appeared on a big show at WrestleMania 2 in 1986. They were in a large "battle royal" match. They were the last two wrestlers eliminated by André the Giant. The team became more popular by feuding with other teams like The Killer Bees.

First Championship Win

The Hart Foundation started a rivalry with the Tag Team Champions, The British Bulldogs. On February 7, 1987, the Harts defeated the Bulldogs to win their first WWF Tag Team Championship. The referee, Dangerous Danny Davis, helped the Harts win. After this, Davis joined the Hart Foundation.

They defended their title against Tito Santana and "Golden Boy" Danny Spivey. Danny Davis helped them win again by hitting Santana with Jimmy Hart's megaphone. Santana then joined the British Bulldogs to fight the Hart Foundation. This big rivalry ended at WrestleMania III. The Foundation and Davis won a six-man tag team match against the Bulldogs and Santana.

On October 27, the Hart Foundation lost their title to Strike Force (Rick Martel and Tito Santana). Their reign as champions lasted for 10 months. The Hart Foundation claimed they were cheated. They faced Strike Force again at Survivor Series in a big elimination match.

Becoming Fan Favorites

Bret Hart slowly started to become a "fan favorite" in 1988. At WrestleMania IV, Bret was double-crossed by Bad News Brown in a battle royal. Bret then attacked Brown, which made fans cheer for him. Jim Neidhart eventually joined Bret, and they stopped being managed by Jimmy Hart. This made the Hart Foundation fully fan favorites.

In the summer of 1988, they began a rivalry with the WWF Tag Team Champions, Demolition. At the first SummerSlam, they challenged Demolition for the title but lost. Jimmy Hart, their former manager, was helping Demolition.

The Hart Foundation continued to fight wrestlers managed by Jimmy Hart. At WrestleMania V, they defeated Rhythm and Blues. In late 1989, Bret and Neidhart briefly wrestled as single competitors. But they soon reunited and had many matches against The Rockers (Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty).

Second Championship Win

At SummerSlam 90, the Hart Foundation faced Demolition for the tag team title. It was a "two out of three falls" match. The Hart Foundation won their second WWF Tag Team Championship.

Their second title reign ended at WrestleMania VII. They were defeated by The Nasty Boys (Jerry Sags and Brian Knobs). Jimmy Hart was managing the Nasty Boys at this time. After this, the Hart Foundation split up. Bret then focused on his career as a single wrestler.

The Hart Foundation Accomplishments

• Canadian Pro-Wrestling Hall of Fame
  • Class of 2022
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • Ranked No. 37 of the top 100 tag teams of the PWI Years (2003)
• World Wrestling Federation/WWE
  • WWF Tag Team Championship (2 times)
  • WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2019)

The New Foundation (1991-1994)

After the original Hart Foundation broke up, Jim Neidhart had a tough time as a single wrestler. In November 1991, he was attacked by The Beverly Brothers. When Neidhart returned, he had help from Bret's younger brother, Owen Hart. They formed a new team called The New Foundation. Owen was nicknamed "The Rocket." They were known for their unique parachute pants and bright jackets.

Their first rivalry was with the Beverly Brothers. They also faced teams like The Nasty Boys. The New Foundation had their only pay-per-view match at the 1992 Royal Rumble. They defeated The Orient Express. Soon after, Owen Hart was on his own as Neidhart left the WWF.

Owen and Jim reunited in 1994. This time, they were "villains" and did not use the New Foundation name. Owen had turned against his brother Bret earlier that year. Jim Neidhart helped Owen win the King of the Ring tournament. Owen then called himself the "King of Harts." They teamed up regularly in 1994, fighting against Bret and Davey Boy Smith.

The team broke up when Neidhart left the WWF in late 1994. Owen continued wrestling and won two tag team titles with Yokozuna. Later, Jim Neidhart and The Blue Meanie teamed up as the New Foundation in Memphis Championship Wrestling (MCW) in 2000. They became the first Tag Team Champions there.

The New Foundation Accomplishments

• World Wrestling Federation
  • King of the Ring (1994) – Owen Hart
• Memphis Championship Wrestling
  • MCW Southern Tag Team Championship (1 time) – The Blue Meanie and Jim Neidhart

The Hart Family (1993)

At the 1993 Survivor Series, Bret Hart and his brothers Keith, Bruce, and Owen faced Shawn Michaels and his three masked knights. The Hart brothers won the match. However, Owen was eliminated, and this led to a long rivalry between Bret and Owen.

The Hart Foundation (1997)

In 1997, the Hart Foundation formed again as a "stable." This group was pro-Canadian and British, and anti-American. It started after WrestleMania 13, where Bret Hart became a "villain" and his opponent, Stone Cold Steve Austin, became a "fan favorite." Bret reunited with Jim Neidhart and brought in Owen Hart, The British Bulldog (Davey Boy Smith), and Brian Pillman.

This stable often carried the Canadian and British flags. They wore motorcycle jackets with the Hart Foundation logo. They would speak negatively about the United States, which made them very popular in Canada and the UK, but unpopular in the US. Their main rivals were Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels.

At Canadian Stampede, the Hart Foundation won a big 10-man tag team match. The entire Hart family came into the ring to celebrate. The stable was very successful. They held every championship available in the WWF at that time. These included the WWF Championship, Intercontinental Championship, European Championship, and Tag Team Championship.

Brian Pillman passed away on October 5, 1997. A month later, at the Survivor Series, Bret lost the WWF Championship to Shawn Michaels in a controversial match. After this, the Hart Foundation stable broke up. Neidhart and Smith left the WWF, but Owen stayed.

The Hart Foundation (1997) Accomplishments

• World Wrestling Federation
  • WWF Championship (1 time) – Bret Hart
  • WWF European Championship (1 time) – The British Bulldog
  • WWF Intercontinental Championship (2 times) – Owen Hart
  • WWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – Owen Hart and the British Bulldog
• Wrestling Observer Newsletter
  • Feud of the Year (1997) The Hart Foundation vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin

Hart Foundation 2.0 (2003-2009)

Teddy Hart and Jack Evans wrestled as the Hart Foundation 2.0 starting in 2003. They participated in matches for promotions like Ring of Honor (ROH). Later, Hart, Evans, and others reformed the group in Major League Wrestling.

In 2005, Teddy Hart and Jack Evans won the JAPW Tag Team Championship in Jersey All Pro Wrestling (JAPW). They held the title for about four months. They also wrestled as The Hart Foundation 2.0 in Mexico's AAA starting in 2007.

Hart Foundation 2.0 Accomplishments

• Jersey All Pro Wrestling
  • JAPW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – Teddy Hart and Jack Evans

Next Generation Hart Foundation (2007-2008)

The name "Next Generation Hart Foundation" was first used by Teddy Hart and Jack Evans in the early 2000s.

In 2007, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) started a new training territory called Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW). David Hart Smith, Nattie Neidhart, and Teddy Hart moved there. They formed a group called the Next Generation Hart Foundation. TJ Wilson and Ted DiBiase, Jr later joined them.

David Hart Smith won a battle royal to become FCW's first Southern Heavyweight Champion. Plans were made to bring the group to WWE's main shows. However, Teddy Hart left the company. Eventually, DiBiase, Neidhart (now called Natalya), and Smith were called up to the main roster.

Smith later returned to FCW and reformed the stable with TJ Wilson. With Natalya's help, they won the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship in 2008.

Next Generation Hart Foundation Accomplishments

• Florida Championship Wrestling
  • FCW Southern Heavyweight Championship (2 times) – DH Smith (1), TJ Wilson (1)
  • FCW Florida Tag Team Championship (1 time) – DH Smith and TJ Wilson

The Hart Dynasty (2008-2010)

The Hart Dynasty was a group in World Wrestling Entertainment from 2008 to 2010. The main members were the tag team of Tyson Kidd and David Hart Smith. Natalya was their manager and also wrestled. Sometimes, Natalya and David's uncle, Bret Hart, also managed them after he returned to WWE in 2010.

The Hart Dynasty Accomplishments

• World Wrestling Entertainment
  • World Tag Team Championship (1 time, final reign) – David Hart Smith and Tyson Kidd
  • WWE Tag Team Championship (1 time) – David Hart Smith and Tyson Kidd
  • WWE United States Championship (1 time) – Bret Hart
  • WWE Divas Championship (1 time) – Natalya
  • WWE SmackDown Women's Championship (1 time) – Natalya
  • WWE Women's Tag Team Championship (1 time) – Natalya with Tamina

New Era Hart Foundation (2018-Present)

In 2018, a new Hart Foundation group was formed in Major League Wrestling. The members were Teddy Hart, Davey Boy Smith Jr. (Harry Smith), and Brian Pillman Jr.. In 2019, Kenny "Gorilla Blanco" Lester also became an official member.

New Era Hart Foundation Accomplishments

• Major League Wrestling
  • MLW World Middleweight Championship (1 time) – Teddy Hart
  • MLW World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – Teddy Hart, Davey Boy Smith Jr, and Brian Pillman Jr

Other Versions

In 2002, Teddy Hart formed a team with his cousin Harry Smith, TJ Wilson, Nattie Neidhart, and Jack Evans in Stampede Wrestling. In 2013, Jim Neidhart and Harry Smith wrestled together under the Hart Foundation name for an independent wrestling company.

Timeline

Original group

Later iterations

See also

In Spanish: The Hart Foundation para niños

• Owen Hart Foundation