Hart Foundation facts for kids

Hart Foundation logo used during the stable era in 1997

The Hart Foundation is a famous name in professional wrestling. It refers to different groups of wrestlers, mostly from the Hart wrestling family or their close friends. The first group started in 1985 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), which is now called WWE. It featured Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart, who were brothers-in-law. They were managed by Jimmy Hart (no relation to the family). This team won the WWF Tag Team Championship twice. Many people consider the original Hart Foundation one of the best tag teams ever.

Over the years, other groups used the "Hart Foundation" name. The New Foundation was a short-lived team in 1991 with Jim Neidhart and Bret's younger brother, Owen Hart. They also teamed up again in 1994. In 1997, a bigger group (called a stable) formed. It included Bret, Owen, Jim Neidhart, Davey Boy Smith, and Brian Pillman. This group was known for being pro-Canadian and anti-American. They held all the major championships in the WWF at that time.

Later, other family members like Teddy Hart and Davey Boy Smith Jr. also used the name. In 2007, a group called the Next Generation Hart Foundation formed in WWE's training territory, Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW). Members included Teddy Hart, David Hart Smith, Natalya, and Tyson Kidd. David Hart Smith and Tyson Kidd later became The Hart Dynasty in WWE, winning the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship.

Quick facts for kids The Hart Foundation
Bret Hart (left) and Jim Neidhart (right), circa 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 Original Hart Foundation (1985-1991)

The first Hart Foundation started in 1985. Jim Neidhart, known as "The Anvil," joined his brother-in-law, Bret Hart, "The Hitman." They became a villainous tag team. Bret suggested teaming with Neidhart to WWF management. He wanted to be a villain instead of 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.

Early Matches and First Championship

The Hart Foundation first appeared on a pay-per-view at WrestleMania 2 in 1986. They were in a big 20-man battle royal. They became a strong team by feuding with The Killer Bees.

In early 1987, they started fighting Tag Team Champions The British Bulldogs. On February 7, 1987, the Harts won their first WWF Tag Team Championship. The referee, Dangerous Danny Davis, helped them win. Danny Davis then joined the Hart Foundation. They defended their title at WrestleMania III in a six-man tag team match. They teamed with Davis against the British Bulldogs and Tito Santana. Davis pinned Davey Boy Smith to win the match for the Hart Foundation.

On October 27, 1987, the Hart Foundation lost their title to Strike Force (Rick Martel and Tito Santana). Neidhart gave up in a Boston crab hold. The Hart Foundation claimed they were cheated. They faced Strike Force again at Survivor Series in a big elimination match. The feud ended when they lost to Strike Force again on February 5, 1988.

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 joined Bret in this feud, causing a split with manager Jimmy Hart. The Hart Foundation then became full fan favorites.

In the summer of 1988, they challenged WWF Tag Team Champions Demolition. At the first SummerSlam in August 1988, they lost to Demolition. Jimmy Hart was even managing Demolition during this match. Later, Jimmy Hart signed The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers, who claimed part of the Hart Foundation's contract. The Hart Foundation then teamed with Jim Duggan to defeat the Rougeaus and Dino Bravo at the Royal Rumble in 1989.

The Hart Foundation continued to feud with wrestlers managed by Jimmy Hart. At WrestleMania V, they defeated Rhythm and Blues. They also had many matches against The Rockers (Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty). These matches often ended in draws.

Second Championship and Split

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

During their second title reign, the Harts faced the Rockers again. On October 30, 1990, the Rockers actually defeated the Hart Foundation to win the title. However, WWE never officially recognized the Rockers as champions. The match had a broken top rope, which caused problems. The title was given back to the Hart Foundation.

The Hart Foundation's second title reign ended at WrestleMania VII. They lost to The Nasty Boys, who were managed by Jimmy Hart at the time. After WrestleMania VII, the Hart Foundation split up. Bret Hart 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

After the original Hart Foundation split, Jim Neidhart and Bret's younger brother, Owen Hart, formed a new team. This happened in November 1991. Neidhart had been attacked by The Beverly Brothers. Owen Hart joined him to get revenge.

They called themselves The New Foundation. Owen was nicknamed "The Rocket." They were known for their colorful outfits. Their first rivals were the Beverly Brothers. They also wrestled The Nasty Boys and The Natural Disasters. Their only pay-per-view match was at the 1992 Royal Rumble, where they won. Owen Hart then wrestled alone as Neidhart left the company.

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. Jim Neidhart helped Owen win the King of the Ring tournament. They teamed up regularly in 1994, feuding with Bret and Davey Boy Smith. The team broke up when Neidhart left the WWF again in late 1994.

Jim Neidhart later teamed with The Blue Meanie under the New Foundation name in 2000. They won the first Tag Team Championship in Memphis Championship Wrestling (MCW).

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 teamed up. They 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 bigger group. This happened after WrestleMania 13, where Bret Hart defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin. During that match, Austin became a fan favorite, and Hart became a villain. After this, Bret reunited with Jim Neidhart and brought in Owen Hart, The British Bulldog (Davey Boy Smith), and Brian Pillman.

This group was very popular in Canada and the United Kingdom. They would often bring Canadian and British flags to their matches. They would also talk about how much they disliked the United States. This made them very unpopular in the U.S. but loved in Canada. Their main rivals were Stone Cold 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 group was very successful. They held every championship available in the WWF at that time. This included the WWF Championship, Intercontinental Championship, European Championship, and Tag Team Championship.

On October 5, 1997, Brian Pillman passed away due to an undetected heart condition. A month later, at the Survivor Series, Bret Hart lost the WWF Championship to Shawn Michaels in a controversial match known as the "Montreal Screwjob." After this event, the Hart Foundation broke up. Jim Neidhart and Davey Boy Smith left the WWF. Owen Hart stayed with the company.

The Hart Foundation (1997 incarnation) 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

In 2003, Bret Hart's oldest nephew, Teddy Hart, teamed with Jack Evans. They wrestled as the Hart Foundation 2003 in Ring of Honor (ROH). They later 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. Evans and Hart also wrestled as The Hart Foundation 2.0 in Mexico's AAA from 2007 to 2009.

Hart Foundation 2.0 accomplishments

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

Next Generation Hart Foundation

The name "Next Generation Hart Foundation" was first used by Teddy Hart and Jack Evans between 2003 and 2005.

In 2007, WWE started a new training territory called Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW). David Hart Smith, Natalya, and Teddy Hart were sent there. They formed the Next Generation Hart Foundation. Tyson Kidd and Ted DiBiase Jr. later joined them.

David Hart Smith won the first Southern Heavyweight Championship in FCW. Plans were made to bring the group to WWE's main shows. However, Teddy Hart left the company. David Hart Smith and Tyson Kidd, with Natalya's help, 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

The Hart Dynasty was a group in WWE from 2008 to 2010. It included the tag team of Tyson Kidd and David Hart Smith. Natalya was their manager and also wrestled. Sometimes, Bret Hart, Natalya and David's uncle, would manage 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

In 2018, a new Hart Foundation group formed in Major League Wrestling. Its 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 of the Hart Foundation

In 2002, Teddy Hart formed a team in Stampede Wrestling with his cousin Harry Smith, TJ Wilson, Nattie Neidhart, and Jack Evans. 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