Bret Hart's pro wrestling education began at a young age. He was hooked from the start.
Wrestling was a constant presence as he grew up in Calgary and set out on a sports entertainment path. It was a journey that led him to a Hall of Fame career in the World Wrestling Federation, worldwide stardom and now an induction into Canada's Walk of Fame.
Of the many accolades he has received, Hart said he's proud of this latest distinction for its national flavour.
"This is a little bit different in the sense that you're being honoured across Canada by Canadians as a Canadian," Hart said.
The Class of 2021 also includes actors Keanu Reeves and Graham Greene, retired Lt.-Gen. Romeo Dallaire, musician Bruce Cockburn, singer-songwriter Jully Black, Olympic decathlon champion Damian Warner and the late blues artist Salome Bey.
Rounding out the list are Cargojet CEO Ajay Virmani and the University of Toronto scientists who discovered insulin: Frederick Banting, Charles Best, John Macleod and James Collip.
The inductees were first announced in early October. Musician Serena Ryder and NFL player Laurent Duvernay-Tardif were also honoured with special awards this month at a Walk of Fame gala in Toronto.
This year's television special, "Celebrating Greatness: Canada's Walk of Fame" is scheduled to air Friday night on CTV.
The eighth child of wrestling patriarch Stu Hart and his wife Helen, Bret Hart grew up in a household with seven brothers and four sisters.
As a young boy, Hart would often pretend his eating utensils were wrestlers. He'd fill notepads with drawings of wrestlers. Hart would also watch as his father trained grapplers in the basement of the family home.
It wasn't long before Hart was play-wrestling with his brothers and other kids on the grass outside the Victoria Pavilion where his father ran regular Stampede Wrestling shows.
Hart would later sell programs at the arena before sitting behind the timekeeper for a wide-eyed ringside view of the action. He called it a 15-year mat education before his own entry into the squared circle.
"Wrestling was everywhere," Hart told The Canadian Press. "Wrestling was such a big part of my life and it shows. I think that's why I was as good as I was. I was really a great fan first."
Hart joined Stampede in 1978 and honed his craft there before incorporating different styles from his travels to various territories around the world. He gained international success after the WWF (now WWE) acquired the promotion in 1984.
Nicknamed "The Hitman," Hart said he was "totally under the radar" at the start of his run with the company.
In an era where over-the-top muscle-bound physiques were the rage, the leaner Hart used speed, ring smarts and precision to his advantage.
He focused on his impressive technical skills, displayed a strong work ethic and could improvise as needed. Hart would deliver matches that were action-packed with high quality.
It was a style that won fans over and he eventually held a variety of belts in the WWF, including the world title in 1992.
"I loved that I turned wrestling back into wrestling," Hart said from Calgary. "It wasn't about how big you were or how big your arms were. It was about how good you were as a wrestler."
Hart moved to World Championship Wrestling in 1997 and won titles in that promotion as well before retiring in 2000 after a career-ending concussion.
"I always tried really hard to just give the best match I could and just tell the best story I could," he said.
Three matches in particular stick out to Hart when he looks back on his stellar career.
They include a Wembley Stadium bout against the British Bulldog in 1992 — "there were no flaws," Hart recalled; a 1996 ironman match with Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 12 — "just a work of art," and a bloody match with Steve Austin at the annual showcase in 1997 — "a masterpiece ... a beautiful, violent match."
Hart was voted one of the top 50 Canadians of all-time on CBC's "Greatest Canadians." He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006 and again in 2019 as a member of the Hart Foundation with Jim (The Anvil) Neidhart.
"I really was the excellence of execution," Hart said. "I executed every move safely and perfectly. If you wanted to know how to do the move, you'd watch me do it and that's how you'd learn."
The 64-year-old has also appeared in several films and television shows, including "Lonesome Dove" and "The Simpsons," as well as several documentaries.
The Class of 2021 brings the Walk of Fame's total number of inductees to 200.
The organization was first established in 1998. It has grown from honouring inductees with engraved sidewalk stars in Toronto's Entertainment District to a yearlong national series of programs and celebrations.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 14, 2021.
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Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press
