In the mid 80's the wrestling of the day was filled with gargantuan 300-lb plus monsters. The rebirth of Stampede tried something new. Along with Chris Benoit, Brian Pillman, Ben Basarab and the Viet Cong Express, Owen came along and gave the fans something new. Smaller but with quick and agile wrestling capable of aerial movement.   While the others above used lightening quick moves like the Dynamite Kid years ago, Owen performed like a craftsman. Pride and patience in every move. Owen was a artist. Swan dives off the top rope would make you hold your breath as he would hold up in the air a fraction of a second longer more then the other aerial
wrestlers. An absolute master of the belly to belly suplex was used in ground offensives. He could run to the turnbuckle, jump to the top corner and reverse spin kick in mid air. His ability to control his body gave the image of slow motion. I swear I would look twice just to see if it was some post production special effect. It wasn't reckless moves that Owen used. It was fine tuned crafted fluid movement. It was art.

Owen entered Stampede in early ‘86,but didn't rocket to the top immediately as expected. Already the area was filled with skilled performers like Kerry Brown, Duke Myers, a sensational Ron Ritchie, colourful Honky Tonk Wayne (Honky Tonk Man), and Ron Starr, not to mention Makhan Singh. All where involved in the main event feuds with each other that lasted for months. The young lions had to wait their turn. Owen was no different. He was given no preferred status just by being a Hart. He had to pay his dues toiling down the backroads of Alberta and Saskatchewan just like the rest. 

His first taste of championship came with a remarkable Ben Basarab. They teamed up and formed a formidable tag team. In their way though was a skilled and dangerous tag team with years of experience, The Masters of Disasters, Kerry Brown and Duke Myers. Years of feuds with Bruce and Bret had the Masters ready for Owen. They knew Owen and Ben wouldn't break the rules so they took advantage of the young team. But what they weren't ready for was the teams aerial moves that confused and put off guard the old guard. The Masters time had passed. Owen and Ben won their very fist straps. Brown and Myers never won them back. At the same time Owen took a run at the British Commonwealth Mid heavy weight strap held by English
veteran Les Thornton. A tricky veteran already in a bitter feud with Johnny Smith (Davey Boy’s brother/cousin). Unprecedented, Owen was able to take the title with an upset over Thornton using flying dropkicks, backflips and nip-ups. Again the small lightweight Owen overcame the bigger ground based veteran. This would set the stage of Owen's career as the David to the Goliaths of wrestling.

Possibly the strain of holding both titles was too much for the young rookie? Possibly the bookers saw the potential in Owen as a singles wrestler? Whatever may be the case Owen and Ben lost the tag titles to the incredibly gifted Viet Cong Express. Why I didn't tape those matches is beyond me!!!!  Owen found himself in three notable feuds in his Stampede career. The first being Bad News Allen. There is nothing to describe this Allen as other then vicious. A more pure fighting machine I have never seen. Having already feasted on years of feuds with Bret, Bad News was eager to take on the young phoenix in Owen and snuff it out. Allen’s interviews were filled with accusations at Stu Hart treating Owen unfairly and getting the push in wrestling. Allen’s
obsession with the destruction of the Hart family continued in the bitter feud with Owen. While no title traded hands between them, Owen and Bad News feuded non-stop teaching Owen the hard rule of respect. I believe after their war Owen never again underestimated an opponent.

One of the most colorful figures in all of Stampede’s history was Jason The Terrible and manager Zodiac. Controlled by Zodiac's mind control, Jason ran over the competition in Stampede wearing white coveralls and a hockey mask. Yes just like the other Jason. Well he did have a facial injury you know... Jason was the perfect opponent for Owen. Jason’s simple straight ahead violence was the first time Owen faced a huge non-wrestler. While Bad News was big he had wrestling skills Owen was ready for. Jason was straight ahead 100mph violence. Their feud escalated with wins and losses on both sides. Owen would team with the other young lions including rookie Chris Benoit in tag wars with Jason and the Zodiac. Their feud culminated in a match with Owen finally able to remove the hockey mask and invoke bloody revenge. Ironically (and possibly foreshadowing of today’s wrestling) Jason found a fan following in his madness and later teamed with Owen against his master Zodiac and Bad News Allen. But that’s another story for another day...

By 1987 Owen had faced wrestlers of all shapes and sizes save one. Makhan Singh. Over 350-lbs Singh (Mike Shaw) had built a rep as a brutal big man with a big mouth. Often verbally taunting his opponents in ring while taunting fans ring side. The problem with ‘ol Makhan is that he could back up his mouth! He was THAT good, which irritated fans everywhere. Whether it was brass knuckles from his trunks or a devastating corner squash with all his weight Makhan rolled though the new lightweight competition in Stampede… until Owen. Owen's skills came up a notch with Makhan. No longer would a graceful nip-up work on Makhan, who knew what to expect by watching ALL the matches from the stage door. Owen was forced to go toe to toe for the first time in his career. He used Bruce's clothesline and Bret's sleeper hold to wear the big man down.  Their feud lasted well into 1988 involving the entire Stampede roster at times. Tags, six-man, eight-man, street matches, cages involving Singh and Karachi Vice against Hart, Benoit, and Jason blazed though arenas. I remember my family at ringside watching as Owen flew off the top rope onto Makhan on the floor in front of us. While Makhan was bent over Owen jumped on his back then did a reverse summersault!! Makhan was unprepared for this. Owen would run straight into the center of the ropes in the middle of the ring and climb the ropes...with no hands. He literally ran up the ropes (not the turnbuckle), then would jump off the ropes up in the air, land on the top rope on his thighs and and flip upside down in front of a stunned Makhan and crowd.

At this time Owen began attracting attention from Japan and Pro wrestling Illustrated. Photographers from both began popping up at the old auditorium in Regina. Soon after Owen toured Japan and Stampede graciously showed snippets of his matches and entrances accompanied by Bryan Adams "Hearts on Fire" song. What amazed me was the entrances. These huge domes in Japan filled with people erupted when he entered the arena. A huge difference then the 500 seat auditorium. Owen came back with new moves including the ability to reverse a pile driver. Owen and Makhan's feud continued though 1988 even when Owen was involved in a feud with a newly turned bad guy Dynamite Kid. Dynamite had recently turned on his long time partner Davey Boy, but Davey was involved in the infamous car wreck so in stepped Owen to take on a resurging Dynamite. Clad in combat fatigues and cowboy boots Owen and Dynamite fought in a bitter street fight on TV.  A right of passage it seemed as Owen fought his big brothers long time rival where one last lesson in respect was passed on before Owen left the area.

About a month later Owen showed up on WWF Superstars as the Blue Blazer... A couple months after that the WWF came to town at the nearby Agridome next to the old auditorium. Toiling in a prelim match with Barry Horowitz, throughout the match the entire dome resounded with the chant "OWEN, OWEN". At the end of the match a split second before he left the ring the Blazer looked around and turned back and saluted the crowd who was still chanting "OWEN OWEN". An interesting side note:  later that night in the lumberjack match between Andre the Giant and Jim Duggan, Bret, Neidhart, and The Blue Blazer all stood together chatting and laughing at ringside. I smiled.

While Owen never rocketed to the top of the WWF as a babyface, he blazed though the Stampede area the same way he spent his time on Earth… very short but spectacular.  I can't express my memories properly of Owen. I am very sorry. No column would do him justice. He performed moves no one saw in the WWF.  Why?  I don't know. His timing was perfect in Stampede. HE was a little man in a big man’s sport. He only held 4 titles in Stampede. But in that time he left memories in all fans that last a lifetime.

In Stampede he was never The Blue Blazer.
He was never The Rocket.
He was never The Black Hart.
He was never a two-time Slammy winner.
He was never Bret's little brother.
He was and always will be one heck of a wrestler and for this fan that’s good enough.

NEXT MONTH:

Bad News Allen... Ain't none better or badder kiddies!!