WWE Superstar Natalya believes her uncle Owen Hart would have added more success and risen to be World Champion had he not tragically lost his life.
Owen Hart was only 34 when he sadly passed away on May 23rd, 1999 following a tragic accident at WWE’s Over The Edge pay-per-view.
During his WWE career, Owen was King of the Ring, European Champion, Two-Time Intercontinental Champion, and Four-Time Tag Team Champion. The younger brother of Bret Hart lifted Tag Gold with Yokozuna, The British Bulldog, and Jeff Jarrett.
Owen’s career included marquee feuds with Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, and brother Bret, including a Steel Cage match at SummerSlam 1994 and a memorable battle at WrestleMania X.
As one of the most beloved members of the WWE locker room, colleagues fondly share stories of his pranks and praise his in-ring ability.
Natalya feels that Owen was on the same level as Bret, and would have lifted the WWE Championship had he not passed away at such a young age.
The daughter of the late WWE Hall of Famer Jim Neidhart was famously trained in the Hart Dungeon before joining WWE in 2007.
Speaking on the latest Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Natalya shared her thoughts on Owen the wrestler but also opened up on who Owen was outside of the ring and the kindness he showed to others.
“Yes, I do. I think Owen on par, you know I think it’s funny because I always felt like Bret was more serious and Owen wanted to have fun, but Owen had this character where I look at Dominik’s character in WWE and I see little shades of Owen, that little mischievous side in Dom.
But I think Owen would have definitely won a World Heavyweight Championship. Owen, he just won in so many other different ways and in so many different things that people just never go to see.
When he would have two days at home, he would go home and like go to a children’s hospital and visit sick kids on his days off with no cameras around, no Twitter, no media attention. [It was] something he did privately.
He helped so many people in our family, he was very unsung. He was an unbelievable person.”
AEW Ready For Second Owen Hart Cup
Tony Khan created the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament to celebrate The King of Harts, and further establish a legacy of a wrestler that helped pave the way for future generations. He has since confirmed that the tournament will return in 2023.
In 2022, Adam Cole and Dr Britt Baker came out as the winners and became the first to lift “The Owen”.
Taking place at the Double or Nothing pay-per-view, Baker beat Toni Storm in the semi-final and then Ruby Soho in the final of the Women’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament.
Adam Cole battled through Dax Harwood and Jeff Hardy to reach a physical final with Samoa Joe. Cole gained the victory after delivering The Boom to pin Joe.
Both the Men’s and Women’s Tournaments are set to return and become an annual tribute to the former Stampede Wrestling, New Japan, and WWE legend Owen Hart.
H/t to Fightful