Harshad Patel
On May 23, 1999, the wrestling world was rocked by tragedy when Owen Hart, portraying The Blue Blazer, was scheduled to appear for the Intercontinental Championship against The Godfather at WWE’s Over The Edge pay-per-view.
However, the anticipated title clash never materialized as Hart tragically lost his life due to a fall, later attributed to a malfunctioning harness rig, during his entrance from the rafters.
On the 25th anniversary of Hart’s passing, former WWE referee Jimmy Korderas, who bore witness to Hart’s fall, reminisced about some of his cherished real-life encounters with the late luminary.
Reflecting on Hart’s renowned penchant for practical jokes, Korderas fondly recounted, “Of course, he’s famous for his ribs. And the great thing about Owen’s ribs was they were never harmful. They were all harmless and just made everyone laugh.”
He recounted an incident where he fell victim to one of Hart’s pranks involving a faux credit card mishap at a hotel, orchestrated to amusingly inconvenience him.
Amidst Hart’s playful antics, Korderas also recalled one particularly memorable prank from WWE’s 1995 In Your House: Seasons Beatings pay-per-view event.
That night, Hart ingeniously diverted pigs, intended for an Arkansas Hog Pen Match featuring Hunter Hearst Helmsley and Henry Godwinn, to the office of WWE chairman Vince McMahon, eliciting uproarious laughter from McMahon upon his discovery.
Throughout his illustrious near-decade WWE tenure, Hart captured numerous championships and left an indelible mark with his captivating in-ring prowess and persona. Korderas emphasized, “[Owen] was fantastic in the ring. He was fantastic as a wrestler.
He was fantastic as a persona.” He lauded Hart’s versatility and suggested that given the opportunity, Hart could have eclipsed even his celebrated brother Bret in the ring, owing to his unique charisma and multifaceted talents.
Remembering Hart’s enduring legacy, Korderas highlighted his universally cherished persona, both as a fan favorite and a villain.
Despite portraying the heel against his brother Bret at WrestleMania X, Hart’s charisma and skill won over audiences, earning him widespread admiration.
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