THINGS FANS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT BRET HART'S LIFE OUTSIDE OF WRESTLING

Bret Hart is widely regarded as the greatest in-ring performer of his generation, if not all time. It’s almost hard to believe that it was over 20 years ago since his last major match and forced retirement. In those years and even during his in-ring career, Hart has established several other ways to make a buck instead of just relying on what he could do in the ring.

While not as prolific as The Rock or John Cena in amassing a multi-media empire, The Hitman has lent his name to several companies over the years, as well as tried his hand in the movies too.

He Now Owns His Own Bar In Calgary, AB

Hitman's Bar lets fans enjoy sports, wrestling, live music, all while being surrounded by a shrine to the Hitman.

• Bret Hart opened Hitman's Bar in Calgary in early 2023.
• The bar is full of Hitman memorabilia and displays.
• Several menu items are named after wrestlers.

Several years ago, Bret Hart was looking for a way in which fans of his, and fans of the old Stampede Wrestling promotion, could connect with him and get a taste of history.

With the old Hart house now being sold to new owners, Hart decided that a sports bar just a few blocks away from Stampede's old stomping grounds was the way to go.

Located in Calgary's downtown core, Hitman's Bar boasts some of Hart's classic memorabilia, photos, and serves as a perfect venue to catch a game, or a wrestling show.

Prior to the bar's opening in early 2023, Hart spoke with EatNorth.com on the bar's atmosphere:

With menu items such as the Blue Blazer Margarita cocktail, the Ministry of Darkness, the Anvil Paper Plane and more, it looks like a true sanctuary for wrestling fans.

Spokesperson For An Alcoholic Beverage

The Hitman began endorsing Romero Rum in 2021.

• Hart became an ambassador for Romero Rum a few year ago.
• Hart joins several other wrestlers with ties to an alcohol brand.
• Romero earned a Guinness World Record.

From a bar, to well, more alcohol, the Hitman has continued the trend of wrestlers (and celebrities in general) endorsing a spirit.

Stone Cold Steve Austin has his Broken Skull IPA (naturally!), and The Rock asks his fans to “bring the Mana,” with his Teremana tequila.

For Bret Hart fans, they all know his heart lies where his roots are in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The province is also the home of the Romero Distilling Company. The Hitman has become an ambassador for their rum. The announcement was made when the company earned a Guinness World Record for having the world’s largest Cuba Libre cocktail.

Launching His Own Clothing Line

Hart has his own lineup on Roots of Fight, a brand featuring athletes and cultural icons.

• Roots of Fight features clothing lines with several famous wrestlers.
• The brand also has merchandise featuring cultural icons.
• CM Punk has famously worn Hitman merch on WWE television.

Just about every wrestler not employed by the WWE has a store on the ProWrestlingTees website.

Bret also has one on TheRootsOfFight website too. You might have actually seen this gear worn by the unofficial trio of FTR and CM Punk - The Sons Of The Hitman. The gear is a little pricey, compared to ProWrestlingTees, but when you want “Excellence,” you have be willing to open up the coffers.

Currently Married To Stephanie Washington

Washington is Hart's third wife, with the pair marrying in 2010.

• Hart married Julie Smadu, the mother of his four kids, back in the early 80s.
• He married Cinzia Rota, an Italian fan of his, though they split after just a few years.
• Hart met Stephanie Washington in the late 2000s, and the two have been married since 2010.

The Hitman has been married three times during his life. His first wife and mother of his children is Julie Smadu - you might have recognized her from the Wrestling With Shadows documentary.

Following his split from Julie, he fell in love and married Cinzia Rota in the early aughts (the two met at an autograph signing of the Hitman). Their marriage didn't last long, as they couldn't agree on where the couple should live, and they broke up as well.

Hopefully, for The Hitman, the third time’s the charm. Things seem to be going strong, as he and Stephanie Washington have been married since 2010.

Regularly Offers Cameo Appearances

Hart charges $150 for a custom video, which is among the more affordable options for wrestlers on the platform.

• Cameo is a platform in which celebrities offer a custom video or short video chat with fans.
• Hart charges $150 for a custom video.
• Hart and Mick Foley are among the more active wrestling legends on the platform.

Nowadays, thanks to social media, Superstars can interact with their fans like never before. One of the ways Bret Hart meets and greets his fans is through the web service Cameo. If you don’t know, Cameo is a service where fans can pay for a celebrity to send their loved ones all kinds of messages.

Surprisingly enough, The Hitman is neck and neck with Mick Foley for the top star in the wrestling category. Foley likes to joke about it on his podcast, Foley Is Pod. He’ll say he’s “the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be…at Cameo.”

Has Acted In Several Movies and TV Shows

Hart flirted with the possibility of moving into acting full-time during his 1996 WWE hiatus.

Of course, we all know that as Superstars, a wrestler is all a bit of an actor throughout their career. Plenty of them have caught the Hollywood bug as well - some more successful than others. The Hitman isn’t going to earn nearly the amount of accolades for his acting career as he did his wrestling career, but that doesn’t keep him from getting the occasional gig.

At the height of his wrestling fame, Bret was actually part of the cast of Oliver Stone’s epic, Natural Born Killers; albeit in a deleted scene. Later that same year, he began a stint on the television series Lonesome Dove. The Hitman’s pretty versatile too in his roles. He’s played everything from The Genie in Aladdin to his most recent role as an inspector in the horror film, Tales From The Dead Zone.

His Ties To The The Calgary Hitmen

Hart no longer owns the team, but still shows his support.

• The junior hockey team was founded in 1994.
• Hart was initially a minority owner with the franchise
• The Calgary Flames purchased the team in 1997 and changed the team's color scheme.

Similar to America and the NFL, when Canadians are born, they're issued a pair of ice skates and a hockey stick…aren’t they? The Hitman, like many Canadian superstars, have literally worn their love of Hockey and Canadian hockey teams on their sleeves. Bret has worn several teams’ jerseys over the years, but none closer to his heart than The Calgary Hitmen. He was initially an owner of the junior hockey team when it was founded in 1994.

He Is An Author, With His Book Receiving Widespread Acclaim

Hart's autobiography, Hitman: My Real Life In the Cartoon World Of Wrestling, hit the shelves in 2007.

• Hart's autobiography was released in 2007, shortly after his WWE Hall of Fame induction.
• Hart's book is widely regarded as one of the best wrestling books of all time.
• The book offers numerous legendary stories throughout Hart's wrestling career.

Bret Hart has been putting pen to paper his entire life, and even during his in-ring career. For years, he had his own column in the Calgary Sun where he’d write about a variety of topics.

Over the years, he has been asked to provide the forward to several wrestling biographies, including for his cousin, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. In 2007, he wrote his own book called Hitman, My Real Life In The Cartoon World Of Wrestling.

SharpShooter Funding's Partnership With Hart

The organization provides funding to small Canadian businesses.

• Bret Hart has been involved in numerous community causes.
• Hart's partnership with SharpShooter funding involves funding small Canadian businesses
• SharpShooter funding offers an alternative to small businesses struggling to scale up.

A quick search on their website and you’ll soon see why Sharpshooter Funding in Canada chose to use the namesake of Bret Hart and pair up with the Excellence Of Execution.

The company and Bret Hart are devoted to helping small businesses in The Great White North thrive.

Received an Honorary 'Courageous Chief' Name

The Siksika tribe of the Blackfoot people bestowed the name on Hart as a tribute to his late father.

• Hart was given the name Iyiikitapinna by a Siksika elder in a 2018 ceremony.
• Hart's father Stu, built a strong relationship with the Indigenous community, running shows on different reservations.
• The naming ceremony is very important in the Blackfoot culture.

Over the course of his in-ring career, The Hitman had shown remarkable bravery and (say it like Gorilla Monsoon would) intestinal fortitude. That grit carried over to Bret’s personal life through recovering from concussions, a stroke, and prostate cancer. In 2018, during a Blackfoot ceremony, he received the name Iyiikitapinna, which means Courageous Chief.

This was in part to the family as a whole and the tribe’s respect for Stu - as Stampede always had respect for Canada’s indigenous communities.

Bret was humble about the honor:

Hart received the honor at Mount Royal University.

2024-08-01T09:34:10Z