Natalya Says Bret Hart Fought To Get Owen Involved In Popular WWF Storyline
Among many of Bret Hart's milestone matches, his bout against his beloved younger brother Owen Hart, at WrestleMania X, still ranks at the very top for many wrestling fans, not just for the build-up and the in-ring action, but the mere fact that it was the first and only time Owen was involved in a high-profile match at "The Showcase of Immortals" — nearly five years before his tragic death.
With the August 11 episode of "WWE SmackDown" taking place in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Natalya — the daughter of Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart and Elizabeth Hart who continues to keep the Hart Family's legacy alive — did a round of interviews to hype the show, and one specific question got her particularly emotional: "For a new fan, is there a match or an era that you would introduce [them to WWE]?"
"I always say to people, 'If you want to get into this and you want to learn what this is about, watch Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart [at] WrestleMania X [in] Madison Square Garden,'" Natalya told "Minnesota Sports with Mackey & Judd." "[In the storyline] Owen was the little bratty brother and Bret was the big brother trying to, like, be noble and honorable — it was just an easy story to follow. But, it was this beautiful, beautiful match, and you could understand the story because a match is a story and a story is a match. That match was magical.
"I'm so happy that they got to do that because it was really such a highlight in Owen's professional career, where Owen got the chance to shine."
Natalya: Bret Vs. Owen Nearly Didn't Happen
As Natalya continued to praise Bret and Owen for being "master storytellers," she dropped a nugget of information that not many in the wrestling world are aware of. According to the daughter of Jim Neidhart, the iconic WrestleMania X match nearly did not take place since Vince McMahon and WWE's creative team had different plans for Bret, the company's biggest star at the time.
"I remember Bret really fighting for Owen to have that match," Natalya revealed. "A lot of people don't know that, but Bret, behind the scenes, fought very hard for Owen to be a part of that storyline ... I think something different was suggested, and Bret said, 'No, I want it to be Owen.'"
Natalya then pointed out how Bret wrestled two matches on the night of WrestleMania X — against Owen in the opening contest and Yokozuna in the main event. While Bret put over his brother in the show's opener, "The Hitman" received his coronation moment by the end of the night as he captured the WWE Championship from Yokozuna — a year after he failed to get the job done in the exact spot.
It's worth highlighting that Natalya's story checks out. During his 2014 appearance on "Talk is Jericho," Bret revealed he was originally slated to wrestle his older brother, Bruce Hart, at WrestleMania X, but he rejected the idea as he felt Bruce was roughly 40 years old with a pot belly. The suggestion of a Bret vs. Bruce match was pitched by Vince McMahon after Bret complained to the WWE Chairman about the lack of depth in WWE's roster. In the same interview, Bret would also reveal Owen contemplated quitting the wrestling business before McMahon green lit their WrestleMania X program.