title: Bret Hart

text: After months of dealing with Lawler, Hart received a WrestleMania IX rematch with WWF Champion Yokozuna on the November 20 episode of "WWF Superstars". When Bret appeared to have the match won, with Yokozuna locked in the sharpshooter, Owen came to ringside to congratulate his brother. The referee began questioning Owen's motives, which allowed Fuji to assault Bret. Owen then involved himself in the match, resulting in a victory for Yokozuna via disqualification. On the non-televised but now-canon November 22 episode of "Monday Night Raw", Hart again challenged Yokozuna for the WWF Championship, and again failed to regain the championship due to similar involvement from Owen. The brothers' disagreements set the wheels in motion for a family feud that would span the entirety of 1994. At Survivor Series, the Harts (Bret, Owen, Bruce, and Keith) took on Shawn Michaels (a substitution for Lawler, who was facing legal troubles) and his knights. The Harts won the match, with all of the brothers surviving except for Owen, the only Hart family member eliminated when he was rolled up by Michaels after inadvertently knocking Bret off the apron. Bitter about his elimination, Owen blamed Bret for this and in the weeks ahead, blamed Bret for holding him back. Owen demanded a one-on-one match with Bret, which Bret refused to accept. In the storyline, Bret, along with his parents, worked over the Christmas holidays to reunite the family and to settle their rivalry. Bret was voted "WWF Superstar of the Year" 1993 by fans, as well as the greatest wrestler of the year by "Pro Wrestling Illustrated" readers.


title: Bret Hart

text: At the Royal Rumble in January, Bret and Owen took on The Quebecers (Jacques and Pierre) for the WWF Tag Team Championship. Referee Tim White stopped the match after he considered Bret unable to continue after he sustained a kayfabe knee injury during the match. After the match, Owen berated his brother for costing him a title opportunity and attacked the injured knee, setting the feud between the two. Later on, Hart managed to participate and win the 1994 Royal Rumble match amid controversy. Hart and Lex Luger were the final two participants and the two were eliminated over the top rope at the same time. Therefore, both men were named co-winners of the 1994 Royal Rumble match and received title shots at WrestleMania X. Luger won the chance to face Yokozuna first, with Hart having to wrestle his brother Owen, before receiving his title shot. Hart lost his match against Owen but went on to defeat Yokozuna for his second WWF Championship.


title: Bret Hart

text: Hart continued to feud with his brother Owen while he also started feuding with Diesel. Hart's friend and former tag team partner Jim Neidhart returned to the WWF and reunited with Hart. At King of the Ring, Hart defended the WWF Championship against Diesel. When Hart was winning the match, Shawn Michaels interfered on Diesel's behalf; Diesel appeared close to victory after he delivered a Jackknife Powerbomb yet before he could pin Hart, Neidhart interfered, therefore Diesel won by disqualification, but Hart retained his title. Neidhart left when Diesel and Michaels attacked Hart following the match. Neidhart's motivation was made clear when he helped Owen win the tournament that night, so that he could receive a title shot against his brother. At SummerSlam, Hart successfully retained the WWF Championship against Owen in a steel cage match. This match received a five-star rating from Dave Meltzer of "Wrestling Observer Newsletter", and the brothers' feud was voted "Feud of the Year" by readers of "Pro Wrestling Illustrated".


title: Bret Hart

text: Hart eventually lost his WWF Championship at Survivor Series in a submission match against Bob Backlund where the manager of either competitor (Davey Boy Smith for Hart, Owen for Backlund) would have to "throw in the towel" for the wrestler they were representing. When Hart was in Backlund's crossface chickenwing and Davey Boy was kayfabe knocked out, Owen persuaded his mother Helen to throw in the towel for Hart, giving Backlund the championship victory. Bret's feud with Backlund would continue into the following year. He was voted the greatest wrestler of 1994 by "Pro Wrestling Illustrated" readers, winning the vote for the second straight year.


title: Bret Hart

text: Three days after Hart's title loss, Diesel defeated Backlund in eight seconds with a jackknife powerbomb to become the new WWF Champion. By 1995, Hart was focusing on projects outwith the business, such as acting, and shifted to the number two face in the company, behind Diesel. Hart challenged for Diesel's WWF Championship at the 1995 Royal Rumble, in a match that was continually marred by outside interference and ruled a draw. Both men embraced in a display of sportsmanship after the match. In a rematch from Survivor Series, Hart defeated Bob Backlund in an "I Quit" match at WrestleMania XI. Hart was critical with the match against Backlund, claiming it was "probably my worst pay-per-view match I ever had". Hart would be the focal point of the first event in the In Your House pay-per-view series, competing in two matches at In Your House 1. He defeated Hakushi in the very first match of the in Your House series. Hart's acclaimed feud with Jerry Lawler was reignited at the event when Lawler defeated Hart due to Hakushi's (now Lawler's protégé) interference. Hart beat Lawler in a "Kiss My Foot" match at King of the Ring, and defeated Lawler's kayfabe dentist, Isaac Yankem, by disqualification at SummerSlam 1995. Their King of the Ring match ended with Hart shoving his foot into Lawler's mouth, then forcing Lawler to kiss his own foot. Although Hart was victorious in their in-ring feud, Lawler remained strongly opposed to Hart as a commentator, and would routinely encourage Hart's opponents during matches; it would not be until Over the Limit, sixteen years later, that both men would finally bury the hatchet. After disposing of Lawler, Hart engaged in a three-month feud with Jean-Pierre Lafitte, who would be stealing the mirrored sunglasses from fans at ringside and his trademark leather jacket. At In Your House 3, Hart defeated Lafitte, to end the feud. Hart shifted his focus back to the WWF Championship, defeating Diesel in a no disqualification match at Survivor Series to commence his third reign.


title: Bret Hart

text: In a rematch from their SummerSlam 1992 encounter, Hart successfully defended his title against the now heel Davey Boy Smith at . He lost to The Undertaker by disqualification at the 1996 Royal Rumble when Diesel interfered, ultimately retaining the WWF Championship, and defeated The Undertaker by disqualification in a rematch on the February 5 episode of "Raw", again due to Diesel's interference. Hart retained his title once again against Diesel in a steel cage match at In Your House 6, and defeated Hunter Hearst Helmsley, who was undefeated on "Raw", on the March 4 episode of the show. WWF Commissioner Rowdy Roddy Piper ruled that Hart would face Shawn Michaels, who had earned a WWF Championship match at WrestleMania XII by winning the Royal Rumble, in a 60-minute Iron Man match at the event. The wrestler with the most decisions during the 60 minutes would win the match and the WWF Championship.


title: Bret Hart

text: At WrestleMania, with less than a minute left on the clock and the score still 0–0, Michaels jumped from the middle rope; his legs were caught by Hart, and Hart locked in his Sharpshooter. However, Michaels did not submit in the last 30 seconds, so the match ended in a tie. WWF President Gorilla Monsoon ruled that the match would continue in sudden death overtime. Michaels hit a superkick to win the championship. "Pro Wrestling Illustrated" readers voted it the "Match of the Year"; in 2004, WWE fans voted the match as the greatest in the history of WrestleMania. After WrestleMania, Hart went on a European tour over the next two weeks, coming out victorious against Stone Cold Steve Austin and Hunter Hearst Helmsley. The tour ended on April 22, and after this he took his hiatus from television. His final televised appearance was an interview taped while on the European tour in which he described his passion for wrestling was diminished and stated that although there were offers from competing companies, he might be finished with wrestling.


title: Bret Hart

text: That fall, Hart would indeed receive competing offers of employment from both WWF and World Championship Wrestling (WCW). WCW presented a 3-year, $9M contract offer to Hart, while the World Wrestling Federation responded with an unprecedented 20-year contract. Finishing up his original WWF deal, Hart returned to action on a tour of South Africa on September 8, 1996, defeating Davey Boy Smith in Durban. On October 21, Hart elected to re-sign with the World Wrestling Federation. He was inducted into the "Wrestling Observer Newsletter" Hall of Fame Class of 1996.


title: Bret Hart

text: Over the summer, Stone Cold Steve Austin, who was fresh from winning the 1996 King of the Ring, continually taunted Hart and challenged him to come back and have a match. After an eight-month hiatus from television, Hart returned and defeated Austin at Survivor Series in a match for the number one contender spot to the WWF Championship. Hart challenged champion Sycho Sid at the following month's ; Shawn Michaels, who was serving as a guest commentator at ringside, accidentally cost Hart the victory when he attempted to become involved in the match after being assaulted by Sid. The building tension between Hart and Michaels climaxed after the match when Hart assaulted Michaels. Hart's feud with Austin escalated at the Royal Rumble, when Hart tossed Austin out of the ring, only for Austin (unbeknownst to the referees) to climb back into the ring and win the Royal Rumble match, while the referees were distracted by Mankind. Hart quit the WWF the next night on "Raw" in protest. In order to deal with this controversy, a Fatal Four-Way between Austin and the participants he eliminated after re-entering the ring (Vader, The Undertaker, and Hart) was set up for , with the winner becoming the number one contender. After then-champion Shawn Michaels relinquished the belt, though, the match officially became for the WWF Championship. Hart defeated Austin, Vader, and The Undertaker in the Fatal Four-Way. However, Austin made sure Hart's fourth reign was short-lived, costing him a title match against Sid the next night on "Raw". Hart challenged for Sid's WWF Championship in a steel cage match shortly before WrestleMania 13, which saw Austin actually attempt to help Hart win, in order to make their scheduled match at WrestleMania 13 a title match. Concurrently, The Undertaker, who had a scheduled title match with Sid at WrestleMania, attempted to help Sid win. Sid ultimately retained, leading to a pure grudge match for Hart and Austin. Following his loss to Sid, Hart shoved "announcer" Vince McMahon to the ground when he attempted to conduct a post-match interview, and engaged in a worked shoot, expletive-laden rant against McMahon and WWF management. This incident has been cited as one which helped lay the foundations of the WWF's Attitude Era, as well as the starting point of McMahon's on-air character, the tyrannical WWF owner "Mr. McMahon".


title: Bret Hart

text: At WrestleMania 13, Hart and Austin had their rematch in a submission match that would later get a 5-star rating from Dave Meltzer. In the end, Hart locked the Sharpshooter on a bloody Austin, who refused to give up. In fact, Austin never quit, but passed out from the blood loss and pain. Ken Shamrock, the special guest referee, awarded Hart the match, after which he continued to assault Austin, thus turning heel for the first time since 1988. It was named "Match of the Year" by "Wrestling Observer Newsletter" and voted "Match of the Year" by "Pro Wrestling Illustrated" readers. Later that night, Hart confronted Sycho Sid and The Undertaker prior to their match for the WWF Championship; Hart insulted Undertaker and told Shawn Michaels (who was a guest commentator for the match) not to interfere. Undertaker won the match, which ended with Hart hot shotting Sid on the ropes, therefore costing him the title.


title: Bret Hart

text: Hart challenged Rocky Maivia for the Intercontinental Championship in the main event of the March 31 episode of "Raw". Rocky Maivia won by disqualification when Hart refused to release a figure-four leglock applied around the ring post. He faced Austin again in the main event of , to determine who would challenge the WWF Champion Undertaker in a title match at the following month's . Austin had Hart locked in his own finishing move, the Sharpshooter, in the middle of the ring when The British Bulldog interfered on Hart's behalf, resulting in disqualification and giving Austin the victory and title match. They met once again in a street fight on the April 21 episode of "Raw Is War", in which Austin injured Hart's ankle with a steel chair. The match was ruled a no-contest and Austin afterward continued to beat Hart while on a stretcher in the back of an ambulance.


title: Bret Hart

text: In the ensuing weeks, Hart denounced American fans, because of their negative reaction to him in the recent weeks in contrast to his continued popularity through the rest of the world and reunited with brother Owen and brothers-in-law Davey Boy Smith and Jim Neidhart. The family members formed a new Hart Foundation with Brian Pillman; this incarnation was an anti-American stable which was popular within Canada and Europe. As the leader of this stable, Hart routinely carried a Canadian flag to the ring and engaged in promos where he declared the superiority of his home nation; he became so despised by U.S. audiences that they would often throw debris during his ring entrances, interviews, and matches. He was voted by "Pro Wrestling Illustrated" readers as the "Most Hated Wrestler of the Year" in 1997. At , in Hart's home town of Calgary, the Hart Foundation defeated the team of Stone Cold Steve Austin, Ken Shamrock, Goldust, and The Legion of Doom, representing the United States, in a ten-man tag team match main event. The Canada vs. U.S. rivalry escalated on the July 21 episode of "Raw Is War" in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where Bret, Owen, and Davey Boy Smith, representing Canada and the Hart Foundation, defeated the team of Dude Love, Austin, and The Undertaker, representing the U.S., in a Flag match. The Hart Foundation's feud with Austin was named "Feud of the Year" by "Wrestling Observer Newsletter" and voted "Feud of the Year" by readers of "Pro Wrestling Illustrated". Hart vowed that if he could not defeat The Undertaker for the WWF Championship at SummerSlam, he would never wrestle in the United States again. The Undertaker agreed to the match, and Hart won his fifth and last WWF Championship after spitting in guest referee Shawn Michaels' face; Michaels swung a steel chair in retaliation, which accidentally struck the Undertaker. Michaels, who, as part of another pre-match stipulation, would be banned from wrestling in the United States if he did not remain impartial as referee, had no option but to count the pinfall, giving his rival Hart the victory.


title: Bret Hart

text: After SummerSlam, Michaels was pushed as the top heel in the company and negative fan reactions towards Hart in the United States softened somewhat, as he declared, "I'm not so much anti-American as I am just very, very pro-Canadian". In real life, Hart did not like the new Attitude Era, instead preferring traditional values. This was used as part of his character, as Hart would insult the U.S. fans because of the success of the Attitude Era. Hart successfully defended his title against The Patriot, with whom Hart had become involved in a feud as part of the Canada vs. U.S. storyline, at , avenging a loss to him on the July 28 "Raw". The Canada vs. U.S. feud would conclude at , where Hart and Davey Boy Smith, representing Canada and The Hart Foundation, defeated The Patriot and Vader, representing the U.S., in a Flag match. Erstwhile, in a rematch from SummerSlam, The Undertaker challenged Hart for the WWF Championship at One Night Only; after reversing a Tombstone Piledriver attempt from Hart, The Undertaker dumped Hart on the apron when he would not let go of the ropes. As a result, Hart's neck was caught in the ropes, and The Undertaker was disqualified. Hart later cited this as his favourite of all his matches with The Undertaker, and his last great match in the WWF.


title: Bret Hart

text: In September 1997, Hart faced Terry Funk at Terry Funk's WrestleFest in what was billed as Funk's retirement match.


title: Bret Hart

text: During the Hart Foundation's feud with the Shawn Michaels-led D-Generation X (DX), DX framed the Hart Foundation in vandalizing the locker room of the African American stable, Nation of Domination with racist motifs. In retaliation, during a promo with D-Generation X, Hart called members Triple H (previously billed as "Hunter Hearst Helmsley") and Shawn Michaels "homos". Hart later apologized for his participation in the storyline and said that he had been pressured into it, saying, "I am not in any shape or form a racist. And I don't believe it is anything to kid around about. I also want to apologize for any remarks I made about gay people. It was a stupid mistake on my part". Hart successfully defended his title against Nation of Domination leader, Faarooq, on the October 20 episode of "Raw". In his penultimate title defence, Hart wrestled Ken Shamrock to a no-contest on the October 27 episode of "Raw Is War"; while the referee was knocked out, Shamrock put Hart in an ankle lock; members of the Hart Foundation then attacked Shamrock until Shawn Michaels made the save for Shamrock and attacked Hart.


title: Bret Hart

text: Around this time, Hart's on-air rivalry with Vince McMahon also escalated. A heated ringside altercation between the two led many fans to dislike McMahon, who at the time was being exposed as owner of the WWF more and more frequently on-air. Although Hart had signed a 20-year contract back in 1996, the WWF was in a rough financial position by late 1997 and could no longer afford to honour the contract. Although Hart was arguably the biggest wrestler in the world during the mid-1990s, McMahon also felt that the value of his character was beginning to wane, and he encouraged Hart to approach World Championship Wrestling (WCW) about a contract, hopefully one similar to their original offer. This was despite Hart's reluctance to leave the WWF and willingness to re-negotiate. Hart subsequently signed a three-year contract with WCW. His final match with the WWF would be a title match against his real-life rival Shawn Michaels at Survivor Series in Montreal. Hart did not want to end his WWF career with a loss to Michaels in his home country particularly with the context of their nationality-fueled feud; and offered to lose, forfeit or otherwise give over the belt to Michaels in any other way that McMahon wanted. McMahon agreed to Hart's idea of forfeiting the championship the next night on "Raw Is War" or losing it a few weeks later.


title: Bret Hart

text: Although Hart stated to McMahon he would not take the WWF Championship with him to WCW television and despite insistence from then-WCW President Eric Bischoff that Hart would join WCW with a "clean slate", McMahon was still concerned and paranoid; this led to him breaking his word in what eventually came to be known as the Montreal Screwjob. Even though Hart did not submit to the Sharpshooter, referee Earl Hebner called for the bell as if he had, on McMahon's orders. This resulted in Hart "losing" the WWF Championship to Michaels. The night ended with an irate Hart spitting in McMahon's face, destroying television equipment, and punching McMahon backstage in front of Gerald Brisco, Pat Patterson, and McMahon's son Shane. Hart also confronted Michaels backstage about the match finish. Many behind-the-scenes events leading up to the Montreal Screwjob were filmed for the documentary "", released in 1998. WWE has described the Montreal Screwjob as "arguably the most controversial, most jarring moment in the annals of sports entertainment".


title: Bret Hart

text: Hart's likeness would continue to be featured in WWF media into 1998, including the title video of "Raw" (brawling in a ring within a warehouse), and the "WWF War Zone" video game.


title: Bret Hart

text: Hart's three-year contract with World Championship Wrestling included a salary of $2.5 million per year (a $1 million annual increase from his WWF contract), as well as a light schedule and a measure of creative control over his television character. A day after the WWF's Survivor Series pay-per-view, Eric Bischoff, while with the New World Order (nWo), announced that Hart was going to be coming to WCW and joining the nWo. Hart made his debut on "Nitro" on December 15, 1997. He was also heavily involved in that month's Starrcade pay-per-view. Due to a 60-day no-compete clause from the WWF, he served as the special guest referee for the match between Bischoff and Larry Zbyszko; during the Sting versus Hollywood Hogan main event for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, he stepped in toward the conclusion of the match as impromptu referee, declaring Sting the winner and new champion by submission, establishing Hart as a face in the process. In January, his no-compete clause expired, and his first feud in WCW was against Ric Flair, as both wrestlers considered themselves the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. Hart defeated Flair at Souled Out in his first WCW match. After this, Hart elected to defend the honour of WCW against the nWo, defeating members Brian Adams in his debut "Nitro" match on March 2, and Curt Hennig at Uncensored. In April 1998, Hart interfered in a "Nitro" main event between Hollywood Hogan and Randy Savage, helping Hogan recapture the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, turning heel in the process. He became an associate of the nWo, but did not officially join the group.


title: Bret Hart

text: Hart competed in his second "Nitro" match on June 22, defeating Chris Benoit with assistance from nWo members: Hart had attempted to recruit his long-time friend into the nWo, but the offer was rejected. At Bash at the Beach, Hart competed in his first championship match in WCW when he faced Booker T for the WCW World Television Championship. He was disqualified after hitting Booker with a steel chair. He headlined his first "Nitro" card on July 20, defeating Diamond Dallas Page for the vacant United States Heavyweight Championship, with assistance from nWo member, The Giant. On the August 10 episode of "Nitro", Hart lost his title to Lex Luger. He regained it from Luger the next night on "Thunder". In the main event of Fall Brawl, Hart was defeated in a WarGames match for the No. 1 contender spot to the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.


title: Bret Hart

text: Hart subsequently asked the fans for forgiveness, turning his back on Hogan and the nWo. A match between Hart and Hogan was booked for the September 28 episode of "Nitro". During the match, Hart sustained a knee injury, with the bout ending in a no-contest; Sting came to Hart's aid and initiated a match with Hogan. Hart turned on Sting, delivering a DDT, and this bout was also ruled a no-contest. Sting, a member of the rival nWo Wolfpac, was assaulted after the match; this betrayal began an intense feud between Hart and Sting. On the October 12 episode of "Nitro", Sting and The Warrior beat Hart and Hogan by disqualification. Hart's feud with Sting ended at Halloween Havoc with Hart controversially defending the United States Heavyweight Championship and (kayfabe) injuring Sting. On the October 26 episode of "Nitro", Hart lost the title to Diamond Dallas Page. The two headlined the following month's World War 3 pay-per-view in a title match which Hart lost. Hart regained the title from Page on the November 30 episode of "Nitro" in a No Disqualification match with help from The Giant.


title: Bret Hart

text: On the February 8, 1999 episode of "Nitro", Hart lost the United States Heavyweight Championship to family friend Roddy Piper. On the March 29 episode of "Nitro" held at Toronto's Air Canada Centre, Hart appeared in street clothes and derided WCW World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair, as well as Hogan, for avoiding a match with him. Finally, he called out "franchise player" Goldberg, claiming he could beat him in five minutes and verbally coercing Goldberg into giving him the spear. Hart was wearing a metal breastplate under his Toronto Maple Leafs jersey, which resulted in Goldberg being knocked out. Hart then counted his own pinfall over Goldberg's unconscious body and announced over the mic: "Hey Bischoff, and the WCW, I quit!" In reality, he had sustained a groin injury at the hands of Dean Malenko in November and needed time off for surgery.


title: Bret Hart

text: On May 23, 1999, the night before Hart was scheduled to make an appearance on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" to hype his imminent WCW return, his brother Owen Hart died in an accident during a WWF pay-per-view. Hart took a further four months off from WCW to be with his family.


title: Bret Hart

text: Hart returned to wrestling on the September 13, 1999 episode of "Nitro" in a tag team match with Hulk Hogan against Sting and Lex Luger, reestablishing himself as a face in the process. On the October 4 "Nitro", Hart defeated Chris Benoit in a special "Owen Hart Tribute Match" at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri, where Owen had died that previous May. Hart challenged for Sting's WCW World Heavyweight Championship on the October 18 episode of "Nitro", but lost the match when he was attacked by Luger. Due to controversy over a series of WCW World Heavyweight Championship matches between Sting, Hogan, and Goldberg at Halloween Havoc, the title was declared vacant. A tournament then took place over several episodes of "Nitro". Hart's first round match came against Goldberg the night after Halloween Havoc, with the bout being a tournament match for a berth in the next round, as well as being a match for the United States Heavyweight Championship that Goldberg had won the night before. Thanks to outside interference by Sid Vicious and The Outsiders, Hart defeated Goldberg and won the U.S. Heavyweight Championship for the fourth time. On the November 8 episode of "Nitro", Hart lost the title to Scott Hall in a ladder match that also involved Sid Vicious and Goldberg.


title: Bret Hart

text: Hart won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship tournament by defeating Perry Saturn, Billy Kidman, Sting, and Chris Benoit at Mayhem. On December 7, Hart and Goldberg won the WCW World Tag Team Championship from Creative Control, making Hart a double champion. Hart and Goldberg lost the tag team titles to The Outsiders on the December 13 episode of "Nitro". At Starrcade, Hart defended his WCW World Heavyweight Championship against Goldberg. During the match, Hart was struck with a thrust kick to the head, resulting in a severe concussion. Hart later speculated that he may have suffered up to three additional concussions within matches over the course of that day along with the days immediately following Starrcade, having been unaware of the severity of his injuries. For example, Hart placed Goldberg on the post in a figure four leglock which ended with Hart hitting his head on the concrete floor when Goldberg failed to receive the move correctly. The sum total of those injuries left Hart with post-concussion syndrome and ultimately forced his retirement from professional wrestling. Hart later claimed that Goldberg "had a tendency to injure everyone he worked with." As part of his DVD documentary, Hart expressed regret that "someone as good-hearted as Bill Goldberg" was responsible for hurting him. Referee Roddy Piper rang the bell when Hart held Goldberg in the Sharpshooter, although Goldberg did not submit. Piper simply walked away, leaving both Goldberg and Hart bewildered.


title: Bret Hart

text: Out of respect for Goldberg, Hart vacated the WCW World Heavyweight Championship on the December 20 episode of "Nitro" and suggested that he, without the championship advantage, face Goldberg that night to determine the true champion. During the match, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash came to the ring looking to attack Goldberg with baseball bats. Hart convinced them to stop, then hit Goldberg with one of the bats, turning heel once again. The three continued to beat down Goldberg and were eventually joined by Jeff Jarrett. Hart regained the championship, even though it was Roddy Piper who was covering Goldberg (to try and protect him) when the three count was made. The nWo was reformed (now billed as "nWo 2000"). Hart wrestled Terry Funk to a no contest in a non-title, hardcore rules match on the January 6 episode of "Thunder". In his final match in WCW, he defended the WCW World Heavyweight Championship against Nash on the January 10 episode of "Nitro", which also ended in a no contest. Hart vacated the title in late January 2000 when he was forced to withdraw from the main event of WCW's Souled Out due to his injuries. Hart continued to make appearances on WCW television, generally cutting promos. On the May 3 episode of "Thunder", Hart made a run in during an over the top rope battle royal where he hit Hogan with a chair. His final WCW appearance occurred on the September 6, 2000 episode of "Thunder", in a promo where he confronted Goldberg on the injury he sustained nine months prior. WCW terminated Hart's contract via FedEx letter on October 20, 2000, due to his ongoing incapacity, and he announced his retirement from professional wrestling soon afterward in 6 days later on October 26, 2000.


title: Bret Hart

text: Hart and several critics considered his storylines during his tenure to be lacklustre. Former WCW wrestler Chris Jericho attributed this to backstage politics and creative mayhem. Hart cited his "steel plate" segment with Goldberg and his tribute match to Owen, against Chris Benoit, as his two worthwhile moments with the company. He said he was "proud" to have been WCW World Heavyweight Champion for a short time prior to his injury.


title: Bret Hart

text: In 2001, Hart became the on-screen commissioner of World Wrestling All-Stars (WWA), a role that ended prematurely due to a 2002 stroke, which temporarily required him to use a wheelchair. In his first major appearance since recovering, Hart travelled to Auckland, New Zealand to appear at another WWA event in May 2003.


title: Bret Hart

text: In 2007, Hart signed autographs at "The Legends of Wrestling" show at the Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. On the weekend of July 11, 2009, he made an appearance at One Pro Wrestling in Doncaster, England, where he held a Q&A, and then entered the ring to address the fans at the show. On September 27, 2009, Hart appeared in New York City's Manhattan Center to sign autographs during a Ring of Honor event. He spoke to the crowd, reminiscing about some of his more memorable matches in New York.


title: Bret Hart

text: In 2004, Bret Hart appeared in a WWE game for the first time since 1998's "WWF WarZone" in the GameCube game "WWE Day of Reckoning" followed by "WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw" on PlayStation 2. In mid-2005, Hart worked with the renamed World Wrestling Entertainment for the first time since 1997, contributing hours of interview footage and selecting matches for his WWE Home Video release, "". He returned to WWE programming as a guest on the November 16 episode of web series, "Byte This".


title: Bret Hart

text: On April 1, 2006, Hart was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2006 by Stone Cold Steve Austin. He did not appear alongside his fellow inductees at WrestleMania 22 the following night. On June 11, 2007, Hart made his first appearance on "Raw" since October 27, 1997 when he appeared in a pre-taped interview voicing his opinions on Vince McMahon as part of "Mr. McMahon Appreciation Night."


title: Bret Hart

text: Hart re-signed with WWE in late 2009. On December 28, after weeks of speculation surrounding Hart and his presence in World Wrestling Entertainment, Chairman Vince McMahon announced that Hart would be special guest host on the January 4 "Raw". Hart thanked the fans for their continued support, jokingly teased announcer Jerry Lawler about their long-running 1990s feud, and confronted Shawn Michaels and McMahon regarding the Montreal Screwjob at Survivor Series in 1997. Hart and Michaels were able to agree on a truce, shaking hands and hugging. While many cast doubts on the sincerity of their reconciliation, both men have confirmed that it was indeed genuine and not part of storyline. It also appeared that he had buried the hatchet with McMahon later in the night, until McMahon subsequently kicked Bret in the crotch (this was in fact part of a storyline, as Hart and McMahon had been on speaking terms since 2005).


title: Bret Hart

text: During different encounters the following month, Hart and McMahon reproduced events similar to those that occurred in the Montreal Screwjob: McMahon spitting in Hart's face (as Hart did to McMahon), and Hart destroying parts of the technical equipment that goes into producing "Raw" (as he did to the Survivor Series equipment). On the February 15 "Raw", Hart made a farewell from WWE, but as he left to go inside his limousine, another vehicle reversed into the door of his limo and injured his left leg. On the March 1 "Raw", McMahon challenged Hart to a match at WrestleMania XXVI; Hart accepted. The match was later changed to a No Holds Barred match as Hart revealed (with help from "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, the special guest host that night) the staging of his injury. Hart, along with his family, inducted his father Stu Hart into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2010, a controversial decision that aggravated Hart and McMahon's rivalry in 2010. At WrestleMania, McMahon attempted to buy Hart's family into turning against him; however, they turned against McMahon instead and helped Hart defeat McMahon.


title: Bret Hart

text: Hart stood with The Hart Dynasty (David Hart Smith and Tyson Kidd), a stable stemmed from the Hart family, throughout their feud with ShoMiz (Big Show and The Miz); they ultimately won the WWE Tag Team Championship on April 26. When The Miz lost a match that guaranteed a WWE United States Championship match to a Hart family member, he chose Bret; with the help of the Dynasty, Hart defeated The Miz to win his fifth United States Championship on May 17 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. On the May 24 episode of "Raw", Hart was named the new general manager of Raw. His first orders included vacating his United States Championship, which R-Truth won, and setting up qualifying matches for Fatal 4-Way, which the injured Batista took exception to and quit. The next week, Hart declared a Viewer's Choice episode of "Raw". He was attacked by NXT rookies after firing Wade Barrett and declining to offer them contracts on the June 14 episode of "Raw". A week later, McMahon fired Hart as general manager for failing to control the rookies.


title: Bret Hart

text: Hart returned five weeks later, where it was announced by John Cena that he, The Great Khali, R-Truth, Edge, Chris Jericho, John Morrison and Hart would face the NXT rookies, now known as The Nexus, at SummerSlam. The following week, Hart teamed with Cena to wrestle SummerSlam teammates Edge and Chris Jericho to a no contest. In the SummerSlam main event, he was disqualified for using a steel chair on Skip Sheffield, however, his team still ultimately won the match. On the August 16, episode of "Raw", Hart introduced the new tag team title belts to the champions, The Hart Dynasty. Later on in the night during The Nexus vs. "Raw" challenge, Hart was scheduled to face Justin Gabriel, but was unable to compete after the Anonymous Raw General Manager, citing his disdain for Hart, removed him from the match and replaced him with Randy Orton. On September 25, WWE hosted a tribute event to Hart in Madison Square Garden, where he and the Hart Dynasty defeated Nexus members Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel and Michael Tarver in a six-man tag team match, when Gabriel submitted to Hart's Sharpshooter. In November 2010, Hart's WWE contract had expired.


title: Bret Hart

text: At Over the Limit, Hart came to the support of his long-running 1990s rival, Jerry Lawler, forcing Michael Cole to kiss Lawler's foot. The following night on "Raw", Hart refereed the main event, which saw John Cena and Rey Mysterio defeat R-Truth and CM Punk with Hart's assistance. On the August 23, 2011 tapings of "SmackDown" (aired August 26), Hart served as guest general manager. On September 12 tapings of "Raw" in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Hart teamed with John Cena in a match against Alberto Del Rio and Ricardo Rodriguez, which he won after putting Rodriguez into a sharpshooter. This was Hart's final match.


title: Bret Hart

text: Hart has made infrequent appearances in minor roles, appearing on the April 25, 2011 episode of "Tough Enough". At "Raw 1000" and on the May 4, 2012 episode of "Raw" he served as guest ring announcer; he interviewed John Cena on September 10, 2012, during which CM Punk interrupted and got into a confrontation with Hart. He participated in backstage segments at the 2013 Royal Rumble and WrestleMania 31. On the post-show of "Raw" on May 27, 2013, Hart was honoured by the city of Calgary and the WWE with a "Bret Hart Appreciation Night", a celebration of the work he had done in his career. Also present in the ring for this celebration were Pat Patterson, Chris Jericho, Shawn Michaels and Vince McMahon, who each paid their own tributes to Hart. He has also served as an expert on panels, including the March 25, 2013 episode of "Raw" and at the NXT Arrival pre-show. Hart was in the corner of his niece Natalya on the March 27, 2014 episode of "NXT", at the second NXT TakeOver event and at the 2016 Payback event. The match ended when the referee, Charles Robinson, called for the bell as Charlotte had Natalya locked in the Sharpshooter. After the match both Natalya and Hart placed Charlotte and her father, Ric Flair, respectively in the Sharpshooter.


title: Bret Hart

text: On April 6, 2019, Hart became a two-time WWE Hall of Famer when he was inducted as a member of The Hart Foundation alongside Jim Neidhart. During Hart's speech, an audience member named Zach Madson, charged into the ring and tackled Hart and his niece Natalya to the ground, but they were quickly saved by multiple wrestlers and security, and after several minutes, Hart continued his speech. WWE later released a statement saying that the attacker was sent to the local authorities.


title: Bret Hart

text: In August 2019, Hart appeared at WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view backstage wishing Seth Rollins good luck in his match against Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship.


title: Bret Hart

text: In September 2022, Hart appeared at ringside for WWE's first UK stadium show in 30 years, WWE Clash at the Castle.


title: Bret Hart

text: On May 25, 2019, Hart made a surprise special appearance at All Elite Wrestling's (AEW) inaugural pay-per-view, Double or Nothing, to unveil the AEW World Championship.


title: Bret Hart

text: On October 24, 2020, Hart was among those who appeared at Impact Wrestling's 2020 Bound for Glory via video message to congratulate Ken Shamrock for his induction into the Impact Hall of Fame.


title: Bret Hart

text: Hart is nicknamed "The Hitman", and often dubbed "The Best There Is, the Best There Was, and the Best There Ever Will Be". Hart usually wrestled in a pink attire and, during his time as The Hart Foundation, the tag team was nicknamed "The Pink and Black Attack", a nickname Hart used for himself during his singles career.


title: Bret Hart

text: Hart used the Sharpshooter as his finishing maneuver. In his biography, Hart said he learned the hold from Konnan and Pat Patterson named it. Due to Hart's success, the Sharpshooter is usually used by Canadian wrestlers. Before ending his matches, Hart usually employed a sequence of five moves: inverted atomic drop, Russian leg sweep, backbreaker, elbow drop from the second rope, and Sharpshooter, being known as the "Five Moves of Doom". During his time in the original Hart Foundation, he and Jim Neidhart performed the Hart Attack as their finishing manoeuver.


title: Bret Hart

text: BBC and "Entertainment Tonight" writers noted that Hart is "widely regarded" as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time.


title: Bret Hart

text: Sky Sports described his legacy as "one of, if not the greatest, to have ever graced the squared circle".


title: Bret Hart

text: Veteran industry journalist Dave Meltzer called Hart "one of the best ever," and further praised his ring psychology as the best in WWE history (alongside that of Ricky Steamboat, and "maybe Jake Roberts"). Jon Robinson of IGN called him "one of the greatest (if not the single best) pure wrestler to ever walk that aisle".


title: Bret Hart

text: Veteran wrestlers including CM Punk, Booker T and Michael Hayes have named Hart "the greatest of all time", with Hayes noting that he is considered by many as the best Canadian performer ever, if not the single greatest overall.


title: Bret Hart

text: Veteran announcer Gene Okerlund dubbed Hart "the greatest ever", and stressed that he should appear in anyone's list of the all-time top 10 wrestlers. Viscera commented: "He was the best [WWF] Champion of all time. I mean, as far as international rapport, it's like he's a god." Olympic wrestling gold medalist and six-time WWE world champion Kurt Angle studied tapes of Hart in order to learn the art of pro wrestling; he and Stone Cold Steve Austin have ranked Hart as the best in-ring performer ever (Austin tying Hart with Shawn Michaels). Similarly, former opponent Harley Race described Hart as being "as good as they got". WWE chairman Vince McMahon described Hart as having "unparalleled" technical wrestling and storytelling skills, and retrospectively characterized the late 1990s Hart as a performer "who you know is going to give you the best match of the night every time he goes out there". Asked where he would rank Hart among the pantheon of wrestling greats, longtime announcer Jim Ross stated, "Right at the top. Bret was one of the all time best."


title: Bret Hart

text: Asked for his favourite opponent, Ted DiBiase said: "In my own era, without a doubt, Bret Hart." The Undertaker named Hart as his toughest opponent, adding: "Some of my favourite matches are with him... I think my matches with Bret were some of the best". Although Ted DiBiase later acknowledged that Hart failed to become as big of a star as Hulk Hogan. Recalling their WWF Championship bout from July 1994, Sean Waltman affirmed: "[Hart] gave me the best singles match of my career, and one of the best matches that's ever been on "Monday Night Raw"." Curt Hennig stated: "Out of all the matches I had, probably the best match I ever had would be with Bret [at SummerSlam 1991]... I have a good thing with Bret forever." Shawn Michaels, who did not get along with Hart on a personal level, conceded that Hart was an "unbelievable" performer (an opinion shared by WWE executive and former opponent Triple H), calling him a "sheer joy" to work with and saying that the pair's match at WrestleMania XII was one of, if not his favourite WrestleMania bout. Roddy Piper described Hart as "one great man", and "one of the few guys who has a 'total package'". Lance Storm remarked: "[Hart's] matches always seemed more important than the individuals involved in them, and that's what made him great. Bret managed to dominate this sport... by wrestling, which is no easy task, and is to his credit". On Hart's influence, Storm said: "I've always tried to pattern my ring style or work ethic, at least, after that of 'The Hitman'".


title: Bret Hart

text: Along with Storm, Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn point to Hart as their top wrestling inspiration; Seth Rollins and Jinder Mahal called him an idol, and Jon Moxley cited him as an influence. Edge listed his three idols within the business as "Bret, Shawn and Hulk". Chris Jericho named Bret as his hero (along with Owen Hart), and said he aspired to be "half of" what Bret was. Chris Benoit remarked: "I always emulated him... I spent so many years looking up to, idolizing [Hart]; he was somewhat of a role model to me". Benoit added that his matches against Hart were "up on a pedestal". Koji Nakagawa modelled his character and entire career on Bret Hart by adopting Hart's pink and black attire, an entrance theme identical to Hart's theme song, while also adopting his moveset. Ryback recalled a WWF event from his childhood, saying: "I remember it was Bret Hart against Diesel inside a steel cage in the main event, and I just knew I wanted to be a WWE wrestler... Bret [Hart], I love". Drew McIntyre named Hart his favourite wrestler, while Wade Barrett named Hart along with The British Bulldog, The Ultimate Warrior and The Undertaker; he called Hart vs. Bulldog, at SummerSlam 1992, his all-time favorite match. Scott Dawson said that Hart's work at King of the Ring in 1993 made him want to become a professional wrestler. Upon joining All Elite Wrestling for his hotly anticipated return to professional wrestling after seven years, CM Punk wore a Bret Hart T-shirt in one of his first televised appearances, and his first match, against Darby Allin, included several sequences that mirrored a 1994 Hart match against Sean Waltman.


title: Bret Hart

text: "Pro Wrestling Illustrated" (PWI) readers voted Hart the greatest wrestler of 1993 and 1994 in the "PWI 500", as well as the "Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year" 1994. He was voted "WWF Superstar of the Year" 1993 by fans. PWI ranked him No. 4 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003, after Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, and André the Giant. WWE has also credited Hart as the top "Submission Specialist" in professional wrestling history, and for popularizing the Sharpshooter, named by the organization as the most devastating submission hold in professional wrestling history. Hart's rise to singles success was seen to revolutionize the business; IGN wrote: "After Bret beat Ric Flair for the WWE Championship in 1992, it changed the entire industry, re-setting the WWF back to the days of technical wizardry and reshaping all our notions of what a great wrestling match should actually look and feel like". According to prominent industry historian Dave Meltzer, Hart was "a major draw in the United States and probably more so in Europe". Fellow journalists Bob Ryder and Dave Scherer described him as "an incredible international draw, attracting standing room only crowds in every corner of the globe." Fin Martin of "Power Slam" also spoke to Hart's drawing power, placing him number 7 in "The 10 Best U.S.-Style All-Rounders", a list that considered drawing ability, along with workrate and promo skills. "Vice"s Corey Erdman wrote, "1997 was one of the hottest periods in the history of professional wrestling... Hart was the [WWF's] biggest star, arguably its biggest live gate draw globally." Recalling WCW's acquisition of Hart that year, WWE owner Vince McMahon argued that his chief competitor "could have really built the entire franchise... around this extraordinary star." McMahon felt that WCW misused Hart, which was "fortunate" for the WWF.


title: Bret Hart

text: On the February 16, 2006 episode of "Raw", it was announced that Hart would be an inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2006. Hart had also been approached by Vince McMahon for a potential match between the two at WrestleMania 22 but declined the offer. On April 1, 2006, Hart was inducted by "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. He thanked every wrestler he worked with (even thanking Vince McMahon) and said he's "in a good place in life." Veteran industry personality and former WWE executive Paul Heyman referred to Hart's oeuvre as "a body of work so spectacular that it is beyond comprehension how brilliant a career he enjoyed".


title: Bret Hart

text: On July 15, 2006, Hart was inducted into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, at the International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Newton, Iowa. The induction took place in an immensely crowded and humid display room showcasing one of Hart's ring entrance jackets. The honour is only awarded to those with both a professional and amateur wrestling background, making Hart one of the youngest inductees. During his acceptance, Hart compared this induction to his place in the WWE Hall of Fame, saying "This is a much bigger honour for me." In June 2008, Hart returned to the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame ceremony, this time to induct his father Stu Hart. In 2021, Hart would be inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame by Chris Jericho and the Rock.


title: Bret Hart

text: On October 16, 2007, Hart's autobiography titled "Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling", was released in Canada by Random House Canada, and released in fall 2008 in the United States by Grand Central Publishing, with a U.S. book signing tour. Hart began writing the book in July 1999 with Marcy Engelstein, his longtime close friend and business associate. They did not complete the book until eight years later in September 2007 due to Hart having his stroke in 2002, among numerous other tragedies that occurred during the writing. Hart's chronicle is based on an audio diary that he kept for all of his years on the road in professional wrestling.


title: Bret Hart

text: Hart also provided the forewords to Roddy Piper's autobiography, "In the Pit with Piper", Harley Race's autobiography "King of the Ring" and Dave Meltzer's book "".


title: Bret Hart

text: In 1994, Hart played a prison inmate in Oliver Stone's "Natural Born Killers"; however, the scene he appeared in was cut from the final film. It re-appears in the director's cut. From 1994 to 1995 Hart appeared in "" television show playing "Luther Root". He has made numerous televised appearances since, including a guest spot on "The Simpsons" in 1997 (as himself, in "The Old Man and the Lisa") and episodes of the "" (along with his brother Owen), "The Adventures of Sinbad", "Big Sound", and "The Immortal". Hart provides the voice of pro wrestler character "The Hooded Fang" in "Jacob Two-Two".


title: Bret Hart

text: Hart also guest starred on the sketch comedy series "MADtv" in 1997 where he acted as enforcer at a fan's house, appearing with his WWF Championship belt. Hart later appeared again on "MADtv" in 1999 and 2000 in an angle with actor Will Sasso in which the two feuded on the set of "MADtv" and in World Championship Wrestling; this culminated in a grudge match on "WCW Monday Nitro", where Hart decisively defeated Sasso.


title: Bret Hart

text: Hart donned his "Hit Man" singlet, along with additional costume, and executed wrestling maneuvers on villain characters, as part of his performance as the Genie in a 2004 stage production of "Aladdin". He reprised the role in 2006.


title: Bret Hart

text: Hart was the subject of the 1998 documentary, "", which chronicled many of the events in Hart's personal and professional life from September 1996 to November 1997, including the Montreal Screwjob and its immediate aftermath.


title: Bret Hart

text: A clip of Hart applying the sharpshooter to Benoit at WCW Mayhem in 1999 is featured in the opening credits of "Malcolm in the Middle".


title: Bret Hart

text: In mid-2005, WWE announced the release of a three-disc DVD originally named "Screwed: The Bret Hart Story", with the title a reference to the Montreal Screwjob. Hart filmed over seven hours of interview footage for the DVD, which was renamed "". The collection was released on November 15, 2005.


title: Bret Hart

text: Hart appeared on many talk shows (including "Larry King Live", "Nancy Grace", "Hannity & Colmes", "On the Record w/ Greta Van Susteren") discussing the Chris Benoit double murder and suicide. Hart was a longtime friend of Benoit.


title: Bret Hart

text: On April 6, 2010, WWE released "", which is a 3 DVD set featuring a documentary on the Hart wrestling family as well as 12 matches. It is unique in that it also features previously unseen home movies from the Harts as well as interviews from family members.


title: Bret Hart

text: In 2010, The Fight Network produced a documentary titled "" produced by John Pollock, Jorge Barbosa and Wai Ting chronicling the rise of Hart, his split with WWE in 1997 and his road back to the company in January 2010. The documentary features interviews with Hart, members of the Hart family, Hart's former business manager Carl De Marco, former sports agent Gord Kirke, and producer of "Wrestling with Shadows" Paul Jay.


title: Bret Hart

text: A DVD entitled "Shawn Michaels vs Bret Hart: WWE's Greatest Rivalries" was released in November 2011. The subject of the DVD was their on-screen rivalry and real-life conflicts, with a particular focus on the Montreal Screwjob.


title: Bret Hart

text: In 2016, Hart starred in the documentary film "Nine Legends". Early that year, Hart launched a podcast named "The Sharpshooter Show".


title: Bret Hart

text: Hart lent his nickname to the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League; he was a founder and part-owner. He is the commissioner of Sharpshooter Funding, a business loan company.


title: Bret Hart

text: On August 23, 2018, Hart was honoured with a traditional Niitsitapi naming ceremony and named 'Courageous Chief' by Siksika Elder Miiksika'am (Clarence Wolfleg). The ceremony was done as recognition for his and his father Stu Hart's cultural relationship building contributions, such as promoting interest of the sport of amateur wrestling among indigenous youth throughout Western Canada.


title: Bret Hart

text: Hart married Julie Smadu (born March 25, 1960) on July 8, 1982. They have four children: Jade Michelle Hart (born March 31, 1983); Dallas Jeffery Hart (born August 11, 1984); Alexandra Sabina Hart (born May 17, 1988), nicknamed "Beans"; and Blade Colton Hart (born June 5, 1990). The four hearts located on the right thigh of his tights symbolize his children, as do the four dots following his signature. Julie's sister Michelle was married to Tom Billington from 1982 to 1991. Bret and Julie separated in May 1998, and after several brief reunions over the next 4 years, eventually divorced on June 24, 2002, just hours before Hart had his stroke. Hart married an Italian woman named Cinzia Rota on September 15, 2004, but they divorced in 2007 after failing to agree on where they should live. He married Stephanie Washington, an African-American woman several decades his junior, in 2010; although at first his children were wary of their new stepmother, they have since embraced her as they realized that despite their differences in age, the love between her and their father is deep and genuine. Through his daughters Jade and Alexandra, Hart has a granddaughter, Kyra Beans (born June 2010) and two grandsons, Grayson Knight Cassidy (born June 20, 2015) and Bo (born April 2016). In 2019, Hart's son Dallas had a daughter, Vylet Louise Hart.


title: Bret Hart

text: His seven brothers were either wrestlers or involved backstage with the wrestling business; his four sisters all married professional wrestlers. Two of his brothers-in-law, Davey Boy Smith, and Jim Neidhart had successful careers in the business. His youngest brother Owen Hart had become a decorated wrestler in his own right before his death in 1999, caused in an accident at the WWF pay-per-view Over the Edge. Hart's niece Natalya is a professional wrestler.


title: Bret Hart

text: Fellow pro wrestler Roddy Piper claimed in his autobiography to be a cousin of Hart. Hart has also stated that Piper was the only wrestler to visit him in the hospital after his stroke.


title: Bret Hart

text: On June 24, 2002, Hart had a stroke after hitting his head in a bicycle accident. "The Calgary Herald" reported that Hart hit a pothole, flew over the handlebars of the bike, and landed on the back of his head. Hart developed total paralysis on his left side, which required months of physical therapy. Hart has since recovered much of his mobility and is in good health, although he has had other lasting effects common to stroke survivors (such as emotional imbalance). Hart wrote in detail about his stroke in his autobiography, "Hitman: My Real Life In The Cartoon World of Wrestling". Hart later became a spokesperson for March of Dimes Canada's Stroke Recovery Canada program. While recovering from his stroke Hart would train three days a week at B.J's Gym in Calgary, which was owned by his brother-in-law B. J. Annis.


title: Bret Hart

text: On February 1, 2016, Hart announced through a Facebook post that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Jim Ross claimed on March 2, 2016, that Hart had beaten the disease following successful surgery and that it appeared not to have spread to other areas of his body. Hart responded to Jim Ross' comments through Facebook saying that although the surgery was a success and that he and his doctors were optimistic, he would continue to be monitored every three months by doctors until he can actually be cancer free.


title: Bret Hart

text: In October 1993, Hart gave a radio interview in which he said Ric Flair "sucks", and described his workplace, WCW, as "minor league". In his autobiography, Flair accused Hart of exploiting the death of his brother, Owen Hart, and the controversy surrounding the Montreal Screwjob. Flair also claimed in his autobiography that, despite Hart's popularity in Canada, he was not a formidable money-making draw in the United States, a claim which Hart dismissed as "plain ridiculous" in a column written for the "Calgary Sun". Hart claimed that he drew greater revenue than Flair, citing his headlining performances on consistently sold-out tours throughout his WWF career, while Flair wrestled to allegedly near-empty arenas. He also criticized Flair on what he perceived as insults to fellow wrestlers Mick Foley and Randy Savage. Hart did acknowledge a decline in the WWF's popularity during the mid-1990s, but he, and others, felt that this was largely attributed to the WWF's well-publicised sex and steroid scandals, as well as WCW's acquisition of former top WWF stars. Hart also took aim at Flair in his autobiography, criticizing his in-ring talents and what Hart perceived as Flair's unsubtle blading.


title: Bret Hart

text: On an episode on his "Confessions with the Hitman" podcast, Hart revealed that in 1996–97, Dwayne Johnson, at that time a rookie in WWE, was a "marked guy" and that both Shawn Michaels and Triple H bullied him and did everything in their power to make The Rock leave the company. He claimed both superstars were jealous of him which is why they used to "work him" for the smallest of reasons; "He (Triple H) was always out to get The Rock. Shawn was out to get him and they just worked on him, and worked on him, and worked on him, and I left. [The Rock] was still in the doghouse with those guys. They wanted him [out] as bad as they wanted me out."


title: Bret Hart

text: In 2021, Johnson himself acknowledged and praised Hart for his attitude, professionalism, as being a great person and for being exceptionally kind to him when he was a rookie in WWE during an interview with Joseph Deckelmeier of The Illuminerdi, and once he noticed that Deckelmeier was wearing a Hart shirt, he stated to Emily Blunt while promoting their new film, "Jungle Cruise": "The t-shirt he's wearing is a guy who didn't have to be, but was so good to me when I was a rookie professional wrestler, and his name is Bret 'The Hitman' Hart,". He comes from a very famous wrestling family, but at that time, he was world champion, and there were a lot of guys in that world at that time in '96 that didn't necessarily embrace me, just when I was a rookie coming in, because everyone is hungry for their spots, and he'll tell you, there's a lot of sharks in the water. But that guy, Bret, and he was world champion, to show me how it's done...I think [he did it] because he knew that our families (Anoa'i and Hart) knew each other and knew that I came from a lineage of pro wrestling and that I had a real love and respect for wrestling, and he was just a great guy, and I always like to give him props where I can."


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: Anchorage () is the largest city in the U.S. state of Alaska by population. With a population of 291,247 in 2020, it contains nearly 40% of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolitan area, which includes Anchorage and the neighboring Matanuska-Susitna Borough, had a population of 398,328 in 2020, accounting for more than half the state's population. At of land area, the city is the fourth-largest by area in the United States and larger than the smallest state, Rhode Island, which has .


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: Anchorage is in Southcentral Alaska, at the terminus of the Cook Inlet, on a peninsula formed by the Knik Arm to the north and the Turnagain Arm to the south. In September 1975, the City of Anchorage merged with the Greater Anchorage Area Borough, creating the Municipality of Anchorage. The municipal city limits span , encompassing the urban core, a joint military base, several outlying communities, and almost all of Chugach State Park. Because of this, less than 10% of the Municipality (or Muni) is populated, with the highest concentration of people in the 100 square-mile area that makes up the city proper, on a promontory at the headwaters of the inlet, commonly called Anchorage, the City of Anchorage, or the Anchorage Bowl.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: Due to its location, almost equidistant from New York City, Tokyo, and Frankfurt, Germany (across the Arctic Ocean), Anchorage lies within 10 hours by air of nearly 90% of the industrialized world. For this reason, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is a common refueling stop for international cargo flights and home to a major FedEx hub, which the company calls a "critical part" of its global network of services.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: Anchorage has won the All-America City Award four times: in 1956, 1965, 1984–85, and 2002, from the National Civic League. Kiplinger has named it the United States' most tax-friendly city.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: Archaeological evidence discovered at Beluga Point just south of Anchorage proper, along the Turnagain Arm, suggests that habitation of the Cook Inlet began 5,000 years ago by a tribe of Alutiiq Eskimos that arrived by kayak. As this population moved on, they were followed by a second wave of Alutiiq occupation beginning roughly 4,000 years ago, followed by a third wave around 2,000 years ago. Around 500 AD the Chugach Alutiiq were displaced by the arrival of Dena'ina Athabaskans, who entered through the mountain passes. The Dena'ina had no fixed settlements, migrating throughout the area with the seasonal changes, fishing along coastal streams and rivers in the summer, hunting moose, mountain goats, and Dall sheep in early fall, and picking berries in late fall. They tended to winter near trading junctions along common travel routes, where they traded with other Dena'ina and Ahtna tribes from nearby areas.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: Captain James Cook was among the first European explorers to map the Alaskan coastline, and many of the geographical features (mountains, islands, rivers, waterways, etc.) still bear the names he gave them. Cook was searching for the fabled Northwest Passage, a route that would provide a shorter means of reaching the Pacific from Europe than sailing east around Asia or south around South America. On May 15, 1778, after enduring weeks of hard weather, Cook turned into an inlet between two landmarks he called Cape Douglas and Mount St. Augustine. He anchored his ship, HMS "Resolution", at a place he called "Anchor Point" (later named "Anchorage" as another Anchor Point existed to the south near Homer, Alaska), near a creek he dubbed "Ship Creek" nestled between two large arms (waterways). Cook spent ten days exploring the inlet named after him. He first sent William Bligh to scout the north arm, where he met with the Dena'ina Natives of the Eklutna area, who told him the name of the Knik Arm and that it was not the Northwest Passage, but rather an outlet for two rivers (the Knik and Matanuska Rivers). Cook then sailed south to scout the other arm, and in a bad mood after running the "Resolution" aground on a sandbar on his way back out of the shallow waters, called it "River Turnagain", having found no sign of the passage there either.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: In the 19th century, Russian presence in south-central Alaska was well-established. The Russians placed trading posts along Cook Inlet, such as the Shelikhov-Golikov Company's post at "Niteh" on the Palmer Flats (between the Knik and Matanuska Rivers), which in turn created small agricultural communities in Ninilchik, Seldovia, and Eklutna. The Russians also introduced diseases such as smallpox that had devastating effects on the local Native population, which plummeted by half just 10 years after the first census.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: In 1867, U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward brokered a deal to purchase Alaska from Imperial Russia for $7.2 million, or about two cents an acre ($ million in dollars). His political rivals lampooned the deal as "Seward's folly", "Seward's icebox" and "Walrussia". In 1888, gold was discovered along Turnagain Arm just south of modern-day Anchorage, leading to a new influx of prospectors, and small towns such as Spenard, Hope, Rainbow, Bird, Indian, and Girdwood began to spring up.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: Alaska became an organized incorporated United States territory in 1912. Anchorage, unlike every other large town in Alaska south of the Brooks Range, was neither a fishing nor mining camp. The area surrounding Anchorage lacks significant economic metal minerals. A number of Dena'ina settlements existed along Knik Arm for years. By 1911 the families of J. D. "Bud" Whitney and Jim St. Clair lived at the mouth of Ship Creek and were joined there by a young forest ranger, Jack Brown, and his bride, Nellie, in 1912.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: The city grew from its happenstance choice as a site for railroad construction to begin in 1914. The waters near Ship Creek were deep enough for barges and small ships to dock, and under the direction of Frederick Mears, it became a railroad-construction port for the Alaska Engineering Commission. The area near the mouth of Ship Creek, where the railroad headquarters was, quickly became a tent city. Anchorage formed at a time when proponents of Prohibition were gaining traction, and as part of an effort to stem the flow of the alcohol trade, at the direction of President Woodrow Wilson and with the symmetry of the US Army, a town site was mapped out on higher ground to the south of the tent city, with the condition that a person's land could be repossessed if caught breaking the alcohol laws. Anchorage has been noted in the years since for its order and rigidity compared with other Alaska town sites. In 1915, territorial governor John Franklin Alexander Strong encouraged residents to change the city's name to one that had "more significance and local associations". In the summer of that year, residents held a vote to change the city's name; a plurality favored the name "Alaska City", but the territorial government ultimately declined to change the city's name. Anchorage was incorporated on November 23, 1920.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: Construction of the Alaska Railroad continued until its completion in 1923. The city's economy in the 1920s and 1930s centered on the railroad. Colonel Otto F. Ohlson, the Swedish-born general manager of the railroad for nearly two decades, became a symbol of residents' contempt due to the firm control he maintained over the railroad's affairs, which by extension became control over economic and other aspects of life in Alaska.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: Between the 1930s and the 1950s, the city experienced massive growth as air transportation and the military became increasingly important. Aviation operations in Anchorage commenced along the firebreak south of town (today's Delaney Park Strip), which residents also used as a golf course. An increase in air traffic led to clearing of a site directly east of town site boundaries starting in 1929; this became Merrill Field, which served as Anchorage's primary airport during the 1930s and 1940s, until Anchorage International Airport superseded it in 1951. Merrill Field still sees a significant amount of general aviation traffic.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: Elmendorf Air Force Base and the United States Army's Fort Richardson were constructed in the 1940s, and served as the city's primary economic engine until the 1968 Prudhoe Bay discovery shifted the thrust of the economy toward the oil industry. The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure process led to the combining of the two bases (along with Kulis Air National Guard Base) to form Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: The Good Friday earthquake of March 27, 1964, hit Anchorage hard at a magnitude of 9.2, killing 115 people and causing $116 million in damages ($750 million in dollars). The earth-shaking event lasted nearly five minutes; most structures that failed remained intact for the first few minutes then failed with repeated flexing. It was the world's fourth-largest earthquake in recorded history. Broadcaster Genie Chance has been credited with holding Anchorage together, as she immediately rushed to the Anchorage Public Safety Building and stayed on the KENI airwaves for almost 24 continuous hours. Chance, effectively designated as the public safety officer by the city's police chief, was instrumental in Anchorage's relief and recovery efforts as she coordinated response efforts, connected urgent needs with available resources, disseminated information of available shelters and food sources, and passed messages among loved ones over the air, reuniting families. Because the city and surrounding suburban area was built on top ground consisting of glacial silt, the prolonged shaking from the earthquake caused soil liquefaction, leading to massive cracks in roadways and collapse of large swaths of land. One of Anchorage's most affected residential areas, the Turnagain neighborhood, saw dozens of homes originally at 250 to 300 feet above sea level sink to sea level. Rebuilding and recovery dominated the remainder of the 1960s.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: In 1968, ARCO discovered oil in Prudhoe Bay on the Alaska North Slope, and the resulting oil boom spurred further growth in Anchorage. In 1975, the City of Anchorage and the Greater Anchorage Area Borough (which includes Eagle River, Girdwood, Glen Alps, and several other communities) merged into the geographically larger Municipality of Anchorage The city continued to grow in the 1980s, and capital projects and an aggressive beautification campaign took place.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: Several attempts have been made to move Alaska's state capital from Juneau to Anchorage, or to a site closer to Anchorage. The motivation is straightforward: the "railbelt" between Anchorage and Fairbanks contains most of Alaska's population. Robert Atwood, owner of the "Anchorage Times" and a tireless booster for the city, championed the move. Alaskans rejected attempts to move the capital in 1960 and 1962, but in 1974, as Alaska's center of population moved away from Southeast Alaska and to the railbelt, voters approved it. Communities such as Fairbanks and much of rural Alaska opposed moving the capital to Anchorage for fear of concentrating more power in the state's largest city. As a result, in 1976, voters approved a plan to build a new capital city near Willow, about north of Anchorage. In the 1978 election, opponents to the move reacted by campaigning to defeat a nearly $1 billion bond issue to fund construction of the new capitol building and related facilities ($ billion in dollars).. Later attempts to move the capital or the legislature to Wasilla, north of Anchorage, also failed. Anchorage has over twice as many state employees as Juneau, and is to a considerable extent the center of Alaska's state and federal government activity.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: Anchorage is in Southcentral Alaska. At 61 degrees north, it lies slightly farther north than Oslo, Stockholm, Helsinki and Saint Petersburg, but not as far north as Reykjavík or Murmansk. It is northeast of the Alaska Peninsula, Kodiak Island, and Cook Inlet, due north of the Kenai Peninsula, northwest of Prince William Sound and the Alaska Panhandle, and nearly due south of Denali.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: The city is on a strip of coastal lowland and extends up the lower alpine slopes of the Chugach Mountains. Point Campbell, the westernmost point of Anchorage on the mainland, juts out into Cook Inlet near its northern end, at which point it splits into two arms. To the south is Turnagain Arm, a fjord that has some of the world's highest tides. Knik Arm, another tidal inlet, lies to the west and north. The Chugach Mountains on the east form a boundary to development, but not to the city limits, which encompass part of the wild alpine territory of Chugach State Park.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: The city's sea coast consists mostly of treacherous mudflats. Newcomers and tourists are warned not to walk in this area because of extreme tidal changes and the very fine glacial silt. Unwary victims have walked onto the solid seeming silt revealed when the tide is out and have become stuck in the mud. The two recorded instances of this occurred in 1961 and 1988.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: According to the United States Census Bureau, the municipality has an area of 1,961.1 square miles (5,079.2 km); 1,697.2 square miles (4,395.8 km) of which is land and 263.9 square miles (683.4 km) of it is water. The total area is 13.5% water.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: Boroughs and census areas next to the Municipality of Anchorage are Matanuska-Susitna Borough to the north, Kenai Peninsula Borough to the south and Chugach Census Area to the east. The Chugach National Forest, a national protected area, extends into the southern part of the municipality, near Girdwood and Portage.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: A diverse wildlife population exists within urban Anchorage and the surrounding area. Approximately 250 black bears and 60 grizzly bears live in the area. Bears are regularly sighted within the city. Moose are also a common sight; in the Anchorage Bowl, there is a summer population of approximately 250 moose, increasing to as many as 1,000 during the winter. They are a hazard to drivers, with over 100 moose killed by cars each year. Two people were stomped to death, in 1993 and 1995, in Anchorage. Cross-country skiers and dog mushers using city trails have been charged by moose on numerous occasions; the Alaska Department of Fish and Game has to kill some individual aggressive moose in the city every year. Thinhorn sheep are often viewed quite close to the road at Windy Point. Approximately thirty northern timber wolves reside in the Anchorage area. In 2007, several dogs were killed by timber wolves while on walks with their owners. There are also beaver dams in local creeks and lakes, and sightings of foxes and kits in parking lots close to wooded areas in the spring are common. Along the Seward Highway headed toward Kenai, there are common sightings of beluga whales in the Turnagain Arm. Lynxes are occasionally sighted in Anchorage as well. Within the Municipality there are also a number of streams that host salmon runs. Fishing for salmon at Ship Creek next to downtown is popular in the summer.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: Anchorage has a subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification: Dfc) but with strong maritime influences that lead to a relatively moderate climate. Most of its precipitation falls in late summer. Average daytime summer temperatures range from approximately ; average daytime winter temperatures are about . Anchorage has a frost-free growing season that averages slightly over 101 days. According to local folklore, when a native plant called fireweed goes to seed after a full bloom, the first snowfall of winter is 6 weeks away.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: Average January low and high temperatures at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) are with an average winter snowfall of . The 2011–2012 winter had , which made it the snowiest winter on record, topping the 1954–1955 winter with . The coldest temperature ever recorded at the original weather station at Merrill Field on the East end of 5th Avenue was on February 3, 1947.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: Summers are mild (although cool compared to the contiguous US and even interior Alaska), and it can rain frequently, although not abundantly. Average July low and high temperatures are and the highest reading ever recorded was on July 4, 2019. The average annual precipitation at the airport is . Anchorage's latitude causes summer days to be very long and winter daylight hours to be very short. The city is often cloudy during the winter, which further decreases the amount of sunlight experienced by residents.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: The coldest daily maximum recorded in Anchorage is in January 1989, while the coldest daily maximum on average between 1991 and 2020 was at . Warm summer nights do not occur even with the bayside location and extensive daylight. The mildest night on record is at and the normal mean is at .


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: Due to its proximity to active volcanoes, ash hazards are a significant, though infrequent, occurrence. The most recent notable volcanic activity centered on the multiple eruptions of Mount Redoubt during March–April 2009, resulting in a high ash cloud as well as ash accumulation throughout the Cook Inlet region. Previously, the most active recent event was an August 1992 eruption of Mount Spurr, which is west of the city. The eruption deposited about of volcanic ash on the city. The clean-up of ash resulted in excessive demands for water and caused major problems for the Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: Anchorage first appeared on the 1920 U.S. Census. It incorporated that same year. In 1975, it consolidated with its borough.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: According to the 2020 census, Anchorage had a population of 291,247. Its racial makeup was 63.8% White (57.1% were non-Hispanic or Latino), 10.0% Asian, 9.1% American Indian or Alaska Native, 9.4% were Hispanic or Latino, 6.0% were African American and 8.4% were from two or more races. 6.9% of the population were under the age of 5, 24.0% were under the age of 18, 64.3% were between 18 and 64, and 11.7% were 65 years or over. 50.9% of the population were male and 49.1% were female. 9.3% were veterans and 10.9% of the population was born outside of the United States. There were 119,276 housing units, 106,567 households and the average household size was 2.69 people per household. 17.8% of households had a language other than English spoken at home. 95.9% of households had a computer present with 90.0% having a broadband Internet connection. 93.9% of the population had a high school diploma or higher with 36.1% having a Bachelor's degree or higher. 8.4% of the population under the age of 65 had a disability with 11.1% of the same age group having no health insurance. 68.5% of the population were in the civilian labor force. The median household income was $84,928 and the per capita income from May 2019–April 2020 was $41,415. The poverty rate was 9.5%.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: According to the 2010 census, Anchorage had a population of 291,826 and its racial and ethnic composition was as follows:


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: According to the 2010 census, the largest national ancestry groups were as follows: 17.3% German, 10.8% Irish, 9.1% English, 6.9% Scandinavian (3.6% Norwegian, 2.2% Swedish, 0.6% Danish) and 5.6% French/French Canadian ancestry.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: According to the 2010 American Community Survey, approximately 82.3% of residents over the age of five spoke only English at home. Spanish was spoken by 3.8% of the population; speakers of other Indo-European languages made up 3.0% of the population; those who spoke Asian and Pacific Islander languages at home were 9.1%; and speakers of other languages made up 1.8%.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: In 2010, there were 291,826 people, 107,332 households and 70,544 families residing in the municipality. The population density was 171.2 per square mile (59.2/km). There were 113,032 housing units at an average density of . There were 107,332 households, out of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.4% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.3% were non-families. 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.19. The age distribution was 26.0% under 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 7.2% who were 65 or older. The median age was 32.9 years. 50.8% of the population was male and 49.2% were female.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: The median income for a household in the municipality was $73,004, and the median income for a family was $85,829. The per capita income for the municipality was $34,678. About 5.1% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the poverty line. Of the city's population over the age of 25, 33.7% held a bachelor's degree or higher, and 92.1% had a high school diploma or equivalent.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: In 2010, 83.7% (220,304) of Anchorage residents aged five and older spoke only English at home, while 4.5% (11,769) spoke Spanish, 2.5% (6,654) Tagalog, 1.6% (4,108) various Pacific Island languages, 1.4% (3,636) various Native American/Alaska Native languages, 1.1% (2,994) Korean, 0.6% (1,646) German, 0.6% (1,502) Hmong, 0.5% (1,307) Russian, and Japanese was spoken as a main language by 0.5% (1,185) of the population over the age of five. In total, 16.3% (43,010) of Anchorage's population aged five and older spoke a mother language other than English.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: Anchorage's largest economic sectors include transportation, military, municipal, state and federal government, tourism, corporate headquarters (including regional headquarters for multinational corporations) and resource extraction. Large portions of the local economy depend on Anchorage's geographical location and surrounding natural resources. Anchorage's economy traditionally has seen steady growth, though not quite as rapid as many places in the lower 48 states. With the notable exception of a real estate-related crash in the mid-to-late 1980s, which saw the failure of numerous financial institutions, it does not experience as much pain during economic downturns.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: The Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (TSAIA) is the world's fourth busiest airport for cargo traffic, surpassed only by Memphis, Hong Kong, and Shanghai Pudong. This traffic is strongly linked to Anchorage's location along great circle routes between Asia and the lower 48. In addition, the airport has an abundant supply of jet fuel from in-state refineries in North Pole and Kenai. This jet fuel is transported to the Port of Anchorage, then by rail or pipeline to the airport.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: The Port of Anchorage receives 95 percent of all goods destined for Alaska. Ships from Totem Ocean Trailer Express and Horizon Lines arrive twice weekly from the Port of Tacoma in Washington. Along with handling these activities, the port is a storage facility for jet fuel from Alaskan refineries, which is used at both TSAIA and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER).


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: The existing port was substantially built in the late 1950s and is reaching the end of its useful life. Beginning in 2017, the Port of Anchorage is undertaking an extensive 7-year Anchorage Port Modernization Project to upgrade its aging infrastructure, support larger deeper draft vessels, and future proof the port seismically and environmentally for another 75 years.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: The United States military used to have two large installations, Elmendorf Air Force Base and Fort Richardson, which originally stemmed from the branching off of the U.S. Air Force from the U.S. Army following World War II. In a cost-cutting effort initiated by the 2005 BRAC proceedings, the bases were combined. JBER was created, which also incorporated Kulis Air National Guard Base near TSAIA. The combination of these three bases employ approximately 8,500 civilian and military personnel. These individuals along with their families comprise approximately ten percent of the local population. During the Cold War, Elmendorf became an important base due to its proximity to the Soviet Union, particularly as a command center for numerous forward air stations established throughout the western reaches of Alaska (most of which have since closed).


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: While Juneau is the official state capital of Alaska, more state employees reside in the Anchorage area. Approximately 6,800 state employees work in Anchorage compared to about 3,800 in Juneau. The State of Alaska purchased the Bank of America Center (which it renamed the Robert B. Atwood Building) to house most of its offices, after several decades of leasing space in the McKay Building (now the McKinley Tower) and later the Frontier Building.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: The resource sector, mainly petroleum, is arguably Anchorage's most visible industry, with many high rises bearing the logos of large multinationals such as BP and ConocoPhillips. While field operations are centered on the Alaska North Slope and south of Anchorage around Cook Inlet, the majority of offices and administration are found in Anchorage. The headquarters building of ConocoPhillips Alaska, a subsidiary of ConocoPhillips, is in downtown Anchorage. It is also the tallest building in Alaska. Many companies who provide oilfield support services are likewise headquartered outside of Anchorage but maintain a substantial presence in the city, most notably Arctic Slope Regional Corporation and CH2M Hill.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: Four small airlines, Alaska Central Express, Era Aviation, Hageland Aviation Services, and PenAir, are headquartered in Anchorage. Alaska Airlines (at one point headquartered in Anchorage, but now headquartered in the Seattle area), has major offices and facilities at TSAIA, including the offices of the Alaska Airlines Foundation. Prior to their respective dissolutions, airlines MarkAir, Reeve Aleutian Airways and Wien Air Alaska were also headquartered in Anchorage. The Reeve Building, at the corner of West Sixth Avenue and D Street, was spared the wrecking ball when the city block it sits on was cleared to make way for the Anchorage 5th Avenue Mall, and was incorporated into the mall's structure. In 2013, "Forbes" named Anchorage among its list of Best Places for Business and Careers.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: Five Alaska Native regional corporations are based in Anchorage: The Aleut Corporation, Bristol Bay Native Corporation, Calista Corporation, Chugach Alaska Corporation, and Cook Inlet Region, Inc.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: Anchorage does not levy a sales tax. However, it charges a 12% bed tax on hotel stays and an 8% tax on car rentals. Since about 2000, in response to strong revenue and occupancy rates, major hotel developers from the Lower 48 have been building new hotels along C Street from International Airport Road to just north of Tudor Road, with two more to open in 2017, making this half-mile stretch of C Street a new "hotel row". From Anchorage people can easily head south to popular fishing locations on the Kenai Peninsula or north to locations such as Denali National Park and Fairbanks.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: Located next to Town Square Park in downtown Anchorage, the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts is a three-part complex that hosts numerous performing arts events each year. The facility can accommodate more than 3,000 persons. In 2000, nearly 245,000 people visited 678 public performances. It is home to eight resident performing arts companies and has featured mega-musicals performed by visiting companies. The center also hosts the International Ice Carving Competition as part of the Fur Rendezvous festival in February.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: The Anchorage Concert Association brings 20 to 30 events to the community each year, including Broadway shows like Disney's The Lion King, Les Misérables, Mamma Mia!, The Phantom of The Opera, West Side Story, and others. The Sitka Summer Music Festival presents an "Autumn Classics" festival of chamber music for two weeks each September on the campus of Alaska Pacific University. Orchestras include the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra and the Anchorage Youth Symphony.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: Annually in January, the Anchorage Folk Festival takes place at the University of Alaska Anchorage, featuring concerts, dances, and workshops with featured guest artists and over 130 performances by volunteer singers, dancers, musicians, and storytellers.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: The city of Anchorage provides three municipal facilities large enough to hold major events such as concerts, trade shows and conventions. Downtown facilities include the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts, William A. Egan Civic & Convention Center and the recently completed Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center, which will be connected via skybridge to form the Anchorage Civic & Convention District. The Sullivan Arena hosts sporting events as well as concerts and annual trade shows.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: National attention focuses on Anchorage on the first Saturday of each March, when the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race kicks off with its ceremonial start downtown on Fourth Avenue. Anchorage is also home to the Fur Rendezvous Open World Championship Sled Dog Races, a three-day dog sled sprint event consisting of three timed races of each. Held each February, the event is part of the annual Fur Rendezvous, a winter sports carnival.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: Anchorage is the home of three teams in the Alaska Baseball League. The Anchorage Bucs and Anchorage Glacier Pilots, which both play at Mulcahy Stadium, and the Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks based at Lee Jordan Field in Chugiak.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: Anchorage has no professional sports teams. The most recent to call the city home was the Alaska Aces of the ECHL. The Aces were very successful during their time in Anchorage, claiming three league titles, four conference championships, and eight division championship during their 29-year history (1989–2017). The Aces affiliated with various National Hockey League teams, including the Calgary Flames, Minnesota Wild, and Vancouver Canucks. After the 2016–17 season, the team ceased operations and was sold to a group in Portland, Maine, where it became the Maine Mariners in the 2018–19 season. In 2021, the NAHL approved the addition of an expansion team in Anchorage. The expansion team, named the Anchorage Wolverines, began competing in the Midwest Division for the 2021–22 season.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: The University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves are a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. UAA has Division I teams in gymnastics and hockey, as well as several other Division II teams. UAA sponsors the annual Great Alaska Shootout, an annual NCAA Division I basketball tournament featuring colleges and universities from across the United States along with the UAA team.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: There are four rugby clubs, including the Bird Creek Barbarians RFC, Anchorage Thunderbirds, Mat Valley Maulers RFC, and Spenard Green Dragons. The season runs from April through September.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: The Anchorage Northern Knights gained national attention when they joined the eight-team Eastern Basketball Association in 1977, a league whose nearest competitor was from Anchorage. The Knights captured the 1979–80 league championship, and featured several players who would play in the NBA, most notably Brad Davis, a future player and broadcaster for the Dallas Mavericks. They competed in the renamed Continental Basketball Association for five seasons until the economic recession ended their run in 1982.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: The city was the U.S. candidate for hosting the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympics, but lost to Albertville, France and Lillehammer, Norway respectively. Anchorage is a premier cross-country skiing city, in terms of density of groomed trails within the urban core. There are of maintained ski trails in the city, some of which reach downtown. The same trail system also provides access to Chugach State Park, a high alpine park. The Tour of Anchorage is an annual 50-kilometer ski race within the city. and is the Host for the 2009 and 2010 US Senior National Cross Country Ski Championship.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: Anchorage is also home to Alaska's first WFTDA flat track women's roller derby league, the Rage City Rollergirls.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: Many of Anchorage's parklands are interconnected with green belts that follow the lakes and streams that form the natural watershed, creating water/parkland (blue/green) interfaces in the pluvial flood zones, which helps minimize the risk of floods damaging homes and businesses.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: Anchorage is governed by an elected mayor and 11-member assembly, with the assistance of a city manager. These positions are nonpartisan (as are all municipal elected offices in Alaska): no candidates officially run under any party banner. All 11 members are elected from districts known as sections. Five of the sections elect two members from designated seats, while the remaining section elects one member. Before the 1980 United States Census, the single-member section was the one centered around the northern Anchorage communities of Chugiak and Eagle River. Since then, the area encompassing Downtown Anchorage and surrounding neighborhoods has served as the city's single-member section. The mayor (along with members of the school board) is elected in a citywide vote. In practice, major candidates' party affiliation and political ideology are usually well known and highlighted by local media for the purpose of framing debate. The city's mayor is Dave Bronson. Along with seven sister cities in the SCI program, Anchorage has a cultural exchange program with Montenegro.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: In the 2017 municipal election, Christopher Constant and Felix Rivera became the first openly gay candidates elected to Anchorage public office.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: Anchorage generally leans toward Republican candidates in both state and presidential elections. But since the establishment of the municipality in 1975, there have been two Democratic mayors (Tony Knowles and Mark Begich), each of whom was elected to two consecutive terms and later to statewide office. Downtown, Girdwood, and much of both the west and east parts of town trend Democratic. Areas closest to the military bases, including Eagle River, and south Anchorage are the municipality's most Republican areas. Midtown is relatively moderate. In 2020, Joe Biden became the first Democrat to win Anchorage since Lyndon Johnson in 1964.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: Voting trends show that Downtown Anchorage votes Democratic in large margins, while Spenard, Turnagain/Inlet View, and University/Airport Heights are relatively moderate and swing in elections. The remaining Anchorage areas have traditionally trended Republican. In 2018, Anchorage began conducting municipal elections by mail (as directed by the assembly in 2015) and had the highest voter turnout in the city's history.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: Anchorage-Eagle River sends 16 representatives (, nine Republicans and seven Democrats) to the 40-member Alaska House of Representatives and eight senators (five Republicans and three Democrats) to the 20-member Senate. When seats from the neighboring Mat-Su Borough are added, more than half the Alaska state legislature comes from the Anchorage metropolitan area. This is often used as an argument for moving the state capital from Juneau to the Anchorage area.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: With a reported strength of 383 sworn officers, the Anchorage Police Department is the largest police department in the state, serving an area of 159 square miles with a population of 300,950. Until 2016, Alaska State Troopers provided policing for the southern regions of Anchorage along Turnagain Arm. After their withdrawal, Girdwood contracted with the neighboring city of Whittier for its policing, and the following year APD provided contract policing to other Turnagain Arm communities. The Fire & EMS Operations Division of the Anchorage Fire Department (AFD) includes thirteen fire stations with over 300 personnel covering three rotating 24-hour shifts. Additionally, there are volunteer fire departments in Girdwood and Chugiak and fire departments on Elmendorf Air Force Base and Fort Richardson, as well as the Airport Police and Fire Department.


title: Anchorage, Alaska

text: In 2010, Anchorage reported 837.7 violent crimes per 100,000 population and 3,518.0 property crimes per 100,000 population (see table). Anchorage's crime rate, both for violent and property crimes, is higher than for Alaska as a whole or for the U.S. as a whole. When compared with U.S. cities of similar size, Anchorage has a slightly higher rate of violent crime and a slightly lower rate of property crime. Anchorage, and Alaska in general, have very high rates of sexual assault in comparison with the rest of the country, with Anchorage's annual rate of forcible rapes over three times as high as for the U.S. as a whole. In 2010, the rate of rape for Anchorage was 90.9 per 100,000 population, while the U.S. rate was 27.5 per 100,000 population. Alaska Natives are victimized at a much higher rate than their representation in the population.