There were WWE tag teams before The Hart Foundation. It was a very common way to show off as many wrestlers as possible per match and created lots of potential for drama and storytelling. But the tag team world was never the same after this team debuted. Let’s take a look at why The Hart Foundation was so important, what it brought to the wrestling world, and why real old-school fans still talk about them in hushed whispers even today.
What Was the Hart Foundation?
Bret “The Hitman” Hart is the kind of wrestler who needs no introduction. A legend in his own day and someone who continues to inspire current competitors, Hart was the real truth. Tons of charisma, real athleticism, and an ability to work a crowd made him a true standout.
By contrast, his real-life brother-in-law Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart is the kind of wrestler that only true wrestling historians know. But he was just as innovative and interesting as Hart in his own way. He was one of the first Bigs in wrestling, a shocking slab of meat and muscle.
A true gentle giant in real life, Neidhart was the perfect foil to his brother-in-law in The Hart Foundation. When they decided to form a tag team, it was a great opportunity to show off the best of the Canadian wrestling world to American audiences and the world in general.
What Did They Accomplish?
Upon their debut in 1985, The Hart Foundation started making waves. Hart was the fast, lithe, and athletic foil to Neidhart’s brute strength. This contrast inspired future tag teams to focus on similar pairings, rather than just sticking together two competitors who were friends or interesting.
Furthermore, The Hart Foundation put on truly amazing matches! Both Hart and Neidhart were charismatic, and Hart was amazingly athletic and capable. As a result, they were able to break into their first championship win in 1987 against The British Bulldogs.
Though they did lose their championship eventually, they stayed competitive and popular. Hart knew how to work a crowd with his feats of athleticism and interviews, while Neidhart pulled off stunning moments of brutish strength that led the way for future bigs in the wrestling world.
Eventually, the two pulled off a surprising championship win in 1990 at SummerSlam. It was one of the best matches of their careers and featured lots of brutal wrestling, with the two utilizing their speed and strength to win. Though they broke up in 1991, they’re still legends to this day.
Remembering These Big Moments
The big reason that the WWE took off the way it did was because creators like Vince McMahon understood that wrestling fans looked at these athletes like they were superheroes. He also knew that in-ring and out-of-ring drama could capture the attention of fans. By creating such unique and exciting moments in the sport, McMahon and the rest of the WWE producers took wrestling out of the backwaters of American society and made it a global phenomenon.
