Bret 'Hitman' Hart coming to Minnedosa

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Bret 'Hitman' Hart

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Quite a stir was created this week in Minnedosa with word that a “hitman” is scheduled to hit town.  The Minnedosa & District Recreation Commission announced on Wednesday, June 10th  that professional wrestling Hall of Famer, Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart, will headline their annual sportsman’s dinner on Oct, 24.

Bret, one of eight sons born to the late Stu Hart, was born into an athletic family.  His father Stu had wrestled as an amateur winning national titles as a welterweight, and saw his greatest success on the amateur mat, winning the Dominion championship in 1940.  After serving in the Canadian Navy in World War II, Stu launched Stampede Wrestling, for which he (and his family) are best known.

Under Stu, Bret was encouraged to compete as an amateur in his youth, winning both city (Calgary) and Provincial titles during his amateur career.  Bret graduated into the family business and made a career in sport as a touring professional wrestler, competing for 32 years and appearing in more than 3,200 professional matches.  Bret is a five time WWE World champion and the first wrestler ever to win professional wrestling’s “top six”: WWE World tag team, WWE Intercontinental, WWE World Heavyweight, WCW World tag team, WCW United States championship, and WCW World Heavyweight titles.

Hart was also the first wrestler to ever receive back to back number one rankings in Pro Wrestling Illustrated magazine’s annual ranking of the top 500 wrestlers in the world, taking the honours in both 1993 and 1994.  The only others to achieve that status in the years since have been Steve Austin and John Cena.

Following his retirement from the ring, Bret has been honoured with a Lifetime Achievement award by Pro Wrestling Illustrated magazine, and in 2006 was inducted into both the WWE Hall of Fame and the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame.

The announcement that Bret Hart will be this year’s guest of honor marks the first time that a professional wrestler has ever appeared in this capacity.  More details about this year’s event will be announced over the summer.