Owen Hart DVD Title Revealed
WrestlingDVDNews.com has revealed that WWE’s upcoming Owen Hart DVD/Blu-ray will be entitled Owen Hart: Hart of Gold.
The documentary and match set is scheduled to be released in November, although Owen’s widow Martha has publicly distanced herself from the project. She has never forgiven WWE who she blames for Owen’s death, which occurred when he fell from the rafters of the Kemper Arena in Kansas City, at the eerily named Over The Edge 1999.
We do not back or support it in any way, nor has WWE requested our backing or support. From what little we know of the project, it seems to be another attempt to exploit Owen’s memory, and his tragic death, for commercial gain. We have resisted that kind of initiative for almost 16 years. If WWE really wanted to honor Owen’s legacy, it would just let him rest in peace.
One of only two documentaries she has ever endorsed was The Life and Death of Owen Hart, made by the same man behind Bret Hart’s Wrestling With Shadows, Paul Jay. In the film Martha claims Owen was about to retire from wrestling to be a family man before his death. She says WWE didn’t use adequate safety measures for the stunt, which was supposed to see Owen descend like Sting and get stuck near the ring before falling on his face. Investigators believe the quick release mechanism tragically triggered before he made the jump causing him to freefall the whole way down.
A wrongful death lawsuit was settled out for court for $18 million in the year 2000, and Martha has also subsequently sued WWE for using Owen’s likeness (personal photographs) and failing to pay royalties to his estate.
One reason the King of The Ring winner has never been inducted in to the WWE Hall of Fame is because Martha won’t support it and WWE don’t want to face any negative publicity for going against her wishes.
While it’s sad that such a respected wrestler cannot be honored for his contributions to the business, one can absolutely understand Martha’s point of view.
You can check out the Paul Jay documentary below:
Following Owen’s death Martha launched the Owen Hart Foundation to provide university and college scholarships to disadvantaged children, and housing for low income families. Comedian Dane Cook endorsed the annual event in 2014 and 2015’s October event will see Seth Meyers perform.
Furthermore a new documentary has been produced which will be available online soon, documenting Owen’s story and the work of the foundation. Here is the trailer: