50 Best WCW Moments Ever

28. A Tribute To Owen Hart

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The 4 October 1999 episode of Nitro emanated from a chilling venue. 134 days earlier, Owen Hart fell from the rafters at the Kemper Arena in Kansas City during the WWF's Over The Edge pay-per-view. Tragically, due to a seemingly routine stunt gone wrong, Owen died. Less than five months later, his own brother was back in that same building on WCW business.

Chiefs couldn't let the event pass without paying tribute to Owen, and everyone knew it. In a sweet moment (albeit one that had to be incredibly painful for Bret), they gave two Canadians around half an hour of screen time to show their wares, put on a technical clinic and honour Owen's memory. Bret vs. Chris Benoit was a thumping reminder of everything that's great about technical pro wrestling.

Of course, Benoit's inclusion makes it a difficult watch for some nowadays, but this was historic nonetheless. Bret handpicked a fellow workhorse because he knew Benoit would produce a match Owen would've been proud of. The way Hart looked up to the heavens? One of WCW's most haunting, real moments.

What a match, one that Bret rightly won for his little brother.

Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.