This is arguably the most infamous example of a professional wrestler dying at a young age, and tragically, it could have been prevented. During the WWE’s Attitude Era, Owen Hart was one of the only people who pushed back against the use of strong language, adult themes, and less focus on in-ring work, resulting in him adopting the character of “The Blue Blazer,” a child-friendly character that Hart was fine portraying as it wouldn’t upset his children. His entrance saw him descend from the rafters like a superhero, which went very wrong on May 23, 1999.

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At WWE’s Over The Edge pay-per-view, Hart was meant to descend from the roof of the Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri, before his match. While waiting for his cue, Hart was secured into his harness, ready to be lowered, but the equipment malfunctioned, and he accidentally triggered an early release button. He plummeted more than 70 feet from the roof of the building to the ring, hitting the top rope, and bouncing onto the canvas. He was transported to a local medical facility where several attempts were made to revive Hart, but the impact of the fall severed his aorta, causing internal bleeding, which ultimately led to Hart dying from blunt force trauma. He was 34.

Since Hart’s death, the Hart family has filed lawsuits against WWE, resulting in the company paying $18 million when a settlement was reached. Owen’s widow, Martha Hart, established the Owen Hart Foundation charity, which aims to provide university and college scholarships for children in need and contribute to housing for low-income families. The charity partnered with AEW in 2021 and together, have honored Hart’s name with an annual tournament.

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