First, all the WWF wrestlers and officials came out as Howard Finkel had everyone stand up for a 10-bell salute. The
crowd chanted "Owen" before this. Many wrestlers and people were visibly upset, including Jeff Jarrett, Mark Henry,
Stephanie McMahon, and others. In addition, all the WWF wrestlers were wearing armbands that had either "OH" or
"Owen" on them. Also, many WWF stars did salutes during their matches, either referencing him in speeches or
pointing to the heavens or doing a "woo!"
A video tribute was shown about Owen Hart. Vince McMahon narrated it, saying this: "Last night, a tragic accident
took the life of Owen Hart. He was 34. There are no words that can express the profound sorrow felt today by so many
of us who knew and loved this very special human being. Fans throughout the world shared a small portion of
Owen's life through his various ring personas, but to know Owen Hart the human being was pure joy. Owen loved this
business; loved to entertain both in it and out of the ring. He was a consummate performer and a legendary
prankster. In the extended family of professional wrestlers, respect does not come easily and is not taken lightly.
Owen Hart had that respect. He was more than just "one of the boys." Owen Hart was a friend and a brother to all.
Our locker room and our lives will never ever be the same again. A loving son, brother, uncle, husband, and father.
Owen is survived by his wife Martha, his son Oje, and daughter Athena. Our prayers go out to them and the entire
Hart family. With heavy hearts and the deepest of sympathies for his family, we say goodbye. If the legacy of a man's
life is measured by the lives he's touched and how much he has loved, then a big piece of Owen Hart will live on in
all of us."
Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler spoke about Owen throughout the night, telling stories and memories of him. They said
tonight was a "celebration of the life of Owen Hart."
MICK FOLEY: "Owen was my son Dewey's favorite wrestler. My son, the first few years of his life, had very...had long
hair because my wife liked it that way. One day I was on the road and I called home and he was all excited and said,
"Guess what, Dad? I look like Owen Hart now." Because Owen had just gotten a crewcut, and my son was so proud
to look like Owen Hart, and he and my daughter Noelle would break into little chants of "Nugget! Nugget!" just for no
reason in the car, because in their little minds, they didn't know that that was a negative chant to Owen. They
thought they were honoring Owen, and I was proud that my son wanted to look like Owen, and if he could grow up to
be a man like Owen Hart, I'd be even prouder. Owen was the nicest, funniest person I think that I have ever met, and
he loved his family and I think that they should know that he talked about them warmly and with love and affection. I
think there's probably a special place in Heaven for Owen Hart. I, like all the other guys, will miss him and we loved
him."
BRADSHAW: "You know, Owen took a lot of kidding and ribbing from the guys about how cheap he was on the
road; how much money he saved. You know, he spent in a month what most of the guys spent in just a few days. But
the reason he did it was because he wanted to retire and spend time with his family and his kids. I hate that his kids
don't get to grow up with such a great father that he was. I hope they realize nothing can replace the loss of a daddy,
especially one as good as Owen, and I hope they realize when they get older what a great father they had. He was a
terrific guy. I, in no way, pretend to miss him like his family will but I'm gonna miss him a lot. God bless him."
MARK HENRY: (he wrote a poem, and could barely read it because he was crying)
"You feel the burn when you cry/it starts to come when someone dies/the pain you feel as your eyes swell/and the
tears fill up in the wells/The burn starts to choke you/words come out slow and shaken/you close your eyes and
wonder why that there's a burning when you cry/When Owen left/it felt like hands around my throat/I couldn't talk, I
couldn't see/the burn overwhelmed me/My heart is heavy/this is why....you get the burn when you cry/Dig not
deep/you cannot sleep/you toss and turn in your sheets/Awaken with sobs and wet pillowcases/you wander aimlessly,
looking to the sky/you feel the burn when you cry."
DROZ: "You know, basically, I haven't been in this business a long time. You know, I've known Owen probably about
a year, year and a half. In that time period, he's probably the one person that, you know, could walk into a locker
room when things weren't going right and liven everybody up. You look back and see all the little things he did to,
uh, entertain people; even at his own expense. he'd go out of the way to put himself down to, I guess, rib somebody.
In and out of the ring, he was probably one of the best guys around -- he could always lighten up the mood and, like I
said, the little things. In an autograph session in Toronto, Jeff Jarrett disappeared so I had to fill in with him, and he
kinda just sat there and made the fans just laugh and were telling him about his match and what he was going to do
tonight, kinda basically giving away things..... You know, he loved the ring and loved being in the ring and it was...I
don't know if it's ironic or what.......I feel for his family and his wife, and I hope they can look back and, you know,
just remember how great a person he was, and to never forget. I know I won't."
CHYNA: "Well, I think that Owen wouldn't be very happy looking down on us now because....for somebody trying to
get a laugh out of everybody, he's making a whole lotta people cry. Um, I thought Owen was one of the truest, most
honest, faithful guys that I know, and he gave us all a lot of happiness and a lot of good memories. We had this hair
thing going -- Owen and I would wake up in the morning and have my hair out to here (exaggerating like puffed out)
and he would actually come to the building and try and get his hair to look like that. He was always making us laugh
somehow. I would wish that he could here us now because I would say that, Owen, we love you as friends and you
meant and mean an awful lot to us."
TRIPLE H: (also had trouble holding back the tears) "In a business where.......you often see the worst of
everything.....you see the worst of everybody's personalities....we're like a family. We're around everybody at their
best; we're around each other at their worst. Owen was always one who was at his best. He was always up. He was
never a piece of trash. And he was always there for everybody - to make you laugh, or make you mad. We'd be in the
ring and...he'd make you so mad you wanted to choke him. He's the only guy that had the balls enough ever to, on a
live pay-per-view at the Royal Rumble, to "schoolboy" me and backslide me and not let me out. We laughed, he
made me laugh....more than anybody or any other. He loved his family, talked about them all the time. He's one of
the guys that you really felt was true about that. He lived for his kids and his wife. Owen....you'll always have a place
here (pointing to his heart) for me, with me, because you're my friend. I love you. I'll never forget you."
DAVE HEBNER (WWF REFEREE): "I've been with the World Wrestling Federation for 16 years, and known Owen here
for 10 years, and out of everybody -- this is a great company to be in -- Owen was just that special person that could
always make you laugh, always make you smile. He wanted to make sure everybody had a good day, and Owen was
just the type of guy that cared for everybody. I've seen Owen go in his bag and take pictures out and go back outside
of the building and autograph them for the kids -- you know, just a great family man...loved his 2 kids to death....his
wife. He's just one of the best. He used to have fun with the referees...tie my shoes together when I went down for the
count. He just loved to play and carry on and was just a great guy....and I'll tell you what. We've really lost a great
person. Owen, you'll always be in my heart, man."
BRUCE PRICHARD (OFFICIAL): "Owen will always be remembered as a great practical joker and, as well as a
tremendous performer in the ring. He provided a lot of people numerous hours of entertainment inside and outside of
the ring. And I'll always remember Owen Hart for being a great friend and a wonderful father and husband to his wife
and kids. I'll miss you very much Owen."
DUSTIN RUNNELS: "A couple of things I remember about Owen Hart that stick out in my mind the most is.... You
know, Owen was a tremendous family man. He loved his family and yet, when he was on the road, we had such a
good time. He was a prankster. A funny story to tell you: Every time we would come to Kansas City, Missouri, Harley
Race would invite all the guys over for some chili and barbecue and stuff like that. One day, we all came over and
Harley cooked a big giant pot of chili. While Harley was outside checking on his barbecue, Owen slipped in there,
got a whole bottle of hot sauce and dumped the whole thing in there. Everybody's mouths were on fire. Harley got
mad so...Owen's over in the corner and he's laughing...we're all giggling and laughing. Harley brings out his stun gun
-- one of those little "shocker" deals -- and goes after Owen, and you should have seen Owen....I mean, he was just
going crazy. It was the funniest thing you'd ever seen. You know, the pranks he used to play...it backfired on him. It
was a fun evening, and we're gonna miss him. I love you, Owen. I know you're in a better place."
FAAROOQ: "You know, it's hard, you know, to put it into words but, it's just like, when I leave my family at
home...this is my family away from my family. We all love each other...and we loved Owen very much, and he knew
it. And it hurts a lot, it really does, and we're gonna miss him a lot. That's all I can say, you know, it's just hard to put
into words, except we're gonna miss him."
TEST: "If I had to share a moment with Owen, I offer this story. It happened just a few months ago. We all came in
to Chicago....coming in to do a "double-shot," which is 2 shows in one day. We landed in Chicago and it was really
bad weather. A lot of snow....so we cancelled the first show and the office told us to sit tight and relax and find out if
we were gonna be doing a show later on that night. So as I was sitting in my hotel room, the phone rang and I
picked it up. The guy on the other end said he was the head man running the stadium where we were supposed to
do the show that night, and he was told that I was the man to talk to whether we were going to go ahead with the
show. I kept professing to this man that I'm not the guy to talk to...."You're talking to the wrong guy. You need to talk
to the office." He said that various guys were cancelling and said that I was the last guy to talk to....what'd I think?
After telling him a few times I didn't think too much of it, I told him again that I wasn't the man to talk to....he said -
the last words he said was, "Well, I'll tell them Test said to cancel the show." And I said, "Hey, buddy, don't bring my
name into this," and he hung up the phone. Well, not 'til this morning I found out it was Owen. It's pretty funny but it's
kind of a hard way to find that out. All of my memories of Owen were very good and I'll never forget him. Thanks for
all the memories, Owen, and God bless you. Thanks."
JEFF JARRETT: (obviously, one of the most distraught of the group) "In this business, I guess you got a lot of
acquaintances but very few friends. And Owen, he was one of those friends. He did a lot of funny stories, his
personality, the things he used to do....and I told my wife a bunch of times about the last couple months I've been
with Owen on the road....I see Owen more than I see her and my little girl. And he said the same thing. And now that
he's not here, it's....you look at it almost selfishly. Owen, my buddy, my friend, not with me anymore. I know Owen's
in a better place, life isn't cutting up. But when you really think about Owen's life, I think about integrity. Because in
this business...it's cold, it's callous, it's selfish, it's self-serving, it's unrealistic, it's a fantasy world. But Owen was real.
He was a man's man. His wife and kids.....are 3 of the luckiest people in the world, because he loved them more than
anything in the world. And that's why he did what he did -- to provide for them. And he did it with integrity, and
integrity in this business is few and far between. That's not a good thing to know, but it's the truth. And outside all of
the laughs....because on the road, without the laughs, you know.....the fans get to see Owen 10-15 minutes a week,
but when you see him 24 hours a day for 10 or 12 days at a time, he's one of the guys that made it fun. Made coming
to work entertaining off the camera, and that's just as important as on the camera. Owen........I'll make the promise to
you. 'Cause you've got 2 little kids and I've got a little one of my own, as they grow older, the only thing that they
might have to find out what their dad was like is wrestling films. But I'll make the promise to myself...as the years go
by, I'll do my best to let Oje and Athena really know what a great man you were, Owen. That's it...I can't....I don't
know...."
EDGE: "Owen Hart....where do I start? Owen was the leader of a little merry band of Canadians we call "The
Canadian Mafia." To me.... Owen was a type of guru to me. He helped me on the road -- hunting, travelling, or a
match -- but the thing I'll remember most about Owen Hart is his ability to make me and anyone else laugh. And
when I think of Owen, I smile. Today it's a little big tough, but I think of some of the things that Owen did, and I had
the pleasure to wrestle Owen in his last match, in Chicago. I went with Christian against him and Jeff Jarrett, and I
knew Owen was in a good mood that night because he came out with his blue-and-white boots and his
black-and-silver-and-red outfit; his hair was all messed up; he had a goofy look on his face, and he was wearing his
"Time for a change" t-shirt. He got in the corner and started doing poses and flexing. We got into the match, and I
had him in an armbar. He kicked up and he wound up and gave me a big judo chop with a "Hiyaaa!" and chopped
me down. We had a good time that night. And that was Owen's last match. It's nice to be able to, you know, look
back on things like that. You know...he made us all laugh and he's gonna be sorely missed. I grew up watching Owen
and I got the opportunity to wrestle him on pay-per-views, on TV, and all across the world. You name it. I travelled
with Owen. And to his family....Godspeed. I'm gonna miss you."
PAT PATTERSON: "With 40 years in a business, I've seen a lot of wrestlers and Owen was very special. Owen, in my
estimation, was one of the best perfomers in the business. And Owen was not only good in the ring. Owen, outside of
the ring, was a marvelous person, a great person. He was fun to be with. He was a pleasure to be with. He will be
missed greatly by people all over the world. In all the years that I've been around Owen, and all the years I've
travelled around this business, I have never met anybody that disliked Owen. Owen, I want to thank you for being the
person that you really were. I'll miss you."
HARDCORE HOLLY: "I remember Owen.....I'll always remember Owen. He was....no matter what kind of mood you
were in, he always made you laugh. He was a big ribber. He pulled harmless ribs, and he'd even rib himself to get a
good laugh out of everybody or to rib somebody else. The one thing that really sticks out in my mind and what he did
for me was about 3 years ago. We had a show in Mobile, and of course Mobile is my hometown, and he volunteered
to put me over, you know, right in the middle of the ring. And that's what I really remember most about him. Owen
never had any enemies. I mean, he was the kind of person that you could be around all the time. He was aggravating
sometimes but he always made you laugh. He may be gone but he's not forgotten at all. (Pause) He'll always be
remembered."
PAUL BEARER: (he read a poem as well) "He will not grow old, like we who are left grow old/Age shall not weary
him, nor the years condemn/After going down of the sun, and in the morning/We will remember him, goodbye old
buddy."
X-PAC: "I think everybody would agree that Owen Hart's probably one of the funniest guys that ever walked the face
of the Earth. He's definitely the funniest guy I've ever met. He's got a.....he had a different sense of humor, but I
just....it's so funny now. In the ring, just one of the best ever. One of my favorite guys to work with. You know, we
walked in here today, and everybody's crying. I walked in here...I mean, the tears start rolling. It's just....it's like a
frickin' nightmare. I can't believe he's gone. Well, we're gonna miss him. I know I'm gonna miss him. I just wanna say
a prayer for his wife and his family, his two children. I just wanna say Owen Hart was one of the best guys I've ever
met in my entire life. I miss you, Owen."
ROAD DOGG JESSE JAMES: "This is going to be hard.....It's a little soon to ask about Owen, if you ask me. I had just
gotten to know Owen good in about the past 6 months and I got to know that he's a lot like me. He has two
children.....and he was a good man...and he did this business so that he could provide for his family. (breathes out)
I'm sorry. (fights back crying) Owen....somebody already said it, but you are in a better place. And I do love you and
you will be missed. I'm praying for your family."
GERALD BRISCO: "You know, I always looked at Owen Hart with a lot of respect. One of the reasons why I looked at
Owen.....is being a younger brother of a superstar such as he was, I could relate to Owen. I always knew the drive
that was inside the man's heart to be an outstanding wrestler and to go out and give the crowd, the fans, everything
that he possibly could. And when you look at Owen Hart's career, he did exactly that. He tried his best to go out and
entertain everybody and I think he succeeded every night that he went out. Owen Hart would never cut anything
short. He gave his effort every night for everybody: his family, his fans, his friends. That's how I'll always remember
Owen....as somebody that never cut corners, somebody you could look at and always share a laugh with. And when
it came time to go in the ring, he had one thing in mind, and that was to go out and make the people happy. Owen,
we'll always remember you for that. Thank you for your memories."
DEBRA McMICHAEL: "Ok, I'm gonna probably cry all the way through this, but I'd like to say a few words for Owen
because I want his kids to see this when they grow up. Be sure and tell them I've been here. I've spent a lot of time
with Owen...working with him and traveling and stuff. I will have to admit that the world definitely lost a really great
person. I just wish that all the people could have seen how funny he was. I mean, no matter if it was a bad day or a
good day, he was happening to always be happy and cheery and he'd make me laugh. We'd do autograph sessions,
and he'd always mark all over my hand, and in the limo he'd always make up these funny words and kid with me. It's
funny, you tend to take people for granted 'cause you're always with them. And then, I remember yesterday (Over
The Edge), I was so upset because I felt like my shorts were too tight on me or too short and he was like, "Oh Debra,
well maybe you should change." And I remember that was like the last thing I was saying to him right before he left
to do his match. And then, this morning, I looked at my sheet and we had all these autograph things to do together
this week. You know...life is very, very precious and you should really not take people for granted, and I would like to
say that Owen.....you've really touched my life and brightened my day the time I've been here, and all the Blue
Blazer things we worked together and the autograph sessions....I will definitely miss you and I loved you as a friend.
We had great times and....I still can't believe you're gone and you're not with us anymore. I keep thinking....I keep
looking for you. And it's just gonna be so hard now to walk out with Jeff and you're not with us...at the house shows,
making all those jokes, and making Jeff and I laugh. I'm gonna miss you a whole lot. But I just know.....your family
and your kids to know you were a great guy, and I feel honored that I could have worked with you all this time. I love
you, Owen, and you will always be in my memories."
SHANE McMAHON: "Owen was always the prankster. I mean, you do a prank to Owen and you're getting one back
tenfold. I remember Bret Hart and I, about 10 years ago, we were all in Chicago. That night, we're out down at the
bar and Owen -- The Blazer at the time, when he first came in -- went upstairs early because he wanted to go to
sleep. Bret and I were hanging out and we decided to go up and "wake up the Blazer" as Bret would say. So, we
went upstairs and....you know, we peaked in because Bret and Owen were sharing a room and then we tackled him.
The next day: Bret's boot is missing, my stuff somehow winds up in the shower. The McMahon-Hart family goes back
so many years and.....Owen, you'll be truly missed, and Godspeed."
