underjohngrohs
Main Eventer
"Do I Have Everybody's Attention Now?"
Joined on: May 19, 2012 17:48:25 GMT -5
Posts: 2,959
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Post by underjohngrohs on May 23, 2018 21:41:30 GMT -5
May 23, 1999 will forever be a date that we lost one of the best wrestlers, entertainers, a man who could've become the World Wrestling Federation Champion. A man that left us very way too soon in Kansas City, Owen Hart.
I never got the chance to see wrestling in 1999, but in 2000. Once I heard about it, it was very shocking, and this was to me shocked, I mean I started to watch WWF at the time, But on that day I went to see the Orioles vs The Rangers when the death occurred, but I never heard about it, until I discovered wrestling in 2000. But to all the WFIGS People out there, where were you that tragic night and on the day after when you heard the news of Owen Hart?.
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Post by The Brain on May 23, 2018 21:50:04 GMT -5
I was watching the PPV live that night. When J.R. announced he passed I was just in shock. I can only imagine what the fans in attendance were thinking as they saw it happened right in front of them.
RIP Owen.You will forever be the King of Harts.
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Post by drifter on May 23, 2018 23:09:04 GMT -5
I was also watching the PPV when it happened. Remember just being numb of it, after it was announced. Raw is Owen the next night, was the first time, I shed tears for the loss of a wrestler. It was like the Raw was the reality check, confirming it was real, he was gone, and just seeing how crushed everyone when they shared their memories, it just hit me.
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Post by hbkbigdaddycool on May 23, 2018 23:11:14 GMT -5
It was May 24 weekend in Canada when it happened, so I was probably drinking like a bad ass and acting all cool doing it because I was only 18 years old at the time. So therefore... I was a rebel.
I do remember hearing about it though that night, word went around about it because it was on the news. Then the following day a friend of mine brought over the PPV for me to see it and it was so surreal watching it.
I remember how the next match was Jeff/Debra vs. Val/Nicole and Jeff was such a mess trying to cut a promo in the back, and Debra trying not to cry, and even when Val Venis came out for the match, for like 10 seconds he just walks to the ring normal, not in the Val Venis character. Then he snaps into it and does the Val stuff. Just really weird.
I do think Vince made the right decision to continue the show. Owen wasn't really dead yet in the ring - even if he was. Because nobody claimed it yet. I think when JR and King made the announcement before Rock vs. HHH then that is where it gets tough. There was only two matches left, do you really cancel the show now?? Probably not.
I don't think that anything Vince could have done that night would have been thought of as, "the right thing to do."
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underjohngrohs
Main Eventer
"Do I Have Everybody's Attention Now?"
Joined on: May 19, 2012 17:48:25 GMT -5
Posts: 2,959
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Post by underjohngrohs on May 24, 2018 1:56:42 GMT -5
It was May 24 weekend in Canada when it happened, so I was probably drinking like a bad ass and acting all cool doing it because I was only 18 years old at the time. So therefore... I was a rebel. I do remember hearing about it though that night, word went around about it because it was on the news. Then the following day a friend of mine brought over the PPV for me to see it and it was so surreal watching it. I remember how the next match was Jeff/Debra vs. Val/Nicole and Jeff was such a mess trying to cut a promo in the back, and Debra trying not to cry, and even when Val Venis came out for the match, for like 10 seconds he just walks to the ring normal, not in the Val Venis character. Then he snaps into it and does the Val stuff. Just really weird. I do think Vince made the right decision to continue the show. Owen wasn't really dead yet in the ring - even if he was. Because nobody claimed it yet. I think when JR and King made the announcement before Rock vs. HHH then that is where it gets tough. There was only two matches left, do you really cancel the show now?? Probably not. I don't think that anything Vince could have done that night would have been thought of as, "the right thing to do." Well to be quite honest. They should have announced it to everyone after the show. I mean everyone that was glued to the PPV was shocked. But announcing it after the show would have perfectly made more sense. |
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Post by DZ: WF Legacy on May 24, 2018 2:40:05 GMT -5
I was at Toys R Us, wanting to get home quick to watch the show. I had a bunch of new wrestling figures, and I was excited to watch and play around with them. Wound up being one of the saddest days of my life. I tried repressing it, still unsure of what even happened, and then following night after I got home from school and put Raw is Owen on, it all hit me at once. Owen was my favorite wrestler in WWF after Bret went to WCW, and I always appreciated his abilities and comedic chops even if I wasn't thrilled with the Blue Blazer getup.
It was one of the first times I ever felt genuinely depressed in my life.
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nibs92
Main Eventer
Joined on: May 29, 2008 5:47:21 GMT -5
Posts: 2,357
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Post by nibs92 on May 24, 2018 3:26:23 GMT -5
I was watching the PPV. I live in the UK so stayed up late for it but kept falling asleep. I was half asleep when JR announced it and felt so surreal. Only wish it was a bad dream.
And I agree with hbkbigdaddycool that Vince was right to continue. If Vince was to cancel any show, you know something is seriously wrong. And it would be unfair to cancel it and cause panic/rumours about the situation before Owens family had been notified.
With all the young wrestler deaths (and there’s been way too many), this is especially tragic as Owen wasn’t a drug abuser, or lived to excess and, by all accounts had plans for the future. The descent from the ceiling wasn’t an essential part of the character and just seems a senseless loss of life.
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China Claus
Main Eventer
I can feeel your sensitivity
Joined on: Apr 17, 2012 20:05:15 GMT -5
Posts: 2,737
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Post by China Claus on May 24, 2018 11:15:15 GMT -5
I was actually staying at a family friend's house in Charlotte, NC, because my mom was on a business trip.
I remember I took my old Hasbro wrestling ring with a bunch of figures so I'd have something to do while we were down there. I remember I'd just got the Jakks Blue Blazer and loved that figure, and eerily recall playing with it that morning, then flipping on the TV to find out Owen had passed.
I was a kid at the time but was still devastated.
RIP Owen
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Post by Lorenzo Alcazar on May 24, 2018 11:52:07 GMT -5
Watching the PPV. Just a horrific and tragic moment.
Wrestling seems so insignificant when it comes to life and death, but Owen Hart is one of those situations where in retrospect I wish he'd gone to WCW. I know it was like a war back then and as a fan it almost felt like a loss or betrayal when "we" would lose guys we loved to WCW. Hogan, Macho Man, Razor, Diesel, Bret, all of those hurt my feelings as a child.......but if Owen had gone back to WCW, he'd be alive.
Just a real tragedy. I don't fault WWE like a lot of people do. A lot of people claim that the stunt was dangerous and irresponsible and not necessary or whatever....but we very easily could be talking about Sting instead. He was rolling the dice every time, too. So it's not like Vince was the only one asking people to take risks.
RIP Owen Hart.
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Post by "The Visionary" Eldniw on May 24, 2018 12:13:05 GMT -5
I actually did not know until the bus ride to school the next day. Someone hollered from a few seats back "The Blue Blazer died last night." And not knowing Owen was the Blazer, I kinda shrugged it off as an accident elsewhere. Then I learned Owen was the Blazer and it set in. Someone I knew passed away when I was actually regularly watching wrestling. My mom, working at KB Toys at the time, heard while she was at work, and bought me the BCA Series 6 Owen Hart figure, unbeknownst to me.
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Post by Patrick Bateman (original) on May 24, 2018 15:04:24 GMT -5
Watching the PPV. Just a horrific and tragic moment. Wrestling seems so insignificant when it comes to life and death, but Owen Hart is one of those situations where in retrospect I wish he'd gone to WCW. I know it was like a war back then and as a fan it almost felt like a loss or betrayal when "we" would lose guys we loved to WCW. Hogan, Macho Man, Razor, Diesel, Bret, all of those hurt my feelings as a child.......but if Owen had gone back to WCW, he'd be alive. Just a real tragedy. I don't fault WWE like a lot of people do. A lot of people claim that the stunt was dangerous and irresponsible and not necessary or whatever....but we very easily could be talking about Sting instead. He was rolling the dice every time, too. So it's not like Vince was the only one asking people to take risks. RIP Owen Hart. Sting was even doing it higher up, and from helicopters. Nuts. I wish he would of retired like he wanted to, and showed up from time to time. If Owen would of went to wCw, he would still be alive, and Bret would of been working a different program instead of with Goldberg. I was at home watching (listening) through the squiggly lines. And heard Owen had fell, then later the announcement he had died. My buddy Chris called me and said Owen had died as the blue blazer. I told him it was a stunt, and a dummy, and Owen was fine. He then told me he was watching the announcement on the local news. I quickly hung up and turned it to channel 5. And there it was. My jaw dropped, and my eyes filled with tears. R.I.P. Owen Ha....... The worlds most dangerous man Ken Shamrock. |
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Post by theoutlaw1999 on May 24, 2018 18:22:19 GMT -5
Being from the UK I heard it in school the following morning. Basically my entire classroom where talking about Owen Hart dying and to be truthful I was in disbelief.
Then when I got home that afternoon my parents told me the lunchtime news reported that a famous wrestler died and that was when it clicked.
I had been a huge fan of Owen for 2 years and he was the first wrestler that died while I was WWE fan.
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Post by TheLastDude on May 24, 2018 18:29:07 GMT -5
Watching live.
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underjohngrohs
Main Eventer
"Do I Have Everybody's Attention Now?"
Joined on: May 19, 2012 17:48:25 GMT -5
Posts: 2,959
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Post by underjohngrohs on May 24, 2018 21:31:10 GMT -5
I've often pictured Owen winning the Intercontinental Title from The Godfather and feuding with Jarrett, he and Jarrett could have a long-term feud for a while, then I would have Owen drop the title to Jericho at Survivor Series and Owen could have his retirement.
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Post by Nivro™ on May 24, 2018 22:27:44 GMT -5
I was actually at a WCW show. I didnt know he died but something seemed weird cause by the end of the night the guys seemed to be mailing it in. Benoit & Malenko especially really looked like they didnt want to be there.
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Post by finnbalor1 on May 24, 2018 22:56:01 GMT -5
Watching it live.
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Post by AmericanMadeLesGold on May 25, 2018 0:37:27 GMT -5
Was watching it live. Told my parents what happened, and they didn't believe it was real until we all saw it on the news.
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Deleted
Joined on: Nov 29, 2024 19:59:22 GMT -5
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on May 25, 2018 13:10:36 GMT -5
I found out on Monday. I'd been sent to juvi the Thursday before that and got released on Monday morning. Totally surreal,and looking back at Owen,I wish Summerslam 94 had been his moment.
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Post by Mr. Old School™ on May 26, 2018 10:53:59 GMT -5
I was watching on PPV that night and it was beyond shocking to say the least.
Right after Owen had fell, they were panning back and forth with crowd shots and then we see Jim Ross.
If you watch closely, there's a fan with black hair & glasses behind Jim Ross pointing up to the ceiling & giving a throat-cutting gesture meaning he knew the severity of the situation and pretty much knew Owen was dead then and there.
I've watched it a few times and it looks like the fan actually says "He's dead".
I still have the VHS tape I recorded it on that night.
It's the ONLY way that event exists in its entirety. I even recorded the Sunday Night Heat show that night as well.
Vince should've canceled the show. There's no way a riot would break out. Everyone would've been understanding of the tragic situation.
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Post by aggressiveperfector on May 27, 2018 10:12:04 GMT -5
Watching the Pay Per View. The video package placement seemed awkward. When JR announced that there was an accident I initially thought "maybe it was a horrible limb injury" but then I realized that in his voice and the panic, it was worse. And later I found out how bad it really was, that he had died. And I felt horrible. I was numb the rest of the night. I planned to get on some extra credit to bump up a grade to an "A" (I was about to graduate High School). It felt surreal and like someone said in this thread it was really nailed home the next night on Raw.
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