Why Didn't Owen go to WCW with the rest of his family?

[jccool420]

I usually don't post these kind of "What if?" threads, but I was watching WWE classics and they are airing the RAW where owen wrestled the Rock...

All the rest of the Hart Foundation were in WCW, they all left when Bret got "screwed"

Why did Owen stay behind? Did he have too much time on his contract? Could he not talk his way out of his contract and get his release?

WWE was making a fool out of him after Bret left... Why did he stay? He should've atleast sat out his contract...

He would still be alive and might have got a decent push in WCW...

Owen
R.I.P....

 

[Chill]

I believe Owen wanted to get out of wrestling all together, never mind going to WCW. However, from what I've read, WWE gave him a significant pay rise which obviously was enough to convince him to stay. It's likely he had the mind set of finishing his contract with WWE (who wouldn't let him go) and making as much money out of his pay rise as possible, before ultimately leaving the game as he reportedly wanted to do for some time. If only he had of gone to WCW though he would probably still be here today...

 

[CobraVenom]

If Bret couldn't get a decent push in WCW, what makes anybody think that Owen would have?

I like to believe that Owen knew he had a better thing going with Vince. I choose to believe that he chose security for his family over a move south which might not have paid off. Hello OP. *waves*

That is why he shouldn't have and didn't sit out the duration of his contract.

A lot of people seem to forget that Owen was just a midcarder before he died. The main event was just not in his future. He was today's Christian back then. A lot of people like him, but he won't be in the big time.

 

[DirtyJosé]

Why did Owen stay behind? Did he have too much time on his contract? Could he not talk his way out of his contract and get his release?

This is pretty much hitting it on the head. McMahon allows Jim and Davey Boy to leave because their contracts were running up, and perhaps because he felt he didn't need them around. With Owen, however, McMahon refused to relent and allow Owen his release.

He would still be alive and might have got a decent push in WCW...

HA! Like they did with Bret? I can't disagree that he might still be alive, but WCW would have wasted him. They would never have put Owen into anything serious; he would just have jobbed to the Outsiders a bunch before disappearing into the void known as "Thunder".

 

[SyndicateSaint]

According to the A&E Biography on Owen, he wanted out of wrestling period. He was trying to make just enough money to pay for his dream house which had just started getting built. Afterward, he was going to be a gym teacher or fireman...those were his true passions as a kid. Anyway, he couldn't go to WCW because WWF(E) wouldn't let him out of his contract...I don't think they say why they let Bulldog and Anvil go. Maybe they saw something big in Owen. He was supposed to get the gimmick of "The Game" eventually but sadly it was never to happen.

 

[OutsiderDX]

Also in Bret's book, it said Vince wouldn't let him out of his contract. And Bret was ok with that, because he knew Owen was going to make more money and take care of his family.

 

[Tenta]

Yeah, it's been said before that Vince just wouldn't let owen out of his contract. Quite frankly, Jim and Davey were really washed up at that point. I don't mean to disrespect the late British Bulldog or Jim Neidhart, but to say they wre fossilized versions of themselves in the ring would be giving them far too much credit. Owen, meanwhile, still had something left to him, and quite frankly, Vince can be extremely vengeful at times. Thus, you have what you had now, and he just couldn't find a way to get over to WCW. Bret actually advised Owen to stay with the WWE, and even when Owen did have a chance to go with WCW in 1991, Owen turned the idea down.

If Owen went to WCW, he would have eventually found his way back in WWE, probably. There's no way he was going to get the push in WCW, at least with the people at the head of the company that were there. Although we do have the gift of hindsight, it really was better for Owen to stay in the WWE at the time.

 

[WWEWrestleFest]

I disagree with everyone. If Owen had gone to WCW, I think WCW would have done something with him. Just Jim Niedhart and Bulldog there, they seemed like Bret's lackeys. But if Owen was there, too, they could have done the Hart Foundation faction thing and it would have worked.

Or they could have used him as a heel. He would have worked as a Jericho type of singles heel, or they could have put him in the nWo and he would have fit well, just like he fit surprisingly well with the Nation of Domination. But anyway, to answer the original question, he didn't go to WCW because Vince wouldn't let him out of his contract.

 

[Money Inc.]

As said before Vince reportedly wouldn't let Owen go and also reports say gave him a raise for his loyalty (or being a company guy when told he couldn't go)

I personally am glad he didn't go down to WCW. Of course you could bring up the "well he might still be alive today" reply.. but seriously c'mon... freak accidents happen. Should he of been up there in the first place? No, of course not... but people are always willing to point the finger when things go bad, but when things turn out good its a "mark out moment" (ala Michaels at WM 12)

Once again, I agree he shouldn't of been up there in the first place, but it was a freak accident and we need to stop playing the same record.

The reason I'm happy he didn't go down to WCW is the fact a Hart couldn't sell in that territory. Bret was making 2.5-3 Million and might of been the most stale wrestler on the roster during his tenure down there. DB and Jim are a footnote in WCW history and IMO Owen would of been as well.

 

[Wullief23]

Owen was still under contract and Vince would not release him. Bret wanted Owen to go with him and, although Owen was looking to leave wretling altogether, i believe Owen wanted to go with Bret. But due to the contract he simply couldnt.

 

[TheTaxMan]

He did just buy his dream house...

 

[kurt_angle_no1fan]

I think a few people are being a little critical of Bret Harts WCW tenure - making out it was his fault. I also think WCW recieve undeserved criticism for Bret Hart.

The fact is Hart was depressed. He left WWF on very bad terms as we all know, he didnt wanna be in WCW and then Owen died. There was a cloud of doom for the majority of his tenure and by the time that cleared he was the wrong side of 40. There was terrible booking on WCW's part but I think if Bret arrived in good spirits and Owen hadnt of died we may of seen another Bret Hart than the one we saw in WCW. Anyone remember the end to Hart vs Goldberg at Starrcade?

As for Owen, wise move staying in WWE as far as the all mighty $$$ was concerned. Not sure WCW were even interested. Freak accident his death aswell. No blame.

PS - I also like the poster who compared Owen to Christian. Spot on is that.

 

[Kenny Powers]

I've heard that Owen wanted to go to WCW, but he was promised a huge raise in his contract and he was also promised a huge main event push. Unfortunately that never came about as far as the huge push goes. Some have blamed the politics of Triple H and Shawn Michaels not wanting to job to Owen Hart for the reason, but I don't know. I have heard that the Blue Blazer idea was Vince Russo, so again thanks for nothing Russo.

I believe that if Owen went to WCW he probably wouldn't be used well there either, but at least he would have been alive. Maybe he could of returned to WWE afterward like Bret did. I don't think Owen would of stayed in the business long. He probably would have retired in a few years, but at least he would still be alive today.

 

[WWEWrestleFest]

I've heard that Owen wanted to go to WCW, but he was promised a huge raise in his contract and he was also promised a huge main event push. Unfortunately that never came about as far as the huge push goes. Some have blamed the politics of Triple H and Shawn Michaels not wanting to job to Owen Hart for the reason, but I don't know. I have heard that the Blue Blazer idea was Vince Russo, so again thanks for nothing Russo.

Shawn Michaels was pretty much gone by that point, and I don't think Triple H had a lot of power, yet. Austin, Rock, and Taker were pretty much the most powerful around that time, and all three of them were fans of Owen. (Austin said he was, but who knows how he really felt, since Owen was the one who injured him)

And Russo wanted Owen to have an on-screen affair with Debra, who was managing him and Jeff Jarrett at the time. Owen didn't want to do that since his kids watched WWF and he didn't want them to think their father was cheating on their mother. So as punishment for refusing to do the angle Vince McMahon, not Russo, made him don the Blue Blazer gimmick again. Only instead of being a high flying cruiserweight type like the Blazer originally was, he would now be a goofy klutz.

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

Shawn Michaels was pretty much gone by that point, and I don't think Triple H had a lot of power, yet. Austin, Rock, and Taker were pretty much the most powerful around that time, and all three of them were fans of Owen. (Austin said he was, but who knows how he really felt, since Owen was the one who injured him)

And Russo wanted Owen to have an on-screen affair with Debra, who was managing him and Jeff Jarrett at the time. Owen didn't want to do that since his kids watched WWF and he didn't want them to think their father was cheating on their mother. So as punishment for refusing to do the angle Vince McMahon, not Russo, made him don the Blue Blazer gimmick again. Only instead of being a high flying cruiserweight type like the Blazer originally was, he would now be a goofy klutz.

Good point dispelling Kliq's involvement here.
They were pretty much done backstage by that point.

Blue Blazer was supposed to be a swipe on Hulk Hogan's character. The whole ' eat your vitamins- say your prayers- count the stars till your head spins..I dunno' were being mocked here and The Blue Blazer was to look like a goof saying all that Terry Bolea had preached.

Lame attempt by Vince but then again this is the guy that gave us (and when I say 'this is the guy' I mean he scripted personally) The Huckster, The Nacho Man and Scheme Gene....