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#4: Martha Hart
The tragic passing of Owen Hart at WWE Over the Edge 1999 has long haunted the pro wrestling business and remains to this day one of the darkest moments in the sport’s long history. For those unfamiliar, Hart, under the guise of his Blue Blazer gimmick, was set to wrestle a match with The Godfather for the WWE Intercontinental Title at the PPV.
As part of his entrance, he was to descend to the ring on a zip line, a-la Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 12. However, WWE had opted to use a snap release clasp that opened prematurely sending Owen hurtling toward the ring & to his death.
The event produced an outpouring of emotion all across the wrestling world and saw Martha Hart file a wrongful death lawsuit against Vince McMahon and the WWE. Citing a lack of oversight that she felt resulted in her husband’s untimely passing.
Recently the tragic story entered the news once more following the release of the heartaching episode of Vice’s Dark Side of The Ring series dedicated to Owen Hart and Martha’s lawsuit against the WWE. Interviews given by Martha to promote the episode prompted Vince’s lawyer to release a statement claiming that Vince had offered a heartfelt apology to Martha during the settlement hearing.
