There’s no denying that every year when WrestleMania season and the annual WWE Hall Of Fame ceremony rolls around, one of the names that fans have continued to clamor for to be inducted is the late, great Owen Hart. We all know how Owen tragically passed away in a stunt gone awry at Over The Edge 1999 and have long wanted the WWE to honor Owen. Unfortunately for the WWE Universe, Owen’s widow, Martha, has remained firm in her position that the company is only looking to use Owen’s likeness for financial gain.

Owen’s brother and WWE Hall Of Famer Bret recently appeared on the In This Corner podcast and had the following to say regarding Martha’s stance:

“Oh yeah, I think Martha, Owen’s widow, is a very obtuse, square-headed person. I think she has done more to erase my brother Owen’s memory than she ever did to remember him. I think it really bothers me that the fans that love Owen so much don’t get a chance to remember him. You do these kind of things for the people that are here left to remember them.”

Martha caught wind of Bret’s comments and issued the following statement in response:

The suggestion by Bret Hart that I am “erasing” the memory of my late husband, Owen Hart, is reckless, irresponsible, and clearly untrue.

Bret’s comments are rooted in the fact that I have steadfastly refused to work with the WWE to exploit Owen’s image for commercial gain. Owen was an incredible entertainer and I know that his many fans around the world enjoyed his wrestling career immensely. I encourage them to continue to do so. But I am firm in my belief that the WWE was responsible for Owen’s death. As a result, I cannot and will not support any efforts by the WWE to profit from Owen’s memory.

Instead, I, my son Oje and daughter Athena have worked tirelessly to honor Owen through the good works of The Owen Hart Foundation, which has exceeded $4 million in gift giving and contributions toward scholarships, home owner bursaries, and other special projects that have greatly improved the lives of so many in Canada and around the world. We have always believed that this is the most fitting public tribute to a man of profound integrity; a wonderful human being who just happened to wrestle. I know that Owen would be very proud of the tremendous accomplishments the Foundation has achieved in his name.

Bret Hart’s comments are disrespectful and cruel. It is disappointing that so many in the media have chosen to report them without seeking my perspective. Whatever Bret may believe, the fact is that, far from “erasing” Owen’s memory, I have devoted the last 20 years to celebrating his life in a very public way. I can think of very few people who have been remembered so glowingly by their spouse.

EA’s Take: I have to be honest here and it’s probably not popular opinion, but to a degree, I do kind of understand her stance. I’m not familiar with what she’s been doing with the charity work, however I’d say that is honoring Owen to an extent. At the same time, I am a fan like anyone else and would absolutely love to see Owen get an induction, be included in video games, etc. I’d wonder if she wouldn’t at least listen to what WWE could offer, possibly a scenario where they make a large donation to the charity? Quite frankly, I think as fans all we could ever do now is hope she changes her mind. It’s been nearly 20 years since Owen’s death at this point and she hasn’t seemed to budge at all.

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