Owen Hart Takes Rightful Place in Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame

Owen Hart is finally a member of a professional wrestling hall of fame.

Hart was honored on Saturday night as part of the 2018 Class of the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in Waterloo, Iowa. The banquet and induction at the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center was attended by several members of the Hart family, including Diana Hart, Harry Smith, Bruce Hart, Ross Hart, and Keith Hart. All of the Hart family in attendance came on stage to speak and accept the honor for their late brother/uncle.

Though Hart has still not been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, a controversial topic due to Owen's widow (Martha) not wanting WWE to profit off of her late husband, many in the wrestling industry consider the Tragos/Thesz Hall of Fame to be the most legitimate wrestling hall of fame in the country. Both Bret Hart and Dave Meltzer are on record saying as much, among others.

I covered Bret Hart's induction into the Tragos/Thesz Hall of Fame in 2006, and Bret compared it to his induction earlier that same year to the WWE Hall of Fame. He declared that the Tragos/Thesz induction was a "much bigger honor for me."

Very cool to be a part of this moment! Owen Hart inducted into @wrestlingmuseum Hall of Fame! pic.twitter.com/MeE052siub

— Danny Cage (@TheDannyCage) July 29, 2018

The Hart Family honoring their brother and uncle Owen Hart at the @wrestlingmuseum! pic.twitter.com/SI2GSDKptF

— Rob Schamberger (@robschamberger) July 29, 2018

@DBSmithjr @wrestlingmuseum pic.twitter.com/CpqkZGErkB

— Wes brisco (@Wesbrisco) July 29, 2018

#OwenHart wasn’t only a tremendous and gifted athlete: he was also a dedicated family man. It’s fitting to have so many members of the #HartFamily with us to induct Owen into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame. #Thesz pic.twitter.com/CihON8qCkr

— Dan Gable Museum (@wrestlingmuseum) July 29, 2018

WWE producer and former NWA world champion Adam Pearce was the master of ceremonies at the banquet on Saturday evening, a position that Jim Ross has served in multiple times in the past. Dan Severn was also inducted into the Hall of Fame, while Booker T received the Lou Thesz Award, Bruiser Brody was posthumously given the Frank Gotch Award, Ben Askren received the George Tragos Award, and Koji Miyamoto was this year's Jim Melby Award recipient.

Wrestlers are chosen for the Tragos/Thesz Hall of Fame by an actual voting body, unlike the WWE Hall of Fame. Criteria includes a successful career in pro wrestling while also having a real athletic background. Owen Hart was a successful amateur wrestler prior to entering pro wrestling, while Severn was of course one of the biggest MMA stars of the 1990s during the early days of the UFC.

The Hall of Fame is housed in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. Gable, who many consider the greatest American amateur wrestler of all time, is a native of Waterloo. The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) was also founded in the city in 1948.