Bret Hart Wants to Carry on the Tradition of Professional Wrestling in Calgary (Exclusive)

Bret Hart and Calgary, Alberta, Canada are synonymous with one another.

It’s where “The Hitman” began his journey towards professional wrestling greatness, and it’s where he now tries to leave a mark on a new generation, both inside and outside the ring.

Calgary has long been a fascinating destination for wrestling fans.

Stu Hart’s wrestling territory was founded in 1948 as Klondike Wrestling, rebranded as Big Time Wrestling in 1951, and then established as Stampede Wrestling. It was a mainstay for decades in Canada, with the Calgary-produced broadcast being must-see television in various markets while being syndicated in numerous countries worldwide.

Local fans helped create an exciting atmosphere that extended well beyond the famous Victoria Pavilion.

“There were a lot of loyal fans that had been coming for years,” Bret recalls. “They were longtime fans that had a longtime appreciation for wrestling and the kind of wrestling that my dad put on.”

Bret also reflects on the impact that Ed Whalen, a legendary local media personality, had on the appeal of Stampede Wrestling in Calgary.

"He always got very dramatic and emotional and caught up in storylines," Bret says. "The fans loved the way he made it tongue in cheek at times when there weren’t necessarily the best wrestlers out there. At the same time, when you brought out the serious wrestlers who did serious things, Ed was a guy who could react, and the way he reacted was how the fans reacted.

"I always loved the way Ed made wrestling fun. He was always credible, and at the same time, brought out the realism, which I think was the story here in Calgary.

Stampede Wrestling and The Art Of Professional Wrestling

Stu's approach to the business is what set Calgary apart.

Stampede Wrestling wasn’t just another territory. It had a clearly-defined focus, and that became a staple of what made Bret one of the all-time greats in the squared circle.

“It was a little different than everywhere else because I think every territory has its own mark,” he says. “Calgary’s mark was an overall effort for realism. If your punches weren’t good or your work wasn’t good, you generally didn’t go anywhere. You had to be a good worker to make it in Calgary.”

The circuit was demanding, but it allowed wrestlers to experiment and try new things with one crowd that would provide useful feedback for the next stop.

“There was Calgary on Friday, Edmonton on Saturday, and Sunday was usually a spot-show somewhere nearby within sixty miles of Calgary,” Bret says. “Monday was Saskatoon, Tuesday was Regina, Wednesday was Red Deer, and Thursday was Lethbridge. Each town was different.

“I always thought Regina was a precursor to what you did in Calgary and Edmonton. You might try it first in Regina and see that it worked or the idea got over. You could do a ladder match with Dynamite Kid or something, and if it did really well and the matches were phenomenal, it was like, “Okay, now we can take that to Calgary.”

However, it wasn’t always that easy. The respect of the Calgary fans had to be earned.

While the Edmonton crowd “seemed to buy everything,” according to Bret, the reception was different in The Stampede City.

“It was a very skeptical crowd,” Bret says. “It was a good crowd, but you didn’t get that same reaction as Edmonton. They weren’t less than, but they were more studious and studied everything. If you went to Calgary and had a pretty good match, you almost knew no matter what that when you went to Edmonton, you’d get a reaction.”

“What I loved about Calgary is they were always a tough audience. But if you started having great matches, they loved it and would respect you. It didn’t take me very long, maybe two or three months, to win over fans and have a sort of diehard fanbase.”

Dungeon Wrestling Embraces Calgary Tradition

Fast forward to the present, and you’ll see “The Excellence Of Execution” having a hand in Calgary still holding its own as a destination for wrestling fans.

Out of the ring, there’s the famous Hart family mansion, and the gravesite of the late Owen Hart at Queen’s Park Cemetery. Hitman’s Bar, a sports bar dedicated to celebrating Bret’s illustrious career, is another popular spot. And if you’re into rum, the WWE Hall of Famer, who is a classic rum-and-Coke kind of guy, is a proud ambassador for Romero Distilling Co.

There’s also the aforementioned Victoria Pavilion, which hosts the Dungeon Wrestling promotion, led by Bret’s son Dallas Hart. That’s been an avenue for the legend to promote the long-standing tradition of what made Calgary a wrestling town in the first place.

“I’ve always encouraged Dallas and Dungeon Wrestling to try to emulate the Stampede Wrestling live experience as much as possible,” Bret says. “It’s hard because you don’t have access to the talent you had back in those days. You get wrestlers coming in, and you don’t know how good they are until they get here. There are situations where the wrestlers don’t have the experience of working every day like those days."

Dungeon Wrestling has featured several notable talents.

Regulars include Raj Dhesi, formerly known as Jinder Mahal in WWE, who is the current Stu Hart Heritage Champion. Tommy Billington, the nephew of the late Dynamite Kid, has made numerous appearances. Mo Jabari, a Calgary native who has been mentored by Bret, trained under Lance Storm at the Storm Wrestling Academy.

Current TNA Champion Mike Santana also competed at the Dungeon Wrestling Doomsday 2 show back in January.

The promotion will hold its third-annual Unfinished Business event on Good Friday on April 3. Tickets are available now at Eventbrite.ca.

How the shows are crafted is a key feature for longtime fans in Calgary, and for those looking to make the venture to the unique setting that is the Victoria Pavilion.

“I’ve seen some outstanding shows that, to a certain degree, I would say they were better than some of the WWE pay-per-views in how a wrestling show is put together,” Bret says.

Can Dungeon Wrestling ever reach the level of Stampede Wrestling? Maybe not since it’s a different time and era.

That doesn’t stop Bret from pondering the possibilities.

Yeah it is! 🇨🇦 https://t.co/vXZU24EArT pic.twitter.com/eDflOHkA9g
— Nick Aldis (@RealNickAldis) April 9, 2023

“It would be really nice to see a territorial-like wrestling company get back in business and have a TV show,” he says. “Those things might be in the future for Dungeon Wrestling, but at the same time, you don’t have Stu Hart, you don’t have Ed Whalen, you don’t have that selection of talent like you used to have where you could bring in the world champion, or a guy from Puerto Rico, or a guy from Japan.”

And yet, the legacy of Stampede Wrestling lives on in Calgary.

Bret, Dallas, and many others are embracing the unique tradition to create a one-of-a-kind experience for a new generation of wrestlers and fans.

“We try to program out where you can bring your family,” Bret says. “It’s not all about the blood and stupid stuff. There’s a title match and clear endings.

“It’s the kind of wrestling that Stampede Wrestling always was.”