Owen Hart was all about the theatricality of wrestling, including the gimmicks. He wrestled in something like a lucha libre costume for a time, with a full-head mask and cape, the "Blue Blazer." Part of his schtick was being lowered by cable from high in the rafters, down to the ring, where he'd commence to open a can of whatever on whoever.
As CNN writes, the night of May 24, 1999, Owen was supposed to wrestle as The Blue Blazer in a WWF (now WWE) pay-per-view match in Kansas City. Some claim the harness was rigged incorrectly, with the wrong gear. Some claim accident. Some claim negligence. Whatever the cause, the final result was that Owen Hart's harness released when he was still 70 feet in the air. Sports Illustrated reports that he slammed into the top rope and landed on his back on the mat, his lungs filling from a ruptured aorta. He was pronounced dead at a Kansas City hospital. He was 33, married to Martha, with two children. His widow was awarded $18 million in 2000 after suing the company for negligence, according to The Wrap. She refuses to allow Owen to be inducted posthumously into the WWE Hall of Fame.
After Hart's body was removed, the evening's matches continued. Hart's blood was still on the mat.
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