Email to friends on Wednesday May 26, 1999
At the World Wrestling Federation Pay-Per-View Over the Edge from Kemper Arena in Kansas City Missouri I saw Owen Hart (Blue Blazer) fall to his death. My old roommate Bob came down from Michigan to go to the event with me. Our seats were in section 221 row I on the aisle. During the first match of the PPV Owen and two men walked up our aisle and past us in plain street clothes. I didn't even notice him until the person sitting in front of me said something. About 20 rows more up on the back wall was the extension ladder they used to access the catwalk under the ceiling of the arena. We saw him walk over head and stop in a curtained area over the middle of the arena. Here he changed into his wrestling costume. And we saw him begin to hook up the harness rigging. Owen had made this type of entrance a couple times before. He would be lowered from the rafters to the ring much as Sting does in rival WCW.
My attention went back to the ring and the wrestling there. A second match took place. The third match was beginning to be hyped by a preview video of what led up to the confrontation between the Blue Blazer( Owen Hart) and The Godfather (Charles Wright). Owen's Music started to play and I was looking at the referee in the ring. I heard some gasps and then saw the last ten feet of Owens fall. His legs hit the ropes and sling shotted his body into a flip back toward the rings center. His head also caught part of the rope on the other side the the turnbuckle. The best way I could describe his position is that his body formed an L shape to complete a square with the L shape of the ring corner. His head and legs hitting the ropes nearly at the same moment.
My friend Bob saw about the last twenty feet of the fall and saw it the same way. We both thought it was merely a dummy at first because he seemed to lifeless as he fell. There was no flailing at all. The WWF has done this before. Using a dummy to throw off a bridge or off their large tv screen in the arenas. But the way the paramedics rushed the ring and the reaction of the referee and the announcers soon helped us realize it was no stunt. They pulled of his mask and began CPR...... Owen never moved. Not once. They stretchered him out of there and the matches continued.
I still feel very disturbed by it. Owen was a good performer. He could work a crowd very well. He was loyal to his company. Although never a world champion, champions would have to go through him on their rise to the top.... like a right of passage. Owen was such a good performer he could often make wrestlers with poor skills look good in the ring because his ability allowed to make up for their inexperience.
At the time it happened I wanted them to stop the show..... but I realized that they had to continue. I'm sure they all were hoping for the best and in wrestling you just have to go on. So Monday night in St. Louis it was good to see that they dedicated the entire show to Owen. They didn't play out any angles or storylines.... the wrestlers did their tributes and they just had matches with no storyline attached. People around me cried off and on. There were a few inconsiderate people in attendance who made inappropriate jokes about it....which is sad but it happens and unfortunately......many fans of wrestling are still "marks" who because Owen was a "heel" when he died, they think it was deserved.
Now I'm trying to decide if I even want to have my film developed.... I took pictures but that was sort of instinct.... I'm not sure I want to see what is on that film..... especially since I'm trying to erase from my mind what I saw happen that ill fated Sunday Night. That's all I have to say about the incident except that Owen will always be remembered fondly. Rest in Peace my friend.