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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesThe 1997 Hart Foundation faction had five wrestlers: Bret Hart, Jim Neidhart, Owen Hart, Davey Boy Smith (the British Bulldog) and Brian Pillman. Ranked by a mix of singles achievements, contribution to the team and wider influence, the order below puts Bret first and Neidhart fifth. This is an editorial ranking, not an official WWE list.
The name can cause confusion: the original Hart Foundation was the tag team of Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart. Jimmy Hart managed the original team but was not one of the five wrestlers in the 1997 faction. WWE’s Neidhart profile describes both lineups.
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How this ranking works
The five members brought different strengths, so a title-only ranking would miss what made the faction distinctive. This list weighs three things: singles accomplishments, contribution to the Hart Foundation’s tag-team and faction identity, and broader influence or distinctiveness. That gives substantial credit to major individual careers while recognizing members whose value was especially tied to the group.
Every Hart Foundation member, ranked worst to best
5. Jim Neidhart
Neidhart ranks fifth here because the case for him rests most strongly on what he brought as Bret Hart’s partner and as the faction’s powerhouse, rather than on the individual accomplishments available for comparison in WWE’s profiles. WWE describes him as the “explosive powerhouse” of the legendary Hart Foundation and records him as part of both the original Bret-and-Neidhart team and the expanded 1997 faction. His strength complemented Bret’s wrestling style and helped give the team a recognizable contrast.
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That placement is not a judgment that Neidhart was unimportant: the original team is the foundation of the name itself. It reflects this list’s emphasis on singles distinction and broader influence as well as faction contribution. WWE’s profile of Jim Neidhart outlines his role in both lineups.
4. Owen Hart
Owen’s place in the five-member faction is established by WWE’s profiles, which name him among the 1997 members. His family connection was also central to the group’s identity: WWE identifies him as Bret’s brother and part of the Hart wrestling family. The faction brought together several of Bret’s relatives and longtime wrestling associates under one banner.
WWE’s available profiles cited here establish Owen’s membership and family background, but do not provide a detailed individual career comparison. His fourth-place position is therefore a judgment within this particular ranking, not a claim based on a head-to-head record or a precise tally of titles. WWE’s Stu Hart profile provides the family context; Owen’s membership is also listed in the Neidhart profile and Brian Pillman profile.
3. Brian Pillman
Pillman ranks third for the distinct influence and character he added to the faction. WWE describes him as influential to 1990s wrestling and records his place alongside Bret Hart, Neidhart, the British Bulldog and Owen in the pro-Canadian Hart Foundation. That contribution gives him a strong case even though a ranking based only on championship totals might place him lower.
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His role made the group more than a reunion of Hart family members and familiar tag partners: Pillman brought a different presence to the faction. WWE’s Brian Pillman profile covers his influence and Hart Foundation role.
Rank #3
2. Davey Boy Smith (the British Bulldog)
Smith’s ranking is supported by a major singles achievement as well as his later tag contribution. At SummerSlam 1992, he defeated Bret Hart for the Intercontinental Championship at Wembley Stadium. WWE’s profile recounts the match in front of more than 80,000 spectators. That victory gives Smith a particularly strong singles case among the faction’s members.
He also teamed with Owen Hart later in his career, giving him a connection to the group’s team side beyond his 1997 membership. WWE’s British Bulldog profile records the SummerSlam result and his tag history.
Rank #4
1. Bret Hart
Bret takes the top spot because he combines the group’s original identity with the strongest individual-career case in this ranking. WWE says he came to the company as a tag team with his brother-in-law Jim Neidhart, and its profile describes his extensive championship career. He was central to both the original Hart Foundation and the expanded faction, giving him weight as a singles wrestler and as the figure most closely associated with the team’s name.
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Who was in the Hart Foundation?
The answer depends on which lineup the name refers to. The original team was Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart; the 1997 faction expanded to five wrestlers. Jimmy Hart was the original team’s manager, not one of the five wrestlers ranked here.
| Lineup | Members |
|---|---|
| Original tag team | Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart |
| 1997 faction | Bret Hart, Jim Neidhart, Owen Hart, Davey Boy Smith (the British Bulldog) and Brian Pillman |
WWE’s profiles for Jim Neidhart and Brian Pillman identify the five-member faction.
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