Edward Ellsworth Annis (born February 2, 1980) is a Canadian-American

professional wrestler Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...

, better known by his

ring name A ring name is a type of stage name or nickname used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons ...

Teddy Hart. He currently wrestles on the

independent circuit In professional wrestling, the independent circuit (often shortened to the indie circuit or the indies) is the collective name of independently owned promotions which are deemed to be smaller and more regionalized than major national promotions. ...

. He is one-half of the RCW (Real Canadian Wrestling) Tag Team Champions with Steven Styles. He wrestled on a National scale for

Major League Wrestling Major League Wrestling (MLW) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in New Rochelle, New York. The promotion was founded in 2002 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by former WWE writer Court Bauer. The promotion markets its product as ...

(MLW) as the leader of

The Hart Foundation The Hart Foundation is the name of several derivative tag teams and stables composed primarily of members and close friends of the Hart wrestling family. The name originated in the World Wrestling Federation in 1985 with the original Hart Foundat ...

, where he held the MLW World Middleweight and MLW Tag Team championships. He has also wrestled for

AAA AAA, Triple A, or Triple-A is a three-letter initialism or abbreviation which may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Gaming * AAA (video game industry) - a category of high budget video games *'' TripleA'', an open source wargame Mu ...

, the short-lived

Wrestling Society X Wrestling Society X (WSX) was an American professional wrestling promotion owned by Big Vision Entertainment. ''Wrestling Society X'' (''WSX'') also refers to the promotion's short-lived television series produced in 2007 by Big Vision Entertain ...

Jersey All Pro Wrestling Jersey All Pro Wrestling (JAPW) was an independent wrestling promotion based in New Jersey, United States. History 1997 Jersey All Pro Wrestling was an independent wrestling promotion that was founded by "Fat" Frank Iadeavia and Angel Surit ...

, and

Dragon Gate USA Dragon Gate USA (DGUSA) is an American professional wrestling promotion founded in 2009 as an international expansion of the Japanese promotion Dragon Gate. Gabe Sapolsky, former head booker of Ring of Honor, served as the promotion's Vice Presi ...

. He operates a

wrestling school Professional wrestling has accrued a considerable amount of jargon throughout its existence. Much of it stems from the industry's origins in the days of carnivals and circuses. In the past, professional wrestlers used such terms in the presence of ...

Edmonton Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...

. He is the son of

Georgia Hart Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of peo ...

of the

Hart wrestling family The Hart wrestling family, sometimes known as the Hart dynasty, is a mainly Canadians, Canadian family with a significant history within professional wrestling. The patriarch of the family was wrestling legend Stu Hart (1915–2003). An amateur a ...

and wrestler B. J. Annis. He is also the nephew of former professional wrestlers

Bret Hart Bret Sergeant Hart (born July 2, 1957) is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. A member of the Hart wrestling family and a second-generation wrestler, he has an amateur wrestling background at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal U ...

and

Owen Hart Owen James Hart (May 7, 1965 – May 23, 1999) was a Canadian-American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler who worked for several promotions including Stampede Wrestling, New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), World Championship Wrestling (W ...

. Hart achieved an early degree of fame when he became the youngest wrestler to be signed to the World Wrestling Federation (now

WWE World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...

). His subsequent release, controversial actions while wrestling on the independent circuit and various legal problems have earned him a measure of infamy. Outside of the ring, Annis has been a mentor to several young wrestlers and has been a trainer at wrestling schools. Among his trainees are Jack Evans, Pete Wilson and his younger cousin Matt Hart. Annis is also a cat lover and breeder of Persian cats which he has used sometimes in storylines and brought with him to matches.

Early life

Annis is the oldest male grandchild of

Stu Stu is a masculine given name or nickname, usually a shortened form (hypocorism) of Stuart or Stewart. It may refer to: Stuart * Stu Barnes (born 1970), Canadian retired National Hockey League player * Stu Block (born 1977), Canadian singer-song ...

and Helen Hart and the second oldest overall. His mother is of

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

descent through her maternal grandmother and Irish through her maternal grandfather. His maternal grandfather was of Scots-Irish, English and Scottish descent. On his father's side he is part Italian. He is the nephew of former professional wrestlers Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Bruce Hart, Keith Hart, Smith Hart, Ross Hart, Dean Hart, and Wayne Hart. Annis holds dual citizenship with Canada and the United States. Annis grew up with three siblings, two sisters named Annie and Angela, as well as a younger brother named

Matthew Matthew may refer to: * Matthew (given name) * Matthew (surname) * ''Matthew'' (album), a 2000 album by rapper Kool Keith * Matthew (elm cultivar), a cultivar of the Chinese Elm ''Ulmus parvifolia'' Christianity * Matthew the Apostle, one of ...

who died of

necrotizing fasciitis Necrotizing fasciitis (NF), also known as flesh-eating disease, is an infection that kills the body's soft tissue. It is a serious disease that begins and spreads quickly. Symptoms include red or purple or black skin, swelling, severe pain, fever ...

in 1996. Annis is the cousin of fellow professional wrestlers

Natalya Neidhart Natalie Katherine Neidhart-Wilson ( Neidhart; born May 27, 1982) is a Canadian-American professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand under the ring name Natalya. She al ...

, Mike Hart, Matt Hart, Harry Smith, Bruce Hart Jr. and Torrin Hart as well as wrestling personalities Lindsay Hart and Georgia Smith.

Professional wrestling career

Early career (1995–1998)

Hart debuted in July 1995 at

Rockyford, Alberta Rockyford is a village in southern Alberta, Canada. It is approximately east of Calgary and southwest of Drumheller. It was founded in 1913 upon the arrival of the Canadian National Railway. Demographics In the 2021 Census of Population condu ...

, where he teamed up with his brother, Matthew, and defeated his cousin Harry Smith and T. J. Wilson. In the

Calgary, Alberta Calgary () is a major city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a Metropolitan area, metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the List of ...

-based

Stampede Wrestling Stampede Wrestling was a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta. For nearly 50 years, it was one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies. Originally established by Stu Hart in 1948, the prom ...

promotion, Hart teamed with Smith, Wilson and Jack Evans. In 2000, he wrestled for and was a key creative figure in the

Matrats Eric Aaron Bischoff (born May 27, 1955) is an American television producer, professional wrestling booker, promoter, and performer. He is best known for serving as Executive Producer and later Senior Vice President of World Championship Wrestli ...

promotion. At the age of 16, he wrestled in the opening match of a

World Wrestling Federation World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...

house show in Calgary, teaming with his cousin Harry Smith against Andrew Picarnic and T. J. Wilson as a tribute to his brother, Matthew, who had recently died.

World Wrestling Federation (1998–2002)

In 1998, Hart became the youngest person ever to be signed to a World Wrestling Federation developmental contract, and was sent to train with

Dory Funk, Jr. Dorrance Earnest Funk (born February 3, 1941), known professionally as Dory Funk Jr., is an American professional wrestler and wrestling trainer. The son of Dory Funk (Dorrance Wilhelm Funk) and brother of Terry Funk, he was the promoter of the ...

at the "Funkin' Conservatory". However, he was later released by the WWF, due to alleged attitude problems.

Ring of Honor (2003)

On September 20, 2003, Teddy wrestled for

Ring of Honor Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011; the promotion was subs ...

in Philadelphia on their September event ''Glory by Honor II'', where he defeated partner and friend, TJ Wilson. Backstage, however, the Special K faction confronted Hart, and mocked him for not being a good high-flying wrestler. On November 1, 2003, Hart competed at a Ring of Honor show in

Elizabeth, New Jersey Elizabeth is a City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Union County, New Jersey, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Scramble Cage match. After losing the match, he began to perform

moonsault A moonsault, moonsault press, or back flip splash is a Professional wrestling aerial techniques, professional wrestling aerial technique. It was innovated by Mando Guerrero. Much of its popularity in both Puroresu, Japanese and professional wrestl ...

s and executed a

shooting star press Aerial techniques, also known as "high-flying moves" are performance techniques used in professional wrestling for simulated assault on opponents. The techniques involve jumping from the ring's posts and ropes, demonstrating the speed and agility o ...

from the top of the cage rather than

selling Sales are activities related to selling or the number of goods sold in a given targeted time period. The delivery of a service for a cost is also considered a sale. A period during which goods are sold for a reduced price may also be referred ...

the moves he had taken. Hart then vomited at ringside. His actions attracted the ire of many wrestlers, as he endangered some wrestlers by performing moves on them which they were not anticipating. Hart attributes his actions to a

concussion A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include headache, dizziness, difficulty with thinking and concentration, sleep disturbances, a brief ...

suffered during the match, and has since only wrestled at two ROH shows, ''At Our Best'', on March 14, 2004, and

Final Battle Final Battle is a professional wrestling event, held annually by the Ring of Honor promotion. The event was initially held in 2002. It is held in December, and is the promotion's last show of the calendar year. The 2009 edition of the show was ...

on December 19, 2009, against Jack Evans.

NWA Total Nonstop Action (2003–2004)

Hart made several appearances with

NWA Total Nonstop Action Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (abbreviated as TNA Wrestling or TNA) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, a Canadian media company owned by busines ...

. In August 2003, he defeated

Jonny Storm Jonathan Whitcombe (born 19 April 1977) is an English professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Jonny Storm. He has worked for many independent promotions across the United Kingdom, including the Frontier Wrestling Alliance, Real ...

and then lost to

Juventud Guerrera Eduardo Aníbal González Hernández (born November 23, 1974), better known by his ring name Juventud "Juvi" Guerrera, is a Mexican Professional wrestling, professional wrestler performing on the independent circuit. Guerrera is best known for ...

in the course of the Super X Cup Tournament. He returned in March 2004 as a member of

Team Canada Canadian National Team or Team Canada may refer to: Canada at multi-sport events * Canada at the Olympics ** Canadian Olympic Committee * Canada at the Paralympics ** Canadian Paralympic Committee * Canada at the Commonwealth Games * Canada at ...

, and represented them as its original captain in the second America's X-Cup, where Hart defeated

Mr. Águila José Delgado Saldaña (born December 10, 1977) is a Mexican professional wrestler (or ''luchador'') best known by his ring name Mr. Águila in Mexican wrestling promotions CMLL and AAA. Outside Mexico, Saldaña is best known for his work as Ess ...

in the first match. He was released from the promotion following an altercation in a restaurant with

CM Punk Phillip Jack Brooks (born October 26, 1978), better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw brand. Regarded as ...

stemming from the Elizabeth ROH show, where Sabu had to separate the two.

Major League Wrestling (2004)

The Hart Foundation

stable A stable is a building in which working animals are kept, especially horses or oxen. The building is usually divided into stalls, and may include storage for equipment and feed. Styles There are many different types of stables in use tod ...

would later compete in

, where Hart teamed with Evans as The Hart Foundation 2.0, as well as being labeled "The New Hart Foundation". MLW's TV series, '' MLW Underground'' would be the first appearance for Hart, Smith, Evans and TJ Wilson on a major cable television network. On January 9, 2004, Hart defeated

Bryan Danielson Bryan Lloyd Danielson (born May 22, 1981) is an American semi-retired professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs on a part time basis. He is also known for his tenure in WWE, where he performed under t ...

in a match billed as "

Shawn Michaels Shawn Michaels (born Michael Shawn Hickenbottom on July 22, 1965) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he is the Senior Vice President of Talent Development, Creative, and oversees the creative aspects of th ...

' top protégé (Danielson) vs. the last student of the Hart family dungeon (Hart)”, playing up the

Montreal screwjob The Montreal Screwjob (also called the Montreal Incident) was a notorious professional wrestling incident where the outcome of a major match was changed without one of the wrestlers being informed – in order to "screw over" Bret Hart, who was i ...

and bitter real-life rivalry between Michaels and

Jersey All Pro Wrestling (2004–2007)

In 2004, Hart began competing for

, and won the promotion's

Tag Team Championship In professional wrestling, a championship or title is a recognition promoted by professional wrestling organizations. Championship reigns are determined by professional wrestling match types, professional wrestling matches, in which competitors a ...

with Jack Evans by defeating The Strong Style Thugs (

Homicide Homicide is an act in which a person causes the death of another person. A homicide requires only a Volition (psychology), volitional act, or an omission, that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from Accident, accidenta ...

and

B-Boy A b-boy is a person devoted to breaking or break dancing. B Boy may also refer to: Music * "B-Boy", a song by Tech N9ne featuring Big Scoob, Bumpy Knuckles, Kutt Calhoun, and Skatterman from the album '' K.O.D.'', 2009 * "B Boy" (song) by Meek ...

) in a steel cage tag team match at ''Caged Fury'', with help from Hart's uncle

Jim Neidhart James Henry Neidhart (February 8, 1955 – August 13, 2018) was an American professional wrestler known for his appearances in the 1980s and 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation as Jim "the Anvil" Neidhart, where he was a two-time WWF Tag ...

. After being champions for nearly four months, Evans and Hart lost the titles to the Backseat Boyz. Three months later, Hart teamed up Homicide, one of the men he beat for the Tag Team Championship, to defeat the Backseat Boyz for the titles, giving Hart his second reign and Homicide his fifth. A little over a week later, however, they lost the titles back to the Backseat Boyz. On January 7, 2006, Hart defeated Azrieal to become the new Light Heavyweight Champion in a

Gauntlet match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, gimmick matches" in the Glossary of professional wrestling terms, jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick m ...

at ''Wild Card II''. Four months later, Hart lost the title to

Frankie Kazarian Frank Benedict Gerdelman (born August 4, 1977) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and musician signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), performing under the ring name Frankie Kazarian. He is also known for his wo ...

in a

triple threat match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a storyline. ...

also involving A.J. Styles. On July 29, 2006, Hart took on

Jay Lethal Jamar Shipman (born April 29, 1985), better known by the ring name Jay Lethal, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is best known for his tenures in Ring of Honor (ROH), Total Nonstop Action Wrest ...

at a JAPW event in Aberdeen, New Jersey. The match culminated with Hart climbing on top of a soda machine and delivering a moonsault onto Lethal. The match was briefly stopped while Hart stepped out into the parking lot to recover. Hart managed to recuperate in time and then returned to the ring, where he won the match. On October 28, 2006, Hart defeated

Low Ki Brandon Silvestry (born September 6, 1979) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Low Ki. He is known for his time with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, TNA Wrestling, Ring of Honor and Major ...

, and

Necro Butcher Dylan Keith Summers (born July 13, 1973), better known by the ring name Necro Butcher, is an American professional wrestler. Throughout the years he has worked for various promotions, including Ring of Honor, Full Impact Pro, IWA Mid-South, Pr ...

at the JAPW ninth Anniversary Show in

Rahway, New Jersey Rahway () is a city (New Jersey), city in southern Union County, New Jersey, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. A bedroom community of New York City, it is centrally located in the Rahway River, Rahway Valley region, in the New ...

to win the vacated

JAPW Heavyweight Championship The Jersey All Pro Wrestling (JAPW) Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship in the American independent professional wrestling promotion Jersey All Pro Wrestling. It became an official title on October 31, 1997 when J ...

(the reigning JAPW champion,

Rhyno Terrance Guido Gerin (born October 7, 1975) is an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name Rhyno (or Rhino). He is a freelancer, appearing for various promotions such as All Elite Wrestling (AEW), National Wrestling Alliance ...

had no showed the event). On January 23, 2007, Hart was stripped of the JAPW Heavyweight Championship due to problems with the promoter and was released from the company.

Return to WWE (2005, 2006–2007)

In 2005, he made several appearances with WWE, wrestling in

dark matches Professional wrestling has accrued a considerable amount of jargon throughout its existence. Much of it stems from the industry's origins in the days of carnivals and circuses. In the past, professional wrestlers used such terms in the presence of ...

, where he was defeated by Harry Smith and working as an

enhancement talent In professional wrestling slang, a job is a losing performance in a wrestling match. It is derived from "doing one's job,” a euphemism to hide kayfabe-related information. When a wrestler is booked to lose a match, it is described as "a job". ...

on ''

Velocity Velocity is a measurement of speed in a certain direction of motion. It is a fundamental concept in kinematics, the branch of classical mechanics that describes the motion of physical objects. Velocity is a vector (geometry), vector Physical q ...

'', teaming with JD Michaels against The

Basham Brothers The Basham Brothers were a professional wrestling tag team, composed of Doug Basham and Danny Basham. The team is best known for their tenures in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). History Ohio Valle ...

. On April 1, 2006, Hart and several of his relatives attended the induction of his uncle Bret into the

WWE Hall of Fame The WWE Hall of Fame is a List of halls and walks of fame, hall of fame which honors professional wrestlers and professional wrestling personalities maintained by WWE. Originally known as the "WWF Hall of Fame", it was created in 1993 when An ...

. After

folded, Hart moved to Florida in hopes of earning a development deal with World Wrestling Entertainment, which he received. After being re-signed, he was assigned to the

Florida Championship Wrestling Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) was a professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion based on the former National Wrestling Alliance member promotion, Championship Wrestling from Florida, which operated from 1961 until ...

developmental facility of WWE. Hart appeared at the July 18

Ohio Valley Wrestling Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) is an American professional wrestling promotion, professional wrestling promotion and former developmental territory based in Louisville, Kentucky. The company is currently run by Al Snow, Matt Jones (radio host), Ma ...

television taping, participating in a battle royal where the winner faced

John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American actor and professional wrestler. As a wrestler, he has been signed to WWE , where he is the current WWE Championship, Undisputed WWE Champion in his record 14th reign, which is ...

Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics A six-sided polygon is a hexagon, one of the three regular polygons capable of tiling the plane. A hexagon ...

on July 27. Although he lost, it was announced that he and Harry Smith (along with

Nattie Neidhart Natalie Katherine Neidhart-Wilson ( Neidhart; born May 27, 1982) is a Canadian-American professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Natalya. She also wrestles on the independent circui ...

) would face Shad Gaspard and JTG at the same show. The " Next Generation Hart Foundation", began teaming regularly, and would go on to defeat teams such as the James Boys, Charles Evans and Justin LaRouche, Mr. Strongko and Ramón Loco, and

Jamin Olivencia Jamin Olivencia (born August 7, 1985) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler best known for his time at the Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) Professional wrestling promotion, promotion, where he is a former three-time OVW Heavywe ...

and TJ Dalton. Hart appeared at the debut show for Florida Championship Wrestling, as he defeated Shawn Osbourne and competed in a

battle royal Battle royal (, also battle royale) traditionally refers to a fight involving many combatants, usually conducted under either boxing or wrestling rules, where the winner is the one who registers the most wins. In recent times, the term has been ...

and a

. On September 25, TJ Wilson and Ted DiBiase, Jr. joined the Next Generation Hart Foundation stable alongside Hart, Smith, and Neidhart. On October 2, Hart competed in his last match for the promotion as he and TJ Wilson defeated

Mike Mondo Michael Brendli (born March 26, 1983) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in WWE as Mike Mondo and Mikey as a member of The Spirit Squad. He also appeared in Major League Wrestling (MLW) in a tag team with fellow ...

and

Nick Nemeth Nicholas Theodore Nemeth (born July 27, 1980) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he performs under his real name, stylized as Nic Nemeth, where he is one-half of the TNA World Tag T ...

. On October 11, Hart was released from the company.

Independent circuit (2006–2012)

On July 1, 2006, Hart made his

One Pro Wrestling One Pro Wrestling (abbreviated as 1PW) was a British professional wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion. 1PW was founded in 2005 by Steven Gauntley. Originally run by the now defunct retail chain 1 Up Games, the company's headq ...

debut at ''Fight Club II'' in

Yorkshire, England Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the city of York. The so ...

, and defeated

PAC Pac or PAC may refer to: Aviation * IATA code PAC Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert" International Airport in Panama City, Panama * Pacific Aerospace Corporation, New Zealand, manufacturer of aircraft: ** PAC 750XL ** PAC Cresco ** PAC CT/4 ** PA ...

. During the next two months, Hart competed regularly for

1PW One Pro Wrestling (abbreviated as 1PW) was a British professional wrestling promotion. 1PW was founded in 2005 by Steven Gauntley. Originally run by the now defunct retail chain 1 Up Games, the company's headquarters were located in Doncaster. ...

, including a 10-man brawl, in which he was eliminated by

Abyss Abyss may refer to: Religion * Abyss (religion), a bottomless pit, or a passage to the underworld * Abyss (Thelema), a spiritual principle within the system of Thelema Film and television * ''The Abyss'' (1910 film), a Danish silent film s ...

after Hart's teammate

Steve Corino Steven Eugene Corino (born May 29, 1973) is a Canadian professional wrestling trainer and former professional wrestler. , he works for the American professional wrestling promotion WWE as a trainer at the WWE Performance Center and as a produ ...

turned on him. On September 13, 2006, Hart and Corino wrestled in a grudge match at Pro Wrestling Xplosion's debut show ''Lighting the Fuse'' at the infamous

ECW Arena 2300 Arena is a multipurpose indoor arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, used primarily for professional wrestling, boxing, mixed martial arts, and concert events. Originally known as Viking Hall, the venue has since been named XPW Arena, New A ...

. The match ended in a

no contest ''Nolo contendere'' () is a type of legal plea used in some jurisdictions in the United States. It is also referred to as a plea of no contest or no defense. It is a plea where the defendant neither admits nor disputes a charge, serving as an ...

after the

referee A referee is an official, in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The official tasked with this job may be known by a variety of other title ...

, who was associated with Corino, claimed that Hart had submitted when he had not. Hart then challenged Corino to a fight in the parking lot, which led to another brawl. Hart made his debut with AZW Hawaii at their March 29 event ''Revenge and Retribution''. He wrestled in both a singles against SABAKI and a six-man tag team match, where he was partnered with SABAKI and Mark Anarchy against AkuA, DDB and Rocko Shinoda. He debuted for Florida's Pro Wrestling Dynasty in 2006 as part of "Team Vision" (with Chasyn Rance and Mister Saint Laurent) and helped them win in the main event. He also wrestled the next night for Florida's Coastal Championship Wrestling teaming with Rance, defeating Pablo Marquez and J.P. Ace. He also wrestled for UXW Wrestling in Florida on their June 16, 2006 event "Xtreme Havoc", where he defeated Rance. On December 1, 2007 at

All Pro Wrestling All Pro Wrestling is an American professional wrestling promotion and training school, based in Hayward, California. The company was founded by Roland Alexander and managed by him until his death on November 5, 2013. It is located 45 miles so ...

, Hart and Markus Riot defeated Dana Lee and

Brian Cage Brian Christopher Joseph ButtonRuckus and Trent Acid at ''PWS Majestic Mayhem'' in round one of the Majestic Tournament to crown the first ever PWS Champion. In the second round, Evans defeated Hart by countout in a 30-minute match which received a standing ovation. A best of five series was made and the two met for their second encounter on May 2 at ''Belleville Breakdown'', where Hart was victorious. On May 4, 2012, in

Hart defeated

Matt Hardy Matthew Moore Hardy (born September 23, 1974) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he a former List of TNA World Tag Team Champions, three time TNA Wor ...

and

Colt Cabana Scott Colton (born May 6, 1980), better known by the ring name Colt Cabana, is an American professional wrestler, color commentator, and podcaster. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a wrestler and as a coach, and he performs the same ...

in a triple threat match for Pro Wrestling Syndicate.

Wrestling Society X (2006–2007)

Hart was part of

MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

project, which was filmed in 2006 and premiered in January 2007. He appeared in the inaugural contract rumble, where he was the second man to enter the ring, but did not win. Hart also wrestled tag team matches on later episodes of the show with "M-Dogg 20" Matt Cross, where their tag team was known as "The Filth and the Fury". As a team, Hart and Cross managed to defeat The Trailer Park Boys and Team Dragon Gate. On the fifth episode, Hart had to be stretchered away following his match after landing leg-first on the guardrail and then climbing to the top of the set and executing a

, clashing heads as he landed. WSX ceased operations after their television show was cancelled.

Return to JAPW (2007–2008)

On October 27, 2007, Hart returned to JAPW after interfering in the fight between Homicide and Low Ki at the JAPW tenth Anniversary Show. On December 8, 2007, Teddy Hart teamed with

against

The Latin American Xchange The Latin American Xchange (LAX) is a professional wrestling stable that has wrestled in various incarnations primarily for Total Nonstop Action / Impact Wrestling and currently in Major League Wrestling (MLW). The group achieved initial succ ...

(LAX) (

and Hernandez) and

BLK OUT Blackout (often stylized as BLKOUT, The BLKOUT or BLK-OUT) is a professional wrestling stable appearing in Combat Zone Wrestling, Adrenaline Championship Wrestling, and other independent companies. Though the current members are Ruckus, James El ...

(

Eddie Kingston Edward Moore (born December 12, 1981), better known by the ring name Eddie Kingston, is an American professional wrestler. , he is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is out of in-ring action because of a leg injury, but continues to mak ...

and

Slyk Wagner Brown Wagner Brown (born September 5, 1979) is a Jamaican born professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, SWB or Slyck Wagner Brown. Brown currently wrestles on the Independent circuit in the Northeastern United States. Additionally, SWB wa ...

) in a three-way match for the JAPW Tag Team Championship at ''Seasons Beatings'', however LAX retained. On January 19, 2008, Hart defeated Homicide and Eddie Kingston in a 3-Way No Disqualification New Jersey Street Fight at ''Reclaiming Hudson''. Less than a month later on February 16, 2008, Hart defeated

Kenny Omega Tyson Smith (born October 16, 1983), better known by the ring name , is a Canadian-born professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the current AEW International Champion in his first reign. He also works as an ...

and Xavier in a 3-way elimination match at ''Wild Card IV''. After the match, Hernandez hit Hart with the Powerbomb#Crucifix Powerbomb, Border Toss. That same night, Hart, in response to being attacked by Hernandez, announced that he would challenge LAX for the Tag Team Titles at ''Caged Fury'' and that his partner would be Samoa Joe. On March 8, 2008, LAX defeated Hart and Samoa Joe in a steel cage match to retain the Tag Team Championship at ''Caged Fury''.

Return to ROH (2009)

On December 19, 2009, more than five and a half years after his last appearance, Hart returned to Ring of Honor at their first live pay-per-view Final Battle 2009, where he was defeated by Jack Evans.

AAA

La Legión Extranjera (2007–2010)

Hart made his

debut on November 20, 2007, in an Extreme Four Way tag team Ladder Match, where he teamed with Sabu against Crazy Boy and Joe Líder, Charly Manson and Chessman (wrestler), Chessman, Tigre Uno, Extreme Tiger and Halloween (wrestler), Halloween for the AAA World Tag Team Championship at ''Guerra de Titantes''. Soon after joining, Hart joined Konnan's Heel (professional wrestling), heel stable Foreign Legion (wrestling), Legión Extranjera (Foreign Legion), where he regularly teams with Evans as The Hart Foundation 2.0. Part of his Heel (professional wrestling), villainous character is that he cannot speak Spanish and during his promos, AAA captions his remarks in Spanish. On March 16, 2008, Hart lost a Professional wrestling match types#Ladder match, $2500 Ladder Battle Royal Match to Xtreme Tiger, which also included Chessman,

, Halloween and Joe Líder at Rey de Reyes (2008), Rey de Reyes. On June 13, The Mexican Powers (Crazy Boy, Último Gladiador and Ricky Marvin) defeated La Legión Extranjera (

, Jack Evans and Teddy Hart), and La Familia de Tijuana (Extreme Tiger, Halloween and TJ Xtreme) in a Three Way Elimination match at Triplemanía XVI. On September 14, La Hermandad Extrema (Joe Líder and Psicosis, Nicho El Millonario) defeated The Hart Foundation 2.0 (Teddy Hart and Jack Evans), The Mexican Powers (Crazy Boy and Último Gladiador) and La Familia de Tijuana (Extreme Tiger and Halloween) in a Four Way Ladder match for the World Tag Team Championship at Verano de Escandalo (2008), Verano de Escandalo. After the loss, Hart and Evans began feuding with Líder and Nicho and on October 24, La Hermandad Extrema defeated The Hart Foundation 2.0 (Teddy Hart and Jack Evans), and Los Bello Stones (Alan and Chris Stone) in a Three Way Ladder match for the World Tag Team Championship at the 2008 Antonio Peña Memorial Show (2008), Antonio Peña Memorial Show. On December 6, Hart and Evans wrestled to a double countout against Líder and Nicho for the World Tag Team Championship at Guerra de Titanes#Guerra de Titanes 2008, Guerra de Titanes. On March 15, 2009, El Zorro, Hart and Evans defeated Charly Manson and D-Generation Mex (Sean Waltman, X-Pac and Alex Koslov) at Rey de Reyes (2009), Rey de Reyes. In June 2009 Hart and the rest of Legion Extranjera turned on Evans and kicked him out of the stable. On June 13, Team AAA (El Hijo del Santo, Adolfo Tapia, La Parka, Vampiro, Octagón and Jack Evans) defeated La Legion Extranjera (Silver King (wrestler), Silver King, Chessman, Kenzo Suzuki, Electroshock and Teddy Hart) at Triplemania XVII to regain control over AAA and force Konnan out of the company. On August 21 at Verano de Escandalo (2009), Verano de Escandalo Konnan and Hart returned to AAA with their new version of La Legion Extranjera. In early 2010 AAA suspended Hart indefinitely.

Los Perros del Mal (2012–2013)

Hart returned to AAA on March 18, 2012, at ''Rey de Reyes (2012), Rey de Reyes'', where he teamed with Chessman in a four-way tag team match, which was won by Joe Líder and Juventud Guerrera and also included the teams of Extreme Tiger and Fénix, and Halloween and Nicho el Millonario. On April 1, Perro Aguayo, Jr., El Hijo del Perro Aguayo, who had recently been feuding with Hart's former partner Jack Evans, named Hart the newest member of his ''Los Perros del Mal'' stable. On August 5 at ''Triplemanía XX'', Hart reunited with Evans for one night to take part in a Professional wrestling tag team match types#Parejas Suicidas, ''Parejas Suicidas'' steel cage match, featuring three other former tag teams. However, both Hart and Evans managed to escape the cage and avoid having to face each other in a Lucha libre#Luchas de Apuestas, Hair vs. Hair match. On February 22, 2013, Hart participated on the AAA Canada: Next Generation Wrestling event, competing in the NGW World Title Tournament. Hart reached the finals of the tournament but ultimately would not win the championship.

Return to the independent circuit (2014–present)

On April 5, 2014, Hart competed for

where Hart, Chuck Taylor (wrestler), Chuck Taylor and Oney Lorcan, Biff Busick faced Tony Nese, Anthony Nese, Kaleb Konley, Caleb Konley and Trent Beretta, Trent Baretta in a losing effort. on May 31, at an ACW event, Hart, Dan Maff and Monsta Mack defeated Azrieal, Danny Demanto and Damien Darling. on October 5, 2014, Hart competed for the Inspire Pro Pure Prestige title in a triple threat match which was won by Thomas Shire. On August 21, 2015, it was announced that Hart would make his debut for NOVA Pro Wrestling. In January 2016 Hart debuted for Canadian Wrestling's Elite. On July 14, 2016, in his debut for Lucha Libre Elite, Hart was defeated by DMT Azul, Diamante Azul.

Return to Major League Wrestling (2017–2019)

Hart returned to

(MLW) in 2017 as part of New Era Hart Foundation with cousin Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Brian Pillman Jr. On December 14, 2018, he defeated Wes Lee, Dezmond Xavier, El Hijo de L.A. Park, Gringo Loco and Injustice (professional wrestling), Kotto Brazil in a Professional wrestling match types#Basic non-elimination matches, five-way ladder match to win the vacant MLW World Middleweight Championship, World Middleweight Championship. At MLW Saturday Night SuperFight on November 2, 2019, Hart defeated Austin Aries via the Canadian destroyer, Canadian Destroyer to retain the MLW World Middleweight Championship. On the November 11, 2019 edition of MLW Fusion Hart was defeated by Myron Reed (wrestler), Myron Reed for the Middleweight Championship. On December 6, MLW posted on their website and social media that Hart had been released from the company. While MLW offered no official explanation for Harts release, anonymous sources speculated that it was the result of ongoing disciplinary issues with Hart, including no showing an event and appearing in the crowds of All Elite Wrestling, AEW and NXT (WWE brand), NXT shows.

Second return to AAA (2018)

On April 20, Hart made his return to the company after 5 years away from the AAA, attacking Joe Líder and Pagano (wrestler), Pagano. That same night he reappeared with Juventud Guerrera and Karrion Kross, Kevin Kross, attacking Dr. Wagner Jr., Vampiro and Hernandez after the main event by the AAA Mega Championship. The trio called themselves Mad (professional wrestling), MAD, and vowed to meet against their upcoming incumbents.

Other media

Annis was the subject of the 2009 documentary ''A Hart Still Pounding''. The project was originally named ''Ted Hart's Truth and Reality'' and was almost shut down by the creator, due to having problems with working with Hart. Hart also appeared in the 2016 documentary ''Hart Still Beating'', which is about his uncle Smith Hart, Smith and cousin Matt Hart (wrestler), Matt. Annis is also the subject of the documentary ''Hart of Darkness'' by directors Kurt Spenrath and Fred Kroetsch, and the 2022 true crime documentary Dangerous Breed: Crime. Cons. Cats. which was originally being filmed as a "redemption" story, but changed directions upon the mysterious disappearance of Hart's then-girlfriend Samantha Fiddler.

Personal life

Annis is a third-generation wrestler; his father, B. J. Annis, and his grandfather Stu Hart were both wrestlers. Annis has a son, Bradley, with his ex-girlfriend Kim. Annis suffers from Bipolar disorder not otherwise specified, Bipolar disorder and does not medicate. Annis's great-grandfather Harry Smith (athlete), Harry Smith also had bipolar disorder, as did his brother Frank. Annis was married to Fay, and she was involved in his wrestling career, mainly in the Hart Legacy Wrestling, Hart Legacy promotion. In 2016 Annis and his wife divorced. Annis holds Canadian citizenship as a result of his birth in Canada to a Canadian-born mother. He also holds American citizenship due to being born to an American-born father. On November 19, 2016, Annis's girlfriend Samantha Louise Michelle Fiddler disappeared in Bartow, Florida.

Legal troubles

On December 3, 2014, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police announced that Annis was wanted on sexual assault charges involving two women. The charges were dropped in June 2016. Annis later opened up about several personal/real-life topics including his rape accusations in an interview hosted by wrestlers Chuck Taylor (wrestler), Chuckie T and Trent Barreta in January 2015. On January 1, 2017, Annis was arrested in Arlington, Texas, and was charged with driving under the influence, DUI, evading arrest, and motor vehicle theft, auto theft. The charges against Annis were later dropped. In February 2020, Annis was arrested in Virginia and was charged with possession of a schedule III controlled substance with the intent to sell or distribute. On March 4, 2020, Annis was once again arrested in Virginia, this time for violating the conditions of his bail by not staying under house arrest. On March 26, 2020, Annis was arrested in Virginia for a third time after allegedly assaulting his girlfriend, female independent wrestler Maria Manic at the home of another independent wrestler, Ace Montana. Montana claims he had pulled a gun on Annis in order to get him off of Manic. He then called the cops and Annis was arrested and charged with strangulation resulting in wounding/bodily harm. He was held without bail in the Richmond City jail until his court date on April 22. On October 23, 2020, Annis was arrested in Texas and charged with injuring a disabled person, evading arrest, and being in possession of a controlled substance. Annis was arrested again on the same charges on February 16, 2021, this time in northern Virginia.

Championships and accomplishments

*Atomic Championship Wrestling **ACW Heavyweight Championship (2 times) * Ballpark Brawl ** Natural Heavyweight Championship (1 time) ** Natural Heavyweight Championship Tournament (2004) *Can-Am Wrestling Federation **Can-Am Mid-Heavyweight Championship (1 time) **Can-Am Tag Team Championships (1 time) – with Mike McFly *

(JAPW Heavyweight Championship#Title history, 1 time) ** JAPW Light Heavyweight Championship (JAPW New Jersey State Championship#Title history, 1 time) ** JAPW Tag Team Championship (JAPW Tag Team Championship#Title history, 2 times) – with Jack Evans (1) and

(1) *Juggalo Championship Wrestling **JCW Heavyweight Championship (JCW Heavyweight Championship#Title history, 1 time) *

**MLW World Middleweight Championship (1 time) **MLW World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Brian Pillman Jr. and Davey Boy Smith Jr. **MLW Wrestler of the Year (2018) * National Wrestling Alliance ** NWA North American Tag Team Championship (NWA North American Tag Team Championship#Title history, 1 time) – with Big Daddy Yum Yum * Power Wrestling Alliance ** PWA Cruiserweight Championship (1 time) * ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' ** Ranked No. 197 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the Pro Wrestling Illustrated#PWI 500, PWI 500 in 2009 * Real Canadian Wrestling ** RCW Tag Team Championship (3 times , current ) – with Pete Wilson (1), Kato (1) and Steven Styles (1) *

** Stampede Wrestling International Tag Team Championship, Stampede International Tag Team Championship (Stampede Wrestling International Tag Team Championship#Title history, 1 time) – with Bruce Hart (wrestler), Bruce Hart * Omega Pro Wrestling ** OPW Top Crown Championship (1 time) ** OPW Top Crown Championship Tournament (2007) * SLAM! Wrestling Canadian Hall of Fame, Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fame ** Individually ** With the Hart family

References

External links

*
Online World of Wrestling profile

at Canoe.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Hart, Teddy 1980 births Living people Canadian people of American descent Canadian people of English descent Canadian people of Greek descent Canadian people of Irish descent Canadian sportspeople of Italian descent Canadian people of Scottish descent Canadian people of Ulster-Scottish descent Canadian male professional wrestlers Expatriate professional wrestlers in Mexico Canadian expatriate professional wrestlers American expatriate professional wrestlers Hart family (professional wrestling) People with bipolar disorder Stampede Wrestling alumni Hart Foundation members Professional wrestlers from Calgary 20th-century male professional wrestlers 20th-century Canadian professional wrestlers 21st-century male professional wrestlers 21st-century Canadian professional wrestlers MLW World Tag Team Champions Stampede Wrestling International Tag Team Champions MLW World Middleweight Champions 21st-century Canadian sportsmen