March 24, 2008 Observer Newsletter: Gary Hart passes away, more on Jeff Hardy
There are a lot of historical wrestling angles that in some form involve Gary Hart.
Hart was the heel manager who, along with giant Korean Pak Song, turned on Dusty Rhodes after they were partners in a tag team match in Florida in 1974. Rhodes became a babyface, “The American Dream,” and the rest of history.
Hart was the heel manager, with his longest running protege, Don “The Spoiler” Jardine, who came into Leroy McGuirk’s territory as the adversary of Cowboy Bill Watts in 1970 when that territory took off, giving a heavyweight flavor for what had been a junior heavyweight territory dominated by Danny Hodge.
Hart was also the mastermind behind the marketing of the Von Erich brothers, Kevin, David and Kerry, and in particular Kerry’s rise to stardom in 1982 and his chase of world champion Ric Flair, culminating in the famous Christmas night cage match. He also talked Michael Hayes into coming to Texas and set up the storyline that built the Freebirds vs. Von Erichs feud, one of the most notable feuds in wrestling history.
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Dave Meltzer is the founder and lead writer on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the weekly constant when it comes to news and reviews in pro wrestling and mixed martial arts for more than 40 years. Dave also co-hosts Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and had had bylines for The National, Yahoo Sports, MMA Fighting and others.