"I'd come from the bottom of the barrel. Just Owen Hart getting out of the shadow of Bret Hart's little brother. Everyone figured, this is a joke, Owen's going to get squashed"
About this Quote
The line “Just Owen Hart getting out of the shadow of Bret Hart’s little brother” is a neat little psychological trap: he describes himself as “Bret’s little brother” and then downgrades it further, like he’s narrating how fans and promoters compress identity into a shorthand that sells. That’s the subtext: in wrestling, character is currency, and your last name can be both a brand and a ceiling. He’s pointing to the way audiences think they’re evaluating talent when they’re often just reading a family tree.
Then he pivots to the locker-room reality: “Everyone figured… Owen’s going to get squashed.” “Squashed” is insider language, blunt and physical, and it exposes the predetermined nature of the spectacle without killing its stakes. Hart’s intent isn’t to complain; it’s to establish the depth of the climb. The quote works because it’s a performer admitting the industry’s script while still insisting on the part that can’t be scripted: earning belief. In a world built on worked outcomes, respect is the one finish you still have to fight for.
Quote Details
| Topic | Overcoming Obstacles |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Hart, Owen. (2026, January 17). I'd come from the bottom of the barrel. Just Owen Hart getting out of the shadow of Bret Hart's little brother. Everyone figured, this is a joke, Owen's going to get squashed. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/id-come-from-the-bottom-of-the-barrel-just-owen-73105/
Chicago Style
Hart, Owen. "I'd come from the bottom of the barrel. Just Owen Hart getting out of the shadow of Bret Hart's little brother. Everyone figured, this is a joke, Owen's going to get squashed." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/id-come-from-the-bottom-of-the-barrel-just-owen-73105/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I'd come from the bottom of the barrel. Just Owen Hart getting out of the shadow of Bret Hart's little brother. Everyone figured, this is a joke, Owen's going to get squashed." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/id-come-from-the-bottom-of-the-barrel-just-owen-73105/. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.





