9. Bret Hart
WWE Hall of Famer and multiple-time world heavyweight champion Bret “The Hitman” Hart did not have the easiest childhood. Towards the end of his teenage years, the Hart family were struggling to make ends meet and their Stampede Wrestling promotion was suffering due to Vince McMahon Jr.’s attempts to monopolize the wrestling business.
However, for much of The Hitman’s early years, Stampede Wrestling was thriving and family patriarch Stu Hart was earning more than enough to support his increasingly large family. In fact, the Hart’s lived in a mansion which is to this day referred to as “Hart House,” despite the fact it is no longer under Hart ownership.
It was in this house that Stu would establish the infamous Hart Dungeon, where he would train aspiring wrestlers from all over the world; another source of income for the family.
However, Stu and Helen Hart refused to let their wealth impact the way they raised their kids, and insisted all of their children work for their allowance. Bret and his siblings were all involved in Stampede Wrestling, with some collecting tickets or assembling the ring, and some working as referees or even wrestlers. It seems the Harts’ determination to teach their children the value of hard work paid off, as Bret went on to become one of the most successful performers professional wrestling has ever seen.
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