Bret Hart Represents the Foundation of Today's WWE Product

The legendary Bret "Hitman" Hart is remembered fondly for his contributions between the ropes, an elite in-ring worker who was as consistently great as anyone before or since him. A second-generation wrestler, he was capable of delivering classics with any of the peers he shared the ring with. A five-time WWE champion, The Hitman amassed a legacy of titles and five-star matches that eventually landed him in the company's Hall of Fame in 2006.

When one looks at the current landscape of World Wrestling Entertainment, and the talent the company has amassed for both its main roster and NXT squad, it becomes clear that Hart's influence on the sport transcends the history books.

In October 1992, Hart did the unthinkable, capturing the WWE Championship from "Nature Boy" Ric Flair. After all, he was but a wrestler, someone who garnered rave reviews for his technical expertise and ability to carry his opponent to a great match by sheer willpower alone. He did not have towering size, bulging muscles or a wild and over-the-top personality that helped him stand out from the pack.

He was a professional wrestler who took great pride in what he did between the ropes, and it struck a chord with fans.

People supported Hart because they appreciated his hard work, they respected that they could count on him to deliver between the ropes, even as guys like Hulk Hogan, Papa Shango, Ultimate Warrior and Nailz were stinking it up elsewhere on the card.

Then there were his peers, sized similarly with big dreams of becoming huge stars despite their smaller stature. Guys like Shawn Michaels looked at Hart as a leader for their cause; Steve Austin, hardly the prototypical Superstar in Vince McMahon's traveling circus; even Chris Jericho, who spent little time with Hart in WCW, can attribute his opportunity to find success to the foundation that Hart laid in the early 1990s.

Then there were Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero, two incredible in-ring workers who stood tall in Madison Square Garden at WrestleMania XX, world champions just as Hart had been 10 years earlier. Their career paths were mightily similar to Hart's in that they had to overcome criticisms surrounding their size to achieve the greatness that they did.

The Hitman was a revolutionary performer, someone who broke through the glass ceiling and became a legitimate star based on his ability alone, and the foundation of today's WWE product.

Over the last five years, Superstars like Daniel Bryan, AJ Styles, Finn Balor and Sami Zayn have been the talk of the wrestling world. All earned reputations around the world as fantastic wrestlers, performers determined to be the absolute best on the planet when it came to their in-ring work. And every single one of them owes at least part of their opportunity to compete in a Vince McMahon-owned ring to Bret Hart.

Without the Calgary, Alberta, Canada native, they would likely have found themselves toiling away on the independent scene, spending their careers working in front of hundreds instead of thousands. They would have never achieved the notoriety nor had the marketing machine of WWE behind them had McMahon not had his faith rewarded by The Hitman.

Had Hart not had the success he did, had he not connected with audiences as organically as he did, McMahon may never have advanced past his archaic way of thinking. Fans would have been doomed to a product dominated by Big Shows, Braun Strowmans and Kanes while talented individuals like Dean Ambrose, Zayn and Dolph Ziggler jobbed to them on syndicated episodes of Superstars.

Perhaps no recent Superstar is as indicative of the effect Hart had on the current state of sports-entertainment than Seth Rollins.

Not the biggest guy on the roster, nor the strongest or most dynamic, the former WWE World Heavyweight champion is a smart worker. He may not be the strongest promo, but, like Hart, he never ventures out of his comfort zone when it comes to the mic. And it works. The ring work backs up the hype, the mic work does not expose his weaknesses and the result is as solid a main event star as one could ever hope for.

Today's WWE product has placed a great emphasis on wrestling. The days of over-the-top stories are behind it, as are colorful cartoon characters. The shows are based in reality, another aspect that Hart championed during his time at the top of the card.

Bret was a heroic figure, a hard-working man who believed in busting one's butt to be the best he or she could be. Determination and the allure of championship gold drove him, and that is a feeling everyone can understand.

On February 1, 2016, Hart announced via his official Facebook account that he is currently fighting prostate cancer. An overwhelming outpouring of respect and well-wishes from his peers, fans and friends followed.

And it is not difficult to see why.

He may not have had the flashiness of Randy Savage, the marketability of Hulk Hogan or the rebellious attitude of Steve Austin, but The Hitman was someone every member of the audience could relate to. He looked like them, worked hard to achieve success like them and was a role model for every child in the crowd.

And his influence on the future of the industry cannot be denied.

Without Hart, Bryan, Rollins, Styles and Balor would be labeled too small to compete in McMahon's world of giants. He altered the perception of what does and does not make a Superstar. Hart emphasized the "wrestling" portion of the WWE name, and fans ate it up, proving to the world that what happens between the ropes is of the utmost importance.

He revolutionized the business, becoming the biggest star in a company previously devoted to giants and heavyweights. He inspired fans and prospective wrestlers alike, and his influence can be seen every Monday and Thursday night, where longer wrestling matches are prevalent and fans wildly chant "this is awesome" in appreciation of high-quality wrestling.

Bret Hart has earned every accomplishment in his career. Every title he won, every fan who ever chanted his name and every dollar ever spent to sign him was the result of in-ring tenacity and hard work. But when all is said and done, and historians debate Hart's place in the record books, his legacy will live on in those fantastic wrestlers discovered and given a chance because of their technical prowess and lack of physical size, but also immense determination and talent.