Ben Bassarab is a Canadian former professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling promotion throughout the 1980s.
Career[]
Bassarab was trained by Stu Hart, and debuted in Hart's Calgary, Alberta based Stampede Wrestling promotion under his own name in 1983.
Bassarab formed a tag team with Phil Lafleur. They faced Danny Davis and Hubert Gallant for the Stampede International Tag Team Championships in early 1984, but the match was ruled a no-contest and the titles were vacated.
The acquisition of Stampede by Vince McMahon (owner of the World Wrestling Federation) in 1985 led to many Stampede wrestlers being signed by the WWF. The British Bulldogs, Jim Neidhart, Owen and Bret Hart were all hired, but Bassarab was not, though he did face WWF wrestler Brutus Beefcake at the Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto on July 28, 1985. Bassarab substituted for the absent Tony Garea and lost to Beefcake.
Bassarab began pursuing the International Tag Team Championships once more, and began teaming with Chris Benoit. On March 1, 1986 in Regina, Saskatchewan, Bassarab and Benoit defeated Honky Tonk Wayne and Rotten Ron Starr for the International Tag Team Championships. They lost the titles to Wayne and his new partner, The Cuban Assassin, on March 21 in Calgary.
Bassarab formed a new team with his newly debuted brother-in-law, Owen Hart on May 30, 1986. The popular faces wrestled in a manner which was sometimes compared to the British Bulldogs, Davey Boy Smith and The Dynamite Kid. On August 9 in Edmonton, Alberta they defeated Duke Myers and Kerry Brown for the International Tag Team Championships. They held the titles until October 3, when they lost to The Viet Cong Express (Hiroshi Hase and Fumihiro Niikura) in Calgary. Bassarab and Owen feuded with the Express throughout Western Canada, on one occasion fighting to a forty-five minute draw, but were unable to regain the International Tag Team Championships.
Bassarab remained with Stampede for the remainder of his career. He worked for the WWF when they toured Alberta in 1987 and 1988, and retired in the late 1980s. In her controversial autobiography, Under The Mat, his sister-in-law Diana Hart accused him of participating in various criminal activities, and accused him of being a "deadbeat dad". Bassarab later became a truck driver and, later, a warehouse foreman before retiring to run a vending machine and landscaping business.
Personal life[]
While working for Stu Hart, Bassarab married Hart's daughter Alison. They had two daughters together, Lindsay and Brooke, but were later divorced, with Bassarab subsequently having no hand in helping raising his daughters.
Finishing and signature moves[]
Championships and accomplishments[]
- Stampede International Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Chris Benoit (1), Owen Hart (1)
