Bret and Owen Hart continued their feud throughout 1994. At King of the Ring, their real-life brother-in-law and Bret's former tag team partner Jim Neidhart became involved in the angle by helping Owen win the tournament. During the coronation ceremony, Owen announced that he wanted to be referred to as the "King of Harts". At SummerSlam, Bret successfully defended his title against Owen in a Steel cage match but was attacked after the match by Owen and Neidhart, prompting another brother-in-law, Davey Boy Smith, to get involved on Bret's side. At Survivor Series, the storyline saw Owen partially responsible for costing Bret the WWF Championship. Bret faced Bob Backlund in a match with the stipulation that the winner would be declared when a competitor's cornerman threw a towel into the ring to signify a submission. After Owen caused Smith to knock himself unconscious, Owen pretended to feel sympathy for Bret. While Backlund had Bret in a crossface Chickenwing, the angle had Owen convince his mother Helen to throw in Bret's towel, enabling Backlund to win the match and the title. After the match, Owen celebrated with Backlund and showed that he was faking the concern for his brother.