November 9, 1997, a date that shook the wrestling world and left fans in disbelief. This is the infamous story of the Montreal Screwjob, a controversial event that forever changed the course of professional wrestling. But was it a necessary evil or a betrayal of epic proportions?
On that fateful night, Bret 'The Hitman' Hart, the reigning WWE Champion, faced Shawn Michaels in a match that would become a dark stain on the sport's history. In a shocking turn of events, Vince McMahon, the WWE owner, called for the bell as Michaels applied Hart's own signature move, the Sharpshooter, in front of a stunned Canadian crowd at the Molson Centre.
The plan, as scripted, was to make it seem like Hart had tapped out. But the truth was far more sinister. Hart had been betrayed by his own boss, who had orchestrated the entire debacle.
The seeds of this controversy were sown months earlier. McMahon, fearing the rise of rival promotion WCW, approached Hart to renegotiate a multi-year deal they had previously agreed upon. McMahon claimed financial struggles, despite reportedly having the highest-paid star in Hart. But here's where it gets controversial: McMahon was secretly planning to re-sign the Ultimate Warrior, offering him a lucrative five-year deal worth $750,000 per year plus royalties, just weeks after Survivor Series.
Despite the circumstances, Hart and McMahon negotiated an early release for Hart, allowing him to explore opportunities with WCW. However, the problem was that Hart still held the WWE Championship. McMahon, fearing Hart would appear on WCW television with the title, devised a plan to ensure the belt stayed in WWE. With the help of others, he orchestrated a finish that would see Michaels, not Hart, walk out as champion.
The rivalry between Michaels and Hart was intense, both on-screen and off. Hart, in a show of sportsmanship, was willing to drop the title to Michaels. But when Michaels refused to reciprocate, Hart stood his ground and refused to lose.
In a documentary titled 'Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows', Hart, wearing a mic, met with McMahon to discuss the match's outcome. They seemingly agreed on a non-finish, allowing Hart to retain the title and gracefully exit. However, McMahon had other ideas, fearing Hart might tarnish the title on WCW programming. This fear wasn't unfounded, as WWE Women's Champion Alundra Blayze had previously thrown her belt in a trash can on WCW Nitro.
Eric Bischoff, WCW's head at the time, later refuted this concern on his podcast, stating that legal repercussions would have prevented Hart from using the WWF belt on WCW programming. But McMahon's mind was made up.
After the match, McMahon sought out Hart, but the latter allegedly knocked him out with a single punch backstage. This incident was captured on camera, showing a dazed McMahon walking down the arena hall with his son, Shane.
McMahon, believing he was the hero in this saga, went on Raw to defend his actions, sporting a black eye from the Hart incident. He accused Hart of being selfish and unwilling to uphold the tradition of losing to elevate other superstars. In a now-infamous line, McMahon claimed it was Hart who screwed himself, saying, 'Bret screwed Bret.'
Fans, however, saw through McMahon's facade. They booed him, now aware of his true role as the company owner. This backlash transformed McMahon into an on-screen villain, sparking a legendary feud with 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin, a fan favorite. This rivalry propelled WWE to new heights, surpassing WCW in ratings.
Hart's post-screwjob career took a different path. He captured the WCW World Title but often found himself in convoluted storylines with the nWo. Tragedy struck in a match against Bill Goldberg in 1999, where Hart suffered a concussion from a kick. He retired in 2000, but his legacy remained.
Chants of 'You Screwed Bret' haunted McMahon, Michaels, and referee Earl Hebner for years. Hart's time in WCW was cut short by personal tragedy when his brother Owen, who stayed with WWE, died in a stunt accident during a live pay-per-view. The show went on, sparking outrage.
Reconciliation seemed impossible, but after Hart's stroke in 2002, he and McMahon began to mend fences. Hart was honored with a 'best-of' DVD and inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006. However, his resentment towards Michaels and his ally, Paul 'Triple H' Levesque, lingered.
In 2010, Hart returned to WWE and shared an emotional moment with Michaels on Raw, putting their past differences aside. He even wrestled a few carefully planned matches, including one against McMahon at WrestleMania XXVI.
Despite the healing, the Montreal Screwjob remains wrestling's most notorious moment. While other controversies exist, like Wendi Richter's disputed title loss in 1985, none matched the impact of the 1997 Survivor Series. It blurred the lines between fiction and reality, forever altering the destinies of WWE, Bret Hart, and the wrestling business.
