Montreal Screw Job

Just this past week I was browsing on the web and I happened tosee the video of WWE's Survivor Series in 1997, it was the match for the WWE Championship between Bret "The Hitman" Hart and "HBK" Shawn Michael.

That video brought me back the memories of the early WWE days. That match was the most controversial match in the entire Pro-Wrestling history. That match was called "The Montreal Screw job", why it was given that name? For big WWE fans who can recall that match. it was obvious that WWE Chairman Vince McMahon screwed Bret Hart out of the WWE title. For years I've been wondering why McMahon screwed Bret Hart, until 2006 the details of that incident was documented in Bret Hart's DVD released by WWE. But I was unfortunate to get that DVD so I myself took my own research and I found out about the whole incident.

During those days WWF(now WWE) was suffering from financial losses due to a tough competition against WCW(World Championship Wrestling) so Vince McMahon advised Hart that he could move WCW and would even allow him to use the character of "Hitman". Bret Hart was hesitating at first. But finally a negotiation between Hart and WCW took place. With Hart finally signed a contract with WCW McMahon advised Hart that he needs to relinquish the WWF Championship because he was worried that Bret Hart might appear in WCW with his WWF Championship belt like what female wrestler Alundra Blaze did when she dump the Women's Championship into the trash in a live WCW broadcast. Vince talked to both Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels about the coming Pay-Per-View Survivor series but Bret Hart insisted, he agrees to loose in any place but not in his hometown of Montreal Canada, and even Michaels wouldn't wanna loose against Hart. So Vince McMahon along with other cahoots set up a master plan.

The original set up on how the match would end will start with the referee knocked down and Shawn Michaels will lock Bret Hart it's own submission hold "The Sharpshooter", but Bret Hart using his resiliency will reverse the hold, then Shawn Michaels will tap out but there's no referee to ring the bell and declare Bret as the winner. Bret Hart would then break the hold and try to revive the referee but from behind Michaels would hit Bret Hart the "Sweet Chin Music" and attempts a pin, another referee will come to count 3 but the entire Hart Foundation Owen Hart, Davey Boy Smith and Jim Neidhard would break the count and then Shawn's DX buddies Triple H and Chyna would come to Shawn's aide which will cause a brawl that would end up in a double disqualification.

But it didnt turn out to be as planned, just before that match began, it seems that the fans already know that Bret Hart would be screwed because information about Hart's transfer to WCW have already leaked and some Wrestlers and even his brother Owen advised him to be alert. But Bret Hart put all his trust to referee Earl Hebner, the key to the screw job. Michaels locked the Sharpshooter on Bret, but he intentionally tighten the hold so Bret wouldn't reverse it and he didn't gave his feet to Hart so it will not have any chance on breaking the hold. Referee Earl Hebner who was expected to be unconscious until Hart reverses the hold immediately got up and calls for the bell making it appear that he saw Bret Hart tapping out. And at ringside WWE Chairman forced the timekeeper to ring the bell by throwing an elbow at it.

After that match the fans got mad throwing garbage on the ring, securities surrounded the ring, then Bret Hart spit right to McMahon'c face and McMahon asked Michaels to take the Championship belt and leave immediately and was escorted by Triple H and Geraldine Brisco. Hart was irate and destroyed TV monitors. McMahon tried to talk to Bret Hart inside the locker room but Bret hit him in the face.

The WWF earned many criticisms and that incident sunk the show in the ratings even more. But after that the character of McMahon as an evil and arrogant boss was created and marked the start of the Attitude Era that put the WWF on top once again ousting it's rival WCW.

And it seems that Bret Hart have already forgiven Vince, in fact he accepted the WWE Hall of Fame last 2006 at Wrestle Mania.