The Montreal Screwjob remains one of the most infamous moments in wrestling history, etching Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels’ names into WWE folklore forever.
With WWF Champion Bret Hart heading to WCW, in November 1997 Vince McMahon hatched a plan to make absolutely sure that he would do so without the title.
The end result was the Montreal Screwjob. With Bret Hart locked in the Sharpshooter in the Survivor Series main event at the hands of Shawn Michaels, referee Earl Hebner instructed the timekeeper to ring the bell ending the match. However, Hart had never submitted, and as he suspected ahead of the match, he had been screwed.
In the near riotous scenes after the match as the Canadian crowd stood on the edge of revolt, Hart spat at McMahon before punching him in the face backstage.
“He Should Know Better” – Bret Hart
While appearing at a virtual autograph signing Hart was informed that Hebner had now claimed off the record that he had been “swerved” the same as everyone else. The veteran official stating that Michaels, McMahon and even Hart himself were in on the plot.
After being informed of Hebner’s comments by the K&S Wrestle Fest team, The Hitman said that Hebner should know better. To add to the already emotive subject, Hart famously asked for Hebner to officiate the match at Survivor Series as he knew McMahon would be trying to get one over on him.
“That’s not true. He should know better about that. I was well under the understanding that they were going to try and screw me that day somehow. I was just determined not to let it happen.
Earl is a victim of being a coward. I told Earl the night before. I said, ‘They’re going to ask you to screw me tomorrow.'”
Speaking in a recent interview of his own, Shawn Michaels recently commented that he has “nothing in common” with the man he was back in 1997. He added that what happened was difficult on both men.
H/t to Wrestling Inc