Every Story To Come Out Of The Screwjob

On November 9th, 1997, the most controversial decision in wrestling happened and the wrestling industry was forever changed. The before, during, and after machinations of The Montreal Screwjob has been discussed and dissected for 23 years. Despite Bret Hart legitimately getting screwed in his home country by Vince McMahon; there are still many even within the business that suggests that it’s all an elaborate work!

But most fans and Superstars know a lot better, especially the ones that were there at The Molson Centre. Without further ado, here are some of the accounts and angles of what happened during one of pro wrestling's most controversial incidents, The Montreal Screwjob.

10 Ravishing Rick Rude Called Eric Bischoff

“Oh what a difference a day makes!” Ravishing Rick Rude bellowed out on Monday Nitro one day after appearing at the Survivor Series pay-per-view. Rude had been working with the WWE on a per night basis with the company as a member of DX. After McMahon called for the bell to ring, a disgusted Rick Rude called his longtime friend from Minnesota Eric Bischoff, which is how Easy E found out that the angle was a shoot and they really screwed The Hitman. Rude asked Eric if there is a spot for him in WCW, which there certainly was.

9 The Undertaker Cleared The Room

Now that the never-breaking-kayfabe Deadman has come out of the coffin and started talking about his legendary career, he shared his thoughts about the fateful night. At one point he looked at Shawn and said “we’re good.”

But that wasn’t all The Undertaker did backstage during the night. He was also the man who made sure McMahon came out of his locker room to explain himself to Bret. When The Phenom headed to Bret’s dressing room, he was already defusing the situation as much as possible. He made sure everyone that had no direct interest in the situation to leave the room; which included Ken Shamrock, who was close to Bret.

8 Mick Foley Skipped Raw

After the events of the evening, the entire roster of WWF Superstars except for Shawn and Triple H had no idea about what went down. While many voiced their displeasure and even sided with Bret, only one Superstar actually protested the situation and stayed home the next night - Mick Foley. The Hardcore Legend respected Bret as a friend and a locker room leader. The next night on Raw, he has stayed home. According to Foley, a lot of guys were talking about not going to work, but when he realized that he was the only one who stayed home, he realized one is truly the loneliest number. When he came back to work, Vince shook his hand and never spoke about the incident.

7 Shawn Michaels Denied Any Involvement

Not only did Shawn Michaels deny any involvement in the Montreal Screwjob, but he also did so while sitting right next to The Hitman. While Bret’s then-wife was in the back berating several members of the roster, Bret was in his locker room getting ready to take the longest shower of his life before decking Vince McMahon. Michaels was in probably the last place anyone was going to look for him - Bret’s dressing room. HBK lied and “swore to God” that he didn’t have anything to do the Screwjob. After Bret punched McMahon, he simply thanked Shawn for the match and left the arena.

6 Edge And Christian Were Told To Leave

While they hadn’t debuted on the main roster yet, future legends Edge and Christian were also in attendance that night. They were backstage the whole night but wanted to watch the epic showdown from the crowd. The two rookies were as confused as anyone as to what happened. When they headed back to see what went down and check on their friends and fellow Canadians, WWE President Of Canada told them to grab their bags and bolt of the Molson Centre.

5 Austin Thought WWE Was Going Out Of Business

At the Survivor Series one year prior, Bret Hart had returned from hiatus and took on Stone Cold Steve Austin in a classic match. Several months later at WrestleMania 13, they wrestled the Submission Match that would completely cement their legacies. Austin has always looked up to and respected The Hitman as his friend and WWE Champion.

When the Screwjob happened he didn’t know what to make of anything that went down that night. He couldn’t believe that they would “fire the world champion.” The Rattlesnake initially thought that the WWE was going out of business.

4 Vader Tried To Warn Bret

Despite being one of the greatest monsters and big men of all time, by many accounts, Leon White, aka Vader was a nice and decent human being (albeit with smelly ring gear). The Mastodon had toured the world and witnessed all kinds of arguments with promoters. Considering it was no secret that Bret was leaving, Vader felt that something was amiss and spoke to The Hitman about it. It was Vader who had initially warned Bret about being on his back for too long or getting caught in a submission hold.

3 Earl Hebner’s Real-Time Thoughts

Heading into Montreal, Bret Hart had a conversation with Earl Hebner who had promised to not count a fall if Bret’s shoulders weren’t down. He swore on his wife and kids. But on the way to ring, Gerald Brisco told Hebner to make sure the bell rings when he sees The Sharpshooter. While he did make a promise to Bret, he also began to think about all of the people that put Bret over the years and now Bret wasn’t willing to do the same for the WWE, the company that made him. He actually did keep his promise though, as he never did have to count a false three-count.

2 Ross, Patterson, Prichard Kept Out Of The Loop

Vince McMahon has always had an inner circle, and oftentimes it including stalwarts like Pat Patterson, Bruce Prichard, and Jim Ross. But on this matter, none of them were included in what was going to go down. Over the years, each person has explained why they weren’t clued into The Montreal Screwjob.

Pat was thought to be too close to The Hitman and would have been against it or even clued Bret in on the ruse. Bruce Prichard didn’t speak to Vince for days, but the Chairman explained to him that he didn’t want Bruce to have to lie when asked if he knew. Good Ol’ JR couldn’t have been clued in because as head of talent, he needed to be the one that the boys could trust and come to in hopes to repair trust among the roster.

1 Whose Idea Was It?

With the match drawing nearer and Bret continuously refusing any of Vince’s booking ideas, the concept of screwing over Bret became that much more of a necessity. But who actually came up with the idea? There are three possibilities that have come forth over the years. The first is that the then-young upstart Triple H suggested just screwing Bret. Jim Cornette has suggested that he educated Vince McMahon on the very first Montreal Screwjob involving Ed Strangler Lewis and Henri DeGlane decades earlier. Even Vince Russo chimes in, not wanting to take credit for screwing Bret but claiming that he suggested The Sharpshooter ending.

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