10 Fascinating WWE Survivor Series 1997 Facts
8. One Of Vince's Motivations For The Screwjob Concerned Eric Bischoff
Yes, there will be eight entries in this list concerning the Screwjob itself, so strap yourselves in. The boss had his own grapefruits in a vice when he told Bret Hart he was going to breach his contract - as Hart still reigned as WWE Champion. Getting him to play ball was going to be difficult, especially with arch-enemy Shawn Michaels in the equation.
There's long been a rumor that McMahon had to screw Bret over because he was afraid Hart would show up on Nitro with the WWE Championship. That couldn't happen due to the legal ramifications involved, and Hart (despite his tense relationship with McMahon at the time) likely wouldn't have done that anyway.
The biggest reason for McMahon needing Hart to lose in Montreal was because he didn't want Bischoff to go on Nitro and announce that he had signed away the reigning WWE Champion. Already behind in the Monday Night Wars, such phrasing from Bischoff would've painted the then-number two promotion with even darker hues.