10 Lies About Famous Wrestling Matches That You Probably Believe

1. "Montreal Was A Work"

Montreal Screwjob Bret Hart Shawn Michaels
WWE.com

You're all pig-sick of reading about f*cking Montreal at this point, apologies, but every now and then, a wrestler spouts nonsense along the lines of "Hmmm not sure this wasn't a work, guys," which fuels an especially dumb conspiracy theory. Some people actually believe that Montreal was a work and are encouraged to do so by many people in wrestling close to the principals (Kevin Nash, for example).

Consider this entry that scene in the Simpsons where "Mr. Thompson" gets his shin kicked hard because he doesn't understand a simple instruction. Some people just need to be kicked in the shin. This might seem harsh. Road Dogg is the latest wrestler to express doubt over whether or not the whole scene was real, and that comparison truly is an insult to Homer.

For Montreal to have been a work, the following points must be true:

- Vince McMahon had to have been certain that Eric Bischoff was going to f*ck up one of the best wrestlers and hottest heels in the business (actually fair).

- Vince in addition would have to have risked the locker room turning against him (which in fact very nearly happened).

- Vince would have to have worked his insistence that he wasn't a fault, which he didn't, because he's a narcissist.

- Bret would have to phone it in, even if the booking was flattering, otherwise, his mole run (?) wouldn't have worked to undermine WCW - and he cared too much about his work. That's why the whole saga unfolded as it did.

Christ, why is it so hard to believe that Shawn Michaels might have just been detestable?

Did you not watch the beloved NXT die a parodic death?

 
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Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!