10 Most Crucial WWE World Title Changes

8. Bret Hart Defeats The Undertaker - SummerSlam 1997

Would the infamous 'Montreal Screwjob' have ever happened had Bret Hart not defeated The Undertaker at SummerSlam 1997? At the time, Vince McMahon was going cold on the idea of a proposed 20-year deal with the 'Hitman', but there's a chance things might not have ended on such a sour note between the pair. Going into SummerSlam, the main story was between Hart and the Special Guest Referee, Shawn Michaels. Behind the curtain, there was real animosity between both men. On Hart's side, this stemmed from Shawn's apparent refusal to put him over back at WrestleMania 13. In HBK's mind, Bret needed taking down a peg or two, and was prone to taking himself way too seriously. The pair simply didn't see eye-to-eye, and things would eventually boil over at the Survivor Series later that year. At SummerSlam however, Hart vanquished 'Taker to bag the WWF Title. This was a huge win, one treated to a hugely negative reaction from the North American portion of the promotion's audience. In a sense, if Bret hadn't been WWF Champion after SummerSlam, the events of the Survivor Series would never have any cause to happen. There would not have been any push to oust Hart as champ, because he may not have had the title.