10 Most Insane Conspiracy Theories In WWE History
2. The Montreal Screwjob Was A Publicity Stunt
The Montreal Screwjob might be the most talked-about incident in professional wrestling history. Bret Hart was on his way out of WWE and Vince McMahon wanted to get the WWE Championship off him before he headed to WCW. Hart refused to lose the belt in his native Canada, and it was arranged that he’d defeat Shawn Michaels at Montreal’s Survivor Series ‘97, then drop the belt on the next night’s Raw and ride off into the sunset.
Vince had other ideas, however, and instead of going along with the original plan, he forced referee Earl Hebner into ending the match and hand Michaels the win. Locked in a Sharpshooter (and decidedly not tapping out), Hart was left bewildered and furious, and left the company under a cloud of controversy.
The theory is that the whole thing was a hoax, and that Bret was in on it the whole time. The logic behind it isn’t ridiculous: the Screwjob did, after all, raise the profile of everyone involved. Shawn became an even bigger star than before, Vince became Mr. McMahon, and Bret left for WCW with a great deal of support and outrage behind him. It remains the most infamous event in wrestling history, and people still debate it today.
Job well done, right?
Probably not. If Bret’s reaction wasn’t real, then he’s in the wrong profession, because that was a Marlon Brando-level acting performance. The fact that the bad blood persisted for so long after the incident pours further cold water on the theory, but truthfully, nobody really knows what happened that night other than Hart, Michaels, and McMahon themselves.