10 Wrestling Careers Damaged By WWE Backstage Politics

10. Bret Hart

There's no doubt Bret Hart's pride was damaged by backstage politics in a huge way because of obvious events, but ultimately the Montreal Screwjob made Bret Hart a hot topic and arguably strengthened his career in the long run. Regardless, the backstage politics in 1997 played such a huge role in his transforming his career and reputation post-departure, making Bret Hart worth an inclusion in this list. In brief, Bret Hart had negotiated a better paying deal with WCW and was soon to leave the WWF, but he still held the WWF Championship. Bret refused to drop the belt to his long-time rival Shawn Michaels out of disdain for the man, which Vince went and arranged without Bret Hart's knowledge, leading to one of the most controversial wrestling moments in history. Had he not been leaving the company, the Screwjob would have damaged his career, but instead it gave WCW one of the most talked about figures in wrestling in 1997, not that it mattered - WCW promptly ruined Bret Hart's career. Most importantly, the Screwjob shows that even top-tier talent and faces of the company are subject to the unfair nature of backstage politics.