10 Wrestling Grudges That Changed The Business
2. Bret Hart Vs Shawn Michaels
There is - thankfully - just about nothing left to say about the Montreal Screwjob a full quarter of a century after it took place. But we still speak about the ramifications to this very day, because we live in the ramifications to this very day.
Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels had to implode when they did, both men needed to be out of the main event picture for Stone Cold Steve Austin to ascend without unnecessary obstacles and distractions, and the post-WrestleMania clean slate (a generous description of WWE's fairly lean roster, but a fresh set of wrestlers all the same) was vital for 'The Rattlesnake' to feel like the true top of the pile. What happened after that changed the industry, and what remained in the aftermath was a monopoly blown to bits by 2019 to allow for AEW to exist. It is simply still as pivotal as that.
Survivor Series 1997 saw to it that 'The Hitman' was unceremoniously out of the picture, and though the rivalry between Hart and Michaels didn't directly lead to the career-shortening injury 'HBK' suffered just two months later, his spiralling personal problems were only expedited by this bitter dispute. A breakdown of some description was headed Michaels' way - the physical kind just got there first.