10 WWE Moments That Shocked The Wrestling World
3. The Montreal Screwjob
Bret Hart's double-cross on 9 November 1997 is so well-established in the annals of wrestling folklore that the simple synecdoche 'Montreal' is adequate to describe the event to most fans. No occurrence in a wrestling ring has been subject to as much scrutiny as the happenings at Survivor Series '97, either before or since.
Everybody knows the story by now. Reigning WWF World Champion Hart, on his way to WCW after it became clear his employers could no longer honour his inflated contract, had flatly refused to drop his strap to Shawn Michaels in Canada. Instead of finding a compromise, Vince McMahon simply rang the bell on The Hitman whilst he wrestled out of a Michaels' Sharpshooter. HBK quickly retreated with belt in tow, as Hart aimed a huge ball of gob in the direction of the chairman. The boss later receive an additional punch to the face for this ultimate insult.
The whole situation sounds anodyne in an era where the performers scarcely bother to hide the lines between reality and fiction. In 1997, it sent the wrestling world in meltdown. Hardly ever had the murky workings beneath the surface been so starkly revealed on screen, and the context of the combustible Monday Night Wars made it extra explosive. The intrigue surrounding Hart's next move was palpable, but bubbling beneath the surface was the emergence of Vince McMahon as the very public, very vilified owner of WWE. Reality would soon fuse with fiction, kickstarting the Attitude Era in earnest with McMahon the central antagonist.