10 WWE Title Changes That Shocked The World

by Jamie Kennedy

1. Shawn Michaels (Survivor Series 1997)

Montreal Screwjob Bret Hart Shawn Michaels
WWE.com

The infamous 'Montreal Screwjob' has been recanted perhaps more than any other event in WWE history since it happened, but it's true that no list looking at shocking title switches in the company would be complete without what went down at the Survivor Series in 1997.

Few need the backstory at all, so it's interesting to instead focus on fan reaction that night in Canada.

It took a few moments for the live crowd to realise that Bret Hart had been legitimately screwed over by Vince McMahon, Shawn Michaels, and Earl Hebner. Had people recognised the subterfuge straight away, the WWF would have surely incited a riot on 9 November 1997.

It was only when Hart began throwing a tantrum post-match that people started to cotton onto what had happened. The 'Screwjob' remains the single most controversial and shocking WWF/WWE Title switch in history, if for no other reason than because it was real.

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What other WWE Title switches do you think shocked the world? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments section below!

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Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.