18 Things WWE Wants You To Forget About Shawn Michaels

Tensions between Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart reached a climax in late 1997. Bret was WWE Champion, but when Vince McMahon couldn't afford to pay his contract, he encouraged his champ to seek employment with WCW. Bret came to an agreement with the rival promotion and was willing to drop the championship before he left at the end of the year - just not to hated rival Michaels in Canada.

The creative control clause in Bret's contract meant he was justified in the demand, and Vince McMahon agreed to it. Rather than have Bret drop the belt after the Survivor Series, though, Vince said Bret could leave as champion after one final match in Montreal. In actuality, Vince, Shawn, and a few other people came up with a plan to rob Bret of the title.

During the main event of the Pay-Per-View, Vince came down to the ring. Shawn locked Bret in Bret's Sharpshooter in a pre-planned spot, and though Bret didn't submit, Vince and referee Earl Hebner called for the bell and declared Michaels the winner. Bret was furious, and his WWE career ended in the worst way.

Michaels claimed he knew nothing about the plan, and that he wouldn't accept the championship. Of course, he did accept the title on Raw, and he continued to belittle Bret after he'd left the company. Finally, in 2003, Michaels admitted that he was in on the Montreal Screwjob. While Bret and Shawn have since made amends, Montreal will always cast a shadow over "The Heartbreak Kid's" career.