20 Years Later... 10 Reasons Vince McMahon Was STILL RIGHT To Screw Bret Hart
3. Time-Honoured Tradition
Vince McMahon couldn't repeat the typically verbose phrase enough during his infamous long-form character assassination on Raw shortly after the Screwjob, to the point where the meaning behind the comment got lost as recycled rhetoric. Myopically though, it was actually true.
For all Bret may not have wanted to lose on that night to that man in that place (delete as appropriate), 'The Hitman' had proffered a dignified defeat or fond farewell to give his WWE story the ending he felt it deserved. But he also knew the business he was in - what realistic chance did he actually stand of receiving that?
Parking all sentimentality at the door as well as the myriad of reasons for his upcoming WWE exit, he was a man about to perform for a rival organisation slap-bang in the middle of a vicious ratings war. Regrettably, it was the only way to go.