8 Times WWE Turned Trash Into Treasure

by Jamie Kennedy

1. Montreal Screwjob - Real-Life Treachery To McMahon Vs. Austin

Vince McMahon Steve Austin
WWE

Vince McMahon literally trashed Bret Hart by claiming 'Bret screwed Bret' in the aftermath of the infamous Montreal Screwjob at 1997's Survivor Series. Nobody could have predicted what happened next, least of all McMahon himself. Suddenly, he was the WWF's hottest heel.

Vince conspiring to remove the WWF Title from Hart at Survivor Series parlayed brilliantly into what is arguably still WWE's greatest ever rivalry. McMahon vs. Steve Austin was one of the most natural fits in history, so good in fact that it provided a template for pretty much every 'wrestler vs. authority figure' story to come.

Out of real-life treachery, McMahon banked millions by going up against the beer-drinking rebel. This was a war between authority and the common man, instantly capturing the collective imaginations of the wrestling world and turning an overwhelming negative (Bret's heartbreak) into a huge positive.

McMahon vs. Austin wouldn't have happened had Montreal not come first.

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When else have WWE rescued trash and turned it into treasure? Let us know what you think 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.