9 Ballsiest WWE Promos Ever

1. Vince's Bret Screwed Bret

This was a major gamble for Vince McMahon. Up until that fateful night in Montreal, Vince had only been dabbling in his role as the on-air chairman. The outline of the Mr. McMahon character was still being sketched out at that point. At Survivor Series 1997, he dove in headfirst. The Montreal Screwjob sent shockwaves through WWE that still reverberate to this day. Don't believe me? Re-watch that HBK promo from the previous entry.

But it was the following night's interview with Jim Ross that officially cemented Vince McMahon as the greatest heel character of the Attitude Era. Not content to simply gloss over the events or perhaps even apologize for what transpired, McMahon decided to double-down on his actions, uttering the words that would make millions of WWE fans boil over with rage:

"The referee did not screw Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels certainly did not screw Bret Hart, nor did Vince McMahon screw Bret Hart. I truly believe that Bret Hart screwed Bret Hart"

The shorthand "Bret screwed Bret" has since become synonymous with McMahon's heel turn (and his ability to incite rage at the drop of a hat). And while it may seem like a genius bit of dialogue in hindsight, the risks involved with saying something like that, particularly while the wounds were so fresh, were enormous.

Frankly, Vince is lucky that millions of viewers (especially those up north), didn't swear off WWE programming for good. It was a ballsy move, but it helped create an incredible character, one that would help transform WWE's fortunes in the months and years to come.