Vince McMahon's 10 Biggest Successes
4. Montreal Screwjob
WWE
wouldn’t have gone public in 1999 without the enormous success of the Stone
Cold-Mr. McMahon rivalry. Steve Austin’s meteoric rise as the biggest star in
pro wrestling coincided with the evolution of the dastardly, corrupt McMahon
character. For over 20 years, McMahon was the voice of the company, a
straight-faced (extremely enthusiastic) announcer who was rarely mentioned
on-camera as actual owner. But then came Survivor Series 1997.
McMahon
orchestrated the Montreal Screwjob, a real-life squabble sewn into the fabric
of WWE storytelling. When he did an interview with J.R. after the event, blaming
Bret Hart for being unprofessional and potentially sabotaging his company,
McMahon grew the ire of the fans who were disgusted that he betrayed their hero
and who identified with another employee being mistreated by the boss.
“Bret
screwed Bret,” was the mantra that propelled the McMahon character into the
hottest villain in the history of the business.