Why 1997 Was The Greatest Year In Wrestling History

2. Controversy Creates Cash In Montreal

Montreal Screwjob
WWE.com

Love it or hate it, the Montreal Screwjob created a whole lot of controversy that got the whole wrestling world and beyond talking about it.

Some may rightly label the incident a black eye on the wrestling business, but other will point to how the events of November 9, 1997 ultimately ended up being a great thing for the industry. If it wasn't for the very real events of the 1997 Survivor Series, who knows if we would've ever got the Mr. McMahon character. And if he we had never got the Mr. McMahon character, would 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin had gotten over to the level that he did? Maybe Austin would've, but nobody knows for sure.

For Bret Hart fans, the Survivor Series '97 still sticks in the throat, yet the greater significance of that night cannot be overlooked.

Not only did the Screwjob start Mr. McMahon on the path to becoming the industry's best heel, it also gave uber-prick Shawn Michaels more material to work with in the aftermath of that November PPV. The Heartbreak Kid embraced the hate that was directed towards him after Montreal, with him using this very real situation to get himself some truly nuclear heat - which then played a part in fans wanting to pay to see someone like Steve Austin kick the crap out of the Showstopper.

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Senior Writer
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Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks/Saints, Jamie Hayter, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.