Make no mistake about it, despite the 97 screwjob, Vince McMahon was a huge Bret Hart fan. The friendship between the pair was referenced on the 'WWE Rivalries: Bret Vs Shawn' DVD, with footage even being shown of the men hanging out in Canada. Vince liked Bret and respected his ability tremendously, hence Bret being one of the most featured and pushed performers of the period from 1991 to 1997. You don't end up being a top guy for six years without being one of Vince's favourites. Whether it was the top of the mid card or main event, Vince counted on Bret at his most reliable act for much of the first half of the 90's. Things famously soured after Bret lost Vince's attention to the flashy Shawn Michaels. Even then, Vince still held Hart in high regard - if you take a look at the booking of Bret in the two years before his departure he remained a very top star. It was in fact Vince who suggested to Bret he should take WCW's money and leave (the WWF was in a financial abyss and couldn't match it) so in some ways McMahon showed real consideration for Hart. The screwjob obviously changed everything. Triple H suggested to McMahon that it was the only course of action to take. Under HUGE pressure from WCW putting him out of business, McMahon gave the screwjob the green light. Despite years of cold hostility following that fateful day, it seems as if the affection between the men is back. Hart got very emotional in the Shawn Vs Bret DVD when he talked about how much Vince's efforts to reconcile meant to him. As for McMahon, his efforts to honour Hart's legacy illustrate his genuine respect for a wrestler he so greatly valued in the 90s.
