At Survivor Series 1997 in Montreal, Bret Hart faced Shawn Michaels for the WWF Championship in a match that became one of the most talked-about moments in wrestling history. Bret was the reigning champion and one of Canada’s biggest heroes, while Shawn was his longtime rival, and there was real-life tension behind the scenes.
Bret was about to leave the WWF for WCW, and he didn’t want to lose the title in front of his home crowd. He had creative control in his contract and believed he’d agreed with Vince McMahon on a finish that would protect his image on the way out.
The match started with a fight outside the ring before the opening bell, showing how personal things had gotten. Both men wrestled aggressively, mixing technical holds with wild brawling. The crowd was firmly behind Bret and loudly booed Shawn.
Bret worked on Shawn’s legs to set up for his signature move, the Sharpshooter, while Shawn used high-flying attacks and hard strikes to wear Bret down. It looked like a classic back-and-forth title match between two of the best in the business.
But the ending shocked everyone. Shawn had locked Bret in his own finishing move, the Sharpshooter, But just as Hart was beginning to counter the move, referee Earl Hebner suddenly called for the bell. The problem was, Hart never submitted. The match ended abruptly, and Michaels was declared the new WWF Champion. The crowd, as well as Hart, was stunned.
Standing near ringside, Vince McMahon had ordered Hebner to end the match without Hart’s consent. Hart, realizing he had been betrayed, spat in McMahon’s face and destroyed TV monitors at ringside in a display of real anger. The event became known as the “Montreal Screwjob,” a moment that blurred the lines between scripted storytelling and real-life conflict.
Shawn Michaels left the ring quickly with the championship, while Hart exited the WWF for WCW shortly after. The fallout from this match reshaped the wrestling industry. It led to the creation of Vince McMahon’s villainous “Mr. McMahon” character, which would become a central figure during the WWF’s rise in the Attitude Era.
For Bret Hart, the match marked the end of his storied run in the company and sparked years of tension with the WWF. The screwjob also changed how fans viewed the wrestling business, making them more aware of what happens behind the scenes.
More than two decades later, the match remains a turning point in wrestling history, not because of the moves or the finish, but because of the real-life betrayal and the impact it had on everyone involved.
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