CREDIT: QUOIPOURQUOI & www.WrestlingForum.com
The following is a very detailed breakdown of the Montreal Screwjob incident from WWE Survivor Series in 1997.
Over the following pages you will see bold subtitle indicators, explaining what each category is describing. You will see the following categories on the next few pages:
-The Relationship Between Bret Hart and Vince McMahon
-The 1996 Contract
-Violating The 1996 Contract
-The Relationship Between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels
-Full Timeline Breakdown of the Hart/Michaels Relationship
-The Event Itself and the Aftermath
-Full List Of Wrestlers Who Supported Bret Hart
-Full List Of Wrestlers Who Supported Vince McMahon
-The Current Relationship Between Hart & Michaels
-Admission Of Fault and Closing Notes
Let’s get started with part one….
The Relationship Between Bret Hart and Vince McMahon
Paul Jay’s documentary Wrestling With Shadows sensationalized a father-son relationship between Hart and McMahon for the sake of a better movie. By Hart’s own admission, there was clear respect between the two (Hart gave McMahon a framed drawing and letter of appreciation after being given the main event spot at SummerSlam 1992; without Hart’s knowledge, McMahon arranged for the wrestlers to fill the ring and praise Hart at the end of WrestleMania X), but there was an element of distrust when it came to business.
In late-May of 1993, after doing the promotional shoots for the planned SummerSlam match, McMahon told Hart that he would be going over Hogan for the WWF Title. McMahon would later tell Hart that Hogan refused to lose to him, so instead, Hogan would drop the belt at King of the Ring to Yokozuna in an unclean finish. Hart confronted Hogan about it, and the two stormed McMahon’s office in an attempt to straighten out the story. McMahon denied ever planning a title match between the two, leaving Hart distrustful of both McMahon and Hogan.
That following November, Hart and McMahon began contract negotiations, as Hart’s contract was set to expire just before the new year. After a handshake deal on a contract that would give Hart the rights to the name "Hitman" and the ability to act outside the WWF, McMahon sent Hart a written contract that didn’t contain any of the terms on which they negotiated. Hart called him on it, and McMahon redid the contract according to the verbal agreement.
Continued on page two …
