#3.) Rick Rude appearing on RAW and Nitro on the same night
This is a moment that still remains surreal. For context – Rick Rude in 1997 was not an in-ring competitor. He had been retired for 3 years due to a neck and back injury he suffered while working in Japan. He returned to the WWF as an on-screen figure and he was one of the original members of DX.
While he did Shawn Michaels‘ bidding on-screen, he allegedly hated him behind it. He didn’t really sit with them when going over the scripts and his contract was on a pay-per-appearance basis, meaning he wasn’t tied to them in any way, shape or form. So when the Montreal Screwjob happened and the locker room was in a divide as to whether to support Shawn Michaels or Bret Hart, Rude instantly went to Hart.
He decided that he didn’t want to be a part of the company, and even though he had verbally agreed to a new contract with WWF, he was silent in the November tapings of RAW and went about his job. Knowing that the episode would air only a week later, he jumped ship to WCW and appeared on Nitro, cutting a scathing promo against Shawn Michaels, Vince McMahon and WWF. So on that night, WCW made a statement, knowing that he appeared on both shows.
Next Page: 5 Biggest Statements WCW Made To WWE During The Monday Night Wars
