Sami Zayn was not thrilled with the Montreal Screwjob.
The WWE Superstar was a huge fan of Bret Hart as a child, being a Canadian during the peak of his fame. The first WWE event he attended was Survivor Series 1997, where Hart took on Shawn Michaels in a now-infamous bout.
This is referred to as the “Montreal Screwjob”, due to Vince McMahon‘s actions. The WWE Chairman told the referee to ring the bell when Bret Hart was locked in the Sharpshooter. Despite not tapping out, Bret lost the belt on his way out fo WWE, on the way to WCW.
This devastated Sami Zayn. He spoke to the Toronto Sun about the upcoming Money in the Bank event in the area, and discussed Survivor Series 1997. He said the vibe was more like the Stanley Cup Finals than a WWE show. Zayn also noted that he learned Bret Hart was leaving WWE early that day in the Montreal Gazette.
“I read in the newspaper—I think it was that morning—that Bret Hart’s contract was coming to an end and that there were rumors of him going to WCW. I was absolutely shocked, I was like, ‘This has to be a mistake.’ But it was in the Montreal Gazette, you know, like proper media, not some message board or wrestling rumor website. This was in the paper, and I remember just feeling… because I was the biggest Bret Hart fan. It’s very hard to articulate what the buzz in the city that week was like. It was like a real championship, like the Stanley Cup finals. It was that same kind of vibe.”
Sami Zayn Was Crushed By Watching Bret Hart Get Screwed
Sami Zayn continued. The Intercontinental Champion revealed he had the “worst seats in the house”, paying just ten dollars to enter the arena that night.
He also revealed he was “crushed” after seeing Bret Hart screw himself (according to Vince McMahon) as he was on his way to WCW.
“I remember going into that match so nervous, and then after the infamous screw job that you’re describing there, I was in the worst seats in the house. The furthest seats you could possibly get. I got a $3 off coupon in the paper. Tickets were like 13 bucks, so I was able to afford to get into the building. I was sitting in the absolute corner. “
“We didn’t have big screens and all that stuff back then. I was literally watching through my friend’s binoculars. We had one pair that we passed back and forth to each other. I was like, ‘What’s he doing?’ And he’s doing the WCW with his finger. I couldn’t even figure it out. The people next to me were saying he’s doing WCW. And then I just remember… I just left the building crushed.”
