Montreal Screwjob

At the time of the Montreal Screwjob, Bret Hart was a 14-year veteran of the WWF (Now WWE), having got his first break in the promotion in the 1980s as one-half of The Hart Foundation, a tag team with his brother-in-law Jim Neidhart and manager Jimmy Hart (no relation). After the team had two reigns as the WWF Tag Team Champions – splitting from Jimmy Hart and becoming heroes between reigns – Hart then achieved tremendous success as a singles performer in the 1990s, twice taking the WWF Intercontinental Championship, and then winning the WWF Championship five times. Between his third and fourth reigns, Hart took a seven-month leave of absence after WrestleMania XII, during which he considered contract offers from both the WWF and rival promotion WCW. In October 1996, Hart declined a three-year, $8.4 million offer from WCW, instead opting to sign an unprecedented twenty-year deal offered by WWF owner Vince McMahon, who promised to make him the highest-paid wrestler in the promotion and secure him a major role with the company's management following his retirement. Both Hart and the WWF saw the contract as an expression of mutual loyalty. By mid-1997, the WWF was facing financial difficulties due to stiff competition from WCW, which had become the largest professional wrestling promotion in the USA. At the same time, McMahon was planning an initial public offering to make the WWF a publicly traded company (even though the promotion would not go public until 1999), a move which required him to minimize any long-term financial commitments. For several months prior to the 1997 Survivor Series, Hart and fellow wrestler Shawn Michaels had several backstage arguments, culminating in a fight before a WWF Raw event in Hartford, Connecticut, after Michaels had publicly accused Hart of having an affair with WWF valet Tammy Lynn Sytch, that saw Michaels go home for two months. On October 12, 1997, after a show in San Jose, California, Hart claimed he spoke to Michaels about being professional and trusting one another in the ring; Hart allegedly said he would have no problem losing to Michaels if McMahon requested. He also claimed that when Michaels replied that he "would not be willing to do the same" to him, Hart was shocked and became angry. and in the main event of the 1992 Survivor Series. Michaels also lost to Hart in a steel cage match in December 1993. McMahon believed he made the right choice in pressing Hart to return to the WWF, which kept him from joining WCW in 1996. By September 22, 1997, the promotion's monetary problems were at an all-time high. McMahon began deferring payments to Hart, claiming the company was in "financial peril". Meanwhile, McMahon reviewed the WWF's plans for the future and saw the likes of Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker, and D-Generation X (DX) leading what was to become the "Attitude Era". The WWF's plans did not include Hart; McMahon therefore encouraged Hart to reopen negotiations with WCW. While Hart considered an offer from then-WCW President Eric Bischoff, McMahon informed Hart that the WWF would honor his contract if he chose to stay. When Hart spoke with McMahon about future plans and storylines, he was disappointed by McMahon's response and by what he considered lackluster suggestions. At the time, Hart felt as though his career had been sabotaged by changes to his character, which had been retooled as an anti-American Canadian nationalist; as a result, he drew significant ire from U.S. audiences but remained a hero in his native Canada, as well as throughout Europe, with Hart himself stating that young fans in Germany liked his pink and black outfit and saw him as the right kind of hero. Hart was neither a hero nor a villain, and as such could not be properly placed into feuds with other wrestlers with more concrete personas. He had been unhappy about McMahon's move towards more controversial subject matter, which would become a staple of the WWF's product during the Attitude Era. Convinced that McMahon's future plans did not include him, Hart resigned from the WWF and signed an agreement with WCW, which had just offered him a large $3 million per annum contract on November 1, 1997. Hart's signing this deal caused McMahon to worry about the possibility of Hart entering WCW while still the WWF Champion. Hart asked McMahon if he would be mocked after leaving for WCW, as had occurred with other WWF wrestlers who had transferred to the rival promotion (for example, Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage going by the names of "The Huckster" and "The Nacho Man" respectively in the "Billionaire Ted" sketches of early 1996, as well as having Rick Bognar and Glenn Jacobs portray the characters of Razor Ramon and Diesel, respectively, characters that were made famous by both Scott Hall and Kevin Nash respectively before they joined WCW later in 1996). McMahon assured him that nothing of the sort would happen. Despite this, on the night after the Montreal Screwjob on Monday Night Raw, the DX performed a segment mockingly re-enacting the match between Michaels and Hart, with a dwarf dressed as the latter. ==Title transition==

Hart's imminent move to WCW created a tense situation, as he had won the WWF Championship at SummerSlam 1997 from The Undertaker, which had featured Michaels as a special guest referee. The finish of the match saw Hart spit in Michaels' face, followed by Michaels swinging a steel chair towards Hart, who ducked, and the chair striking down The Undertaker. Hart would cover The Undertaker, and Michaels would reluctantly perform the three-count. Hart's WCW contract was scheduled to begin on December 5, one month after the 1997 Survivor Series, which was to be held in Montreal. Hart believed that Michaels had faked a knee injury and talked about major surgery just to get out of their planned match. While Michaels denied rumors that he did not want to lose to Hart, and indeed Hart wound up winning the title shortly after Michaels relinquished it, Hart felt certain that Michaels would not have offered a loss in return if he had been staying with the WWF. The two had been involved in a real altercation after Michaels implied that Hart had been having an affair with Sytch. McMahon remained insistent that Hart drop the title, anxious about the prospect of Hart pulling a move similar to that of former WWF employee Debrah Miceli. Miceli, a veteran women's wrestler who competed under the name Madusa for much of her career, performed as Alundra Blayze in the WWF from 1993 to 1995 and won the WWF Women's Championship during her stay there. McMahon had neglected to renew her contract when it expired, and Miceli signed with WCW while still Women's Champion. When she made her first appearance on WCW Monday Nitro, Madusa made fun of her time in the WWF and brought her title belt, which the WWF had neglected to take back, dumping it into a trash can during the live broadcast. McMahon feared a repeat of that incident, despite claims from Bischoff that legal issues between the WWF and WCW would prevent a recurrence, and that he would rather have Hart join WCW with a "clean slate". Hart continued to refuse to drop the title to Michaels, offering to lose the title anywhere in the U.S. prior to Survivor Series or to surrender the title to McMahon on the episode of Raw immediately following Survivor Series, scheduled to be taped in Ottawa. Hart would then lose or forfeit the title at a later date, as he was not due to start in WCW until December. Hart also asked for and obtained McMahon's permission to explain his actions, his heel character, and to praise McMahon and the WWF, thus leaving on good terms with the company and the fans. At some point in the days leading up to Survivor Series, however, McMahon began to reconsider that decision. Word of Hart's impending departure from the WWF had leaked to fans and wrestling news sources. McMahon was worried that allowing Hart to remain champion after Survivor Series would cause problems and suspected Bischoff, in another effort to humiliate the WWF, would mention WCW's signing of Hart on Nitro the following night (something Bischoff later said would not have happened under normal circumstances). Furthermore, Bischoff would have a one-hour head start on McMahon due to Nitro going on the air live at 8:00p.m., which would have been more than enough time to announce Hart's arrival at WCW. Therefore, McMahon felt, he needed to find a way to preemptively strip Hart of the title. ==Setup and execution==

On November 8, 1997, one day before Survivor Series, McMahon met with Michaels and Pat Patterson in a hotel room in Montreal and planned the screwjob. Ross stated that Jerry Lawler also did not know about the screwjob beforehand. Hart and Michaels had previously met with Patterson to discuss the match setup and plan, during which Hart agreed to allow Michaels to put him into the Sharpshooter, Hart's signature submission hold, at a time when the referee would be unconscious, as Patterson suggested. The rest of the match was planned to proceed thus: Hart would grab Michaels's foot and reverse the hold, putting him in the Sharpshooter. Michaels would submit to the hold; however, the referee would still be unconscious. Hart would let go of the hold to try to revive the referee, and Michaels would hit Hart with his finisher, Sweet Chin Music, and make the pin. A second referee would then run to the ring with Owen Hart, Jim Neidhart, and Davey Boy Smith following close behind. The second referee would start the count, only for Owen and Smith to break the pin. The original referee would then recover and start to make the count, with Hart kicking out and setting up about five more minutes of brawling that would result in a disqualification. Per a longstanding rule that titles could only change hands via pinfall or submission, Hart would remain champion. In his documentary Hitman Hart, Hart said that his fears were largely assuaged because he was close friends with referee Earl Hebner and trusted him implicitly. Asked by Hart, Hebner swore on his children's lives that he would never double-cross Hart and would rather quit his job than participate in a screwjob. According to his autobiography, Michaels himself informed Hebner of the plan only on Sunday evening, just as Survivor Series was about to commence. This contradicted what Hebner said on a 2003 edition of WWE Confidential, claiming that he first knew of McMahon's plan only ten minutes before the match finished. Tensions and excitement were high as WWF wrestlers and officials congregated for Survivor Series. Hart was anxious over the match finish and had been warned of the prospect of a screwjob by Neidhart and Smith, as well as by Big Van Vader, who had experienced similar situations while wrestling in Japan. They advised Hart to be alert, not lie on his back for too long, kick out from pinfall counts immediately to avoid a fast count, and not allow himself to be placed in submission holds. The Molson Centre in Montreal was sold out, with more than 20,000 fans in attendance. Rumors of Hart's imminent departure from the WWF had leaked, consequently heightening fan interest in the match. The mixed signals and a war of words between Hart, Michaels, McMahon, and WCW further heightened anticipation. The palpable anger of the fans was converted into raucous cheering as Hart entered the ring carrying the Canadian flag and wearing the championship belt. He was visibly disturbed when segments of the crowd, aware of his move to WCW, jeered him with chants of "You sold out!" as the match progressed. After an initial moment of shock, Hart got to his feet, approached the apron where McMahon was standing and spat directly in his face, while Michaels feigned confusion. Michaels was ordered by McMahon to "pick up the damn belt and get the hell out of here!" Michaels left the arena with Brisco and Triple H, and the broadcast signal cut off almost immediately after Michaels exited, with the last shot being a tight closeup of the Survivor Series logo above the entranceway. McMahon and most other WWF officials also quickly made their way backstage as an angry Hart smashed cameras, monitors, and ringside equipment. Fans in attendance also began to vent their fury on McMahon and WWF officials; a few even heaped trash on them, and some who were close enough pushed Michaels as he hurried backstage. Owen, Neidhart, and Smith came out to the ring and spoke with Hart, calming him down. Hart proceeded to finger trace "W-C-W" and "I love you" to the cheering fans before returning backstage. ==Reactions==

While much of the live audience in Montreal immediately understood what had happened and responded angrily, TV viewers were left confused as Ross promptly wrapped up the event during commentary. Survivor Series went off the air four minutes ahead of schedule with the parting image of Michaels holding the belt aloft as he disappeared backstage. Rumors and expressions of surprise and shock pervaded the Internet almost immediately after the match ended. Some observers considered it a creative and all-time match finish. McMahon locked himself in his office with Patterson and other agents. McMahon opened and was told by Calaway he had to apologize to Hart. Hart proceeded to his dressing room to shower and change after discovering that McMahon, Brisco, and Slaughter had locked themselves in McMahon's office. McMahon refused and said, "I'm gonna give you one". An altercation ensued, with Hart throwing a right hand and hitting McMahon in the temple, dropping him to the floor. Although Shane and Brisco briefly struggled with Hart and Smith, Hart told them to take McMahon and leave, or risk similar consequences. While Owen, Neidhart, and Smith had flown out of Montreal with Hart, McMahon faced a major revolt in the locker room. Most wrestlers were angered by the screwjob and threatened to boycott Raw or leave the WWF altogether. McMahon addressed a meeting to mollify the wrestlers, who had been outraged that McMahon had double-crossed a WWF veteran—many feared for their future and were suspicious of McMahon. An hour later on Raw (which had been taped six days earlier), Rude appeared with the full beard he had been sporting during his last few weeks in the WWF. Of the Hart family, only Owen continued to work with the company, being unable to terminate his contract. At the next night's Raw in Ottawa, Michaels appeared carrying the WWF title belt and performed a segment where he boasted to the audience about how he had beaten Hart with his trademark move in his own country. McMahon gave a television interview to Ross, explaining his version of events and making the now-infamous statement, "Vince McMahon didn't screw Bret Hart. I truly believe that Bret Hart... screwed Bret Hart." The result was what critics called an anti-climax as most had expected Sting to win cleanly on skill alone. At Starrcade 1999, the finish of the match between Hart and Bill Goldberg was for guest referee Roddy Piper to "ring the bell" once Hart placed Goldberg in the Sharpshooter despite Goldberg not submitting. ==Legacy==

The Montreal Screwjob remains one of the most high-profile double-crosses in the history of professional wrestling, and the first heavily publicized professional wrestling double-cross since Wendi Richter lost the WWF Women's Championship to a masked Fabulous Moolah following a money dispute on November 25, 1985. It is perhaps the most controversial match in the history of the WWF, with the effects of its outcome being felt for over a decade later due to its notoriety and the infamous legacy it left in the promotion. Hart was ostracized by McMahon and later refused offers of induction to the WWE Hall of Fame. The documentary Hitman Hart included footage of McMahon's conversations with Hart in which he affirmed the planned disqualification finish and expressed determination for Hart to exit "the right way" and as amicably as possible—McMahon did not know that the conversation was being recorded. In the recordings, Hart refused to drop the title to Michaels. Within the storylines, McMahon "screwed" such wrestlers in order to hand the title to the performer of his choice. The "Bret screwed Bret" line inspired promos that McMahon made during his feud with Austin. At Unforgiven: In Your House pay-per-view event, McMahon sat at ringside, placed strategically near the timekeeper, during Austin's title defense against Dude Love (Mick Foley), which caused Austin to allude to the screwjob during a promotional interview. At the 1998 Survivor Series—the first anniversary of the screwjob—Shane, a match referee, abandoned his on-screen rebellion against his father and allowed McMahon to screw Austin, by refusing to count Austin's pinfall against Mankind (one of Foley's three characters). The McMahons then double-crossed Mankind in his main event WWF Championship match against The Rock later that night. Just as The Rock put the Sharpshooter hold on Mankind, McMahon called for the bell to be rung, even though Mankind did not submit. The Rock was declared the winner by submission and the new WWF Champion, fully re-enacting the Hart double-cross, this time with a switch between the respective face and heel characters. Since then, professional wrestling storylines, including some storylines written by WWE, continue to refer to the screwjob whenever a title match ends under controversial circumstances. In addition to the 1998 Survivor Series, a worked screwjob was recreated by Theodore Long (the then-general manager of WWE SmackDown) in favour of CM Punk (the then World Heavyweight Champion) against The Undertaker at Breaking Point 2009 and an attempt against Punk (who won and walked out of the arena and WWE with the WWE Championship as part of the storyline) by McMahon himself (with the help of John Laurinaitis) was thwarted by the then WWE Champion John Cena at Money in the Bank 2011. In January 2010, the reenactments of the incident even extended to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) when Hebner ended a main event match between Kurt Angle and AJ Styles by quickly ringing the bell when Styles used the ankle lock on Angle, despite the fact that Angle had not attempted to submit. This led Angle to react in a way very similar to Hart's. The next week, Hebner admitted to a disappointed Hogan that he had taken a payoff from Ric Flair for the action, prompting Hogan to temporarily suspend him. In the video game WWE 13, one of the playable matches on the single player campaign allows players to recreate the Montreal Screwjob. ==Resolution==

The WWF eventually surpassed its arch-rival WCW. With its business steadily declining and its parent company, Time Warner, being acquired by America Online, WCW was put up for sale and purchased by McMahon in 2001, once again making the WWF the single-largest wrestling company in North America. Hart's entry into WCW had been hailed at the time as a major coup for the company, but it subsequently failed to capitalize on his popular appeal. Hart's active wrestling career ended in 2000 after he suffered a severe concussion during a match with Goldberg. After dropping the WWF title to Austin at WrestleMania XIV in 1998, Michaels was forced into retirement for four years due to a serious back injury. After a long period of rehabilitation, Michaels returned to the ring in 2002 at SummerSlam, and eventually retired in 2010 at WrestleMania XXVI, losing to The Undertaker in the main event, but came out of retirement for one match eight years later at Crown Jewel in 2018. The project, which had been given the working title of Screwed: The Bret Hart Story, was renamed Bret "Hit Man" Hart: The Best There Is, the Best There Was, the Best There Ever Will Be. Hart's refusal to lose to Michaels in Montreal was criticized by others such as Flair, who asserted that it was Hart's responsibility to drop the title belt of a company he was leaving; Flair himself was WCW World Heavyweight Champion when he left the company and signed with the WWF in 1991, even appearing on television with the NWA/WCW belt, but also dropped the WWF Championship to Hart at a Saskatoon house show on October 12, 1992. However, Hart maintains that he was prepared to lose the title anywhere and to anyone, except to Michaels in Canada, given that, during 1997, his "Hitman" character had been built up as a great Canadian hero. As his contract with the WWF did not expire for four more weeks, Hart asserts that there was plenty of time and several other opportunities for him to drop the title. Several accounts claim that McMahon had initially proposed that Hart drop the title at December's In Your House pay-per-view in Springfield, Massachusetts, which became D-Generation X: In Your House, or at January's Royal Rumble in San Jose, California. and Hart stated in his 2007 autobiography that he would "never forgive" Michaels. In interviews before the induction ceremony, Hart asserted that he would walk out of the ceremony if he saw Michaels; Michaels decided to step out of view to avoid a possible scene. Hart did not appear at the WrestleMania 22 show in a mini-ceremony with the other inductees, later explaining that he had never intended to attend or appear at the show. While he was able to reconcile to a degree with McMahon, Hart had never reconciled with Michaels. In a November 17, 2008, radio interview, Hart mocked Michaels's version of the incident, saying, "Shawn's this Christian today; and in his book, he wrote that Vince took a dive and that I never even hit him and I thought, 'This guy is such a liar'. I wonder what kind of Christian he is." Asked if he had seen or spoken to Michaels since 1997, Hart said, "No. And I hope I never do... for his sake." He also put over the Michaels–Undertaker match at WrestleMania 25, saying he was proud of both men's efforts and that despite his personal feelings towards Michaels, he always had the utmost respect for his abilities. Hart's WWE return On December 14, 2009, during an episode of Raw, McMahon came out to announce the nominees for Guest Host of the Year at the Slammy Awards. After announcing Bob Barker as the recipient of the award, McMahon asked guest host Dennis Miller who he would like to see as a Raw guest host. Miller said he would like to see Hart, who was his long-time favorite. McMahon dismissed Miller's suggestion, reminding him that the last time Hart was in the WWE was when "Bret screwed Bret", and that he likely would have no interest in hosting the show. Miller then asked the audience if they would like to see Hart as a guest host, to which they responded with applause, and McMahon walked away. On December 16, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that Hart had signed a four-month contract with WWE, and would debut as the guest host of Raw on January 4, 2010. On December 28, WWE.com confirmed that McMahon would be at Raw that night to address the rumors about Hart hosting the show. That night, McMahon confirmed that Hart would be the guest host on the January 4 episode of Raw. A WWE.com article published shortly after the December 28 episode of Raw alluded to an "almost guaranteed encounter between the WWE Chairman and the Hit Man". Hart returned on the January 4, 2010, episode of Raw, and promptly called out Michaels to bury the hatchet. Hart and Michaels then aired their grievances with one another while recognizing that their sixty-minute iron man match at WrestleMania XII ought to be the highlight of their relationship rather than the screwjob. The pair shook hands, and Michaels turned as if to deliver Sweet Chin Music, but instead chose to embrace Hart. While many cast doubts on the sincerity of their reconciliation, Hart confirmed that it was genuine, as did Michaels, and acknowledged that he felt that Michaels had changed for the better. Later in the night, a storyline between Hart and McMahon began with the two appearing to have their reconciliation, only to have McMahon subsequently kick Hart in the gut; in real life, Hart and McMahon had been on slight speaking terms since 2002, when McMahon called Hart during his recovery from a stroke. The feud culminated in an encounter at WrestleMania XXVI, which saw Hart defeat McMahon in a match that involved the Hart family. After the match, Hart would continue to periodically work televised events for WWE. Hart briefly held the WWE United States Championship in May 2010, a title he had held four times previously, all during his tenure in WCW. It was Hart's first championship reign in WWE since the Montreal Screwjob. Hart appeared on the September 10, 2012, episode of Raw at the Bell Centre in Montreal, marking his return for the first time to the same building where the screwjob occurred, where he took part in an interview segment featuring John Cena and WWE Champion CM Punk, with Hart punching Punk. The episode was overshadowed by Jerry Lawler's real on-air heart attack earlier in the evening, from which he eventually made a full recovery. Hart also briefly appeared during the 2013 Royal Rumble, giving a pep talk to Alberto Del Rio before his Last Man Standing match for the World Heavyweight Championship with Big Show. On May 27, 2013, an episode of Raw, was named "Bret Hart Appreciation Night". Hart was pictured in the evening speaking to Cena, Kane and Daniel Bryan, among others. At the end of the show, Michaels and Lawler handed Hart a plaque commemorating his career. The following week, Hart took part in WWE Inbox, a web show held by WWE on its YouTube channel where he answered fans' Twitter questions. ==Discrepancies==

Different accounts of proclaimed proponents of the event In his 2005 autobiography Heartbreak and Triumph, Michaels stated that the Montreal Screwjob was his idea: "It was my turn to chime in. 'I'll do whatever you want. We'll just take it off him. I'll just swerve him or whatever I have to. You tell me what needs to get done. You and this company have put up with so much from me. My loyalty is here with you. I'll do whatever you want.' 'What are we talking about, Shawn?' 'Whatever it takes. If we have to do a fast count or get him in a hold and tell someone to ring the bell, I'll do whatever you want. The Sharpshooter spot had been suggested by Hart, with Michaels recalling, "We were talking things through, and Bret came up with this spot where I get him in the Sharpshooter and then he reverses it by pulling on my leg." Indirectly corroborating this assertion is Hart's own testimony in his autobiography Hitman, where he said "Pat Patterson told me that he thought it would be a heckuva spot to let Shawn put me in the Sharpshooter and then reverse it on him", which would indicate that Patterson had initially proposed the Sharpshooter spot to Bret. In the same work, Hart also stated, "I found myself jostling with Jerry Brisco, who I would find out later was the one who had designed the whole Screwjob for Vince." Adding to this confusion, Vince Russo stated in his book Forgiven that it was he who proposed the match's ending to McMahon, Vince – we're making this way too difficult,' I said. 'Why don't we just do this? During the course of the match, let's have a spot where Shawn puts Bret in his own hold – the Sharpshooter. As soon as Shawn clamps it on, have the referee call for the bell as if Bret quit... In a 2010 YouShoot interview, Cornette told how he suggested to have Ken Shamrock "double-cross" Hart for the title – as Hart was reportedly willing to drop the belt to anyone except Michaels – therefore unwittingly introducing the concept of a screwjob to McMahon. During a meeting prior to the show, Triple H was the first person to suggest screwing Hart in the match. In Viceland's Dark Side of the Ring episode on the screwjob, Cornette stated he was the first person to specifically suggest the Sharpshooter spot to McMahon. Involvement of referee Earl Hebner In his book Heartbreak & Triumph, Michaels stated, "It was about seven o'clock when I walked into the locker room. There were only a few people in there, and none were close to Earl. He was putting on his referee gear, and I started putting on my boots. 'Earl, I need you to listen to me very carefully.' I was speaking very softly. 'We are doing a big swerve tonight. I am going to get Bret in the Sharpshooter, and I need you to ring the bell. Hebner stated that Brisco was the person to tell him of the plan. In an interview on Prichard's Something to Wrestle podcast, Brisco confirmed he told Hebner of the secret plan and pressured him into betraying Hart. Hebner was warned by Brisco that he was being microphoned and that, at any point, should Hebner alert Hart to the double-cross, he would be fired immediately. Involvement of Pat Patterson Michaels stated in Heartbreak & Triumph that during planning he was told, "This cannot be discussed with anyone. Pat can't know, nobody can know about this but the three of us right now", "We had the meeting, and as everyone was leaving, Vince asked me, Hunter, and Jerry Brisco, a longtime agent and close confidant of Vince's, to stay. We sat down and talked", and, "Pat was in the room with us, and he had no idea what was going to happen. He had a strong relationship with Bret. He wouldn't have done it, and Vince knew that. That's why he didn't tell Pat..." In Dave Meltzer's online account of events before, during, and after the Screwjob, he stated, "Vince McMahon held a meeting at the hotel with Jim Ross, Jim Cornette, Pat Patterson, and Michaels. Reports are that at least two of the aforementioned names looked extremely uncomfortable leaving the meeting", which suggests that Patterson may in fact have been in on the screwjob. This is corroborated by a Pro Wrestling Torch article from November 15, 1997, by Wade Keller stating, "However, a two-hour meeting was held on the second floor of the Montreal Marriott on Saturday night with McMahon, Jim Ross, Pat Patterson, Jim Cornette, and Michaels. Bret was wrestling that night in Detroit. There is some belief that at this meeting, McMahon proposed the idea of the finish to whoever in that group wasn't already in on it. Ross and Patterson entered the meeting in a good mood, and when they were seen in the hotel lobby afterward, they were said to be irritable, forlorn, and shaken." In addition, Hart stated in Hitman that, while conversing with Michaels, "I added, 'I also want you to know that I have no problem dropping the belt to you if that's what Vince wants.' He glared back at me. 'I appreciate that, but I want you to know that I'm not willing to do the same for you.' And then he left. Jim [Neidhart] snorted, 'I can't believe that he just said that.' There was no way I could ever drop the belt to him now: he'd just shown complete disrespect not only to me, but to the position of champion..." This exchange was confirmed in Meltzer's account, "During the meeting, Hart told Michaels that he'd be happy to put him over at the end of the run, but Michaels told Hart flat-out that he wouldn't return the favor. Michaels and Hart spoke again on the subject on 10/12 in San Jose, when once again Michaels told Hart that he wasn't going to do a job for him." Legitimacy The Montreal Screwjob sparked a series of conspiracy theories. A fringe belief, espoused by several within the business, believes the screwjob was a work in which Hart acted in collaboration with McMahon. Longtime professional wrestling journalist Bill Apter, along with industry veterans Nash, Hall, Bam Bam Bigelow, Road Dogg, George Steele, Chris Kanyon, Steve Corino, Tony Mamaluke, Paul Bearer, and Tammy Lynn Sytch, have gone on record saying they believe this to have been the case (Sytch reported that her former boyfriend, Chris Candido, also subscribed to this notion). Hebner, who refereed the contest, was asked in 2019 if he thought Hart was "in on the work", to which he replied, "I really do... I'm not going to lie about it anymore." Lawler, who served as ringside commentator for the match, found it plausible that Hart was working with McMahon. This position was shared by Hart's nephew Teddy Hart, as well as by his former colleagues Demolition (Ax and Smash), Road Warrior Animal, Gregory Helms, and Sean Waltman. Waltman, who claimed to know Hart well, was bewildered as to how Hart could not have seen the screwjob coming from "a million miles away", and felt there was a "high possibility" of the incident being a work. Waltman added that Hart would not have told anyone, including his wife, about his involvement, and deduced, "I think [the screwjob] was so compartmentalized that the guys that were in on it don't even know who else was." In an interview in 2022, Hart reaffirmed that the incident was not a work. ==See also==