Montreal Screwjob

[Just Do It]

Originally Posted by Flying Fox

Based on the scenarios that were actually talked about, I've always thought it was best that the screwjob did happen. We got the Mr. McMahon character, HBK is put over as an even bigger heel and we got Austin vs. Michaels at WM14 instead of the apparently planned Hart vs. Michaels rematch - thereby launching Austin forevermore into the annuls of history.

"Annuls of history" Jesus Christ...

Anyway, Bret and Michaels were not scheduled at ANY point to clash at Mania 14.

[salopstick]

I have seen nothing to suggest it was not a work,

However him and HBK hated each other, plus then you have the Owen situation it would never have made sense for bret to admit the work as his future career and income has been helped by Montreal.

If Owen had not died the truth would have been revealed years ago when wwe bought out wcw

But when bret (plus HBK and vince) finally grew up and mellowed it made sense for them to reconcile as older wiser and mature adults.

We will never know because to reveal the work would be off no benefit to anyone apart from the smarks

[HatchetMan84]

I don't think it was a work, but I have read many, many well informed and educated opinions over why it could have possibly been.

The reason I personally don't think it was a work because Bret never wrestled for the WWF/E ever again after that. I'm not quite 100% sure on the timing of Bret's injury from Goldberg vs the closing of WCW, but one would think if it was a work, Bret would have returned to wrestle and they'd have made an angle of it.

I read Bret's book and he for sure states that around 2002, he was actually training for a comeback, he had gotten his body back in shape, and was experiencing no side effects from the severe concussion. In his own words he said his doctor had cleared him to start training again to come back, so I wonder if Bret returned to WWE, would they have done some kind of angle with the screwjob, because remember Shawn was returning in 2002 as well....

[arvind13]

Hi all,

this is actually an opinion about shawn vs bret in terms of who was the better worker, who had more classic matches. if you look at the 1992-1997 period, when both were wrestling singles, both at their prime, bret wins hands down. (I'm only discussing televised and taped matches ofcourse)

1992

Bret's overall had better matches than shawn. Bret had classics against Bulldog, piper, Flair and Shawn Michaels. Shawn michaels' best stuff was against bret, bulldog, and rick martel. bret's matches were much better.

1993

one of shawn's 'bad' years. He was fat and bloated and out of shape. most of his matches were mediocore. exceptions being a couple he had with marty janetty. Bret meanwhile had classics against curt henning, bam bam bigelow, Jerry Lawler, and even had some good matches against razor ramon.

1994

Shawn had one classic match: the ladder match at wm. the rest of the year he hardly wrestled. Bret once again had many good to great matches during this time period. His match against owen at wm is arguably as good as the ladder match. He had another classic against owen inside a steel cage. he had a classic on raw against 123 kid. he had very good matches against diesel and backlund

1995

Shawn's best stuff was his ladder match at summerslam against razor, the match against jeff jarrett, and the match against diesel at WM. bret's best stuff was his no holds barred match against diesel at survivor series, his match against Jean Pierre, and his match against bulldog at In your house. bret's match against diesel and jean pierre and bulldog were more hard hitting and realistic than shawn's matches. infact shawn's match against diesel wasn't that good. and the ladder match at summerslam was good, but not nearly as good as bret's match against diesel at survivor series 1995 which was more intense and gripping.

1996.

This was Shawn's year, no arguments. shawn had his classic iron man match against bret. followed by another classic against diesel. and ofcourse the mind games match against mankind which was even better than the bret and diesel stuff. he also had very good matches against Vader and Bulldog. Bret was away most of the year, but he did have an amazing 'old school' but fast paced wrestling match against steve austin at survivor series 1996

1997

they both had equally good matches. bret's match against austin at wm 13 was as good as shawn's hell in a cell vs undertaker. shawn also had a classic match against bulldog at one night only. in that same event bret had an even better match against UT.

[theHeadliner]

It was a work, with Bret, the Hart Foundation, and the majority of the locker room kept out of the loop. If you think about it, someone duped the Hart Foundation to go look for HHH and Chyna when they were at Gorilla position the whole time, Shawn's music hit INSTANTLY, Earl played his part, even though he found out a few hours prior, and there's no way you can tell me that the majority of Vince's agents didn't know.

[jacdnwarrior]

This is what happens, every time this topic comes up. Fans want to make up their own mythology about what happened and talk shit about why it happened, who's to blame for it and that it was the right thing to do. They pretend to be objective when they are anything but.

I am not objective on this point, when I saw this happen I felt it was a chicken shit move of WWE to do. I don't believe for a fucking minute that it was necessary. It was a bullshit move by Vince. The fact he continued to lie and blast Bret every chance he got, made him look like the kind of boss people just wish they could kill. It made me wish Bret beat his ass more than that giving him that one punch. When I learned that HBK was in on it, I felt that he couldn't have sunk any lower in terms of respect in my eyes. The shadow and weight of that event on HBK didn't hurt him in terms of business but I believe (can't say for sure) damaged his reputation among some fans and fellow wrestlers for some time.

At the end of the day WWE moved forward and grew, but I find it sad that Bret couldn't have been part of the revamping, he had a lot to offer.