Swerves, hoodwinked, shocked, all of these things are what wrestling fans at their root, their core, desire to feel. Now it’s not necessarily just associated with wrestling, it’s what they look for in most forms of entertainment. The shock value, the, wow, they pulled it over on me, good job. Nothing beats, especially someone as jaded to the business as myself, and for lack of a better term, a glorified smark, getting tricked by a business that I have watched for a quarter century. Swerves get harder and harded to come buy, but there is no better feeling as a fan then knowing that you just got swerved. This week, I take a look back at 25 of the biggest shockers/swerves and heel/face turns of the last 25 years. I throw heel/face turns in there, because for the most part, the biggest swerves usually involve the changing of colors for a particular wrestler. Now for arguments sake, I am going to have a separate “Wrestlings Most Memorable Moments”. I know there is a lot of gray area with what is shocking and what is memorable. Some will be on both list, while others won’t. I’ve left off memorable things like Damien getting squashed by Earthquake, or Jake Roberts gets Lucifer attached to Savages bicep.
25. The Mega Powers Explode
Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage. Two of the biggest names in the history of the WWF. After Savage won the WWF title at Wrestlemania 4, the two formed an unlikely alliance to fend off Ted DiBiase, and Andre the Giant. The two would win their battle at Summerslam, and continue to ally with one another.
At the Royal Rumble of 1989, Hulk Hogan would win, but he eliminated Randy Savage, his partner during the process. This would lead to tension building between the Mega Powers. It Finally came to a head one night on Saturday Night’s main event. In a match with the Twin Towers, Ms. Elizabeth found herself injured. Hogan would take the injured Elizabeth to the back, leaving Savage to a two on one beat down. That one act led to Randy Savage snapping, leading to the main event of Wrestlemania 5.
24. The Hart Family break up.
Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart. By now, most know the history between the two, but most seem to think it began in 1996. In actuality, it started at the Survivor Series in 1992, a match that saw Bret Hart defeat HBK. A year later, the two would rekindle their rivalry, but in a traditional Survivor Series team match. The Harts would be the Hart Brothers led by Bret, and they would face Shawn Michaels and his Knights. Throughout the course of the match, the youngest Hart, Owen, would be the only brother eliminated in the match, leading to sour feelings from Owen.
Owen and Bret would reconcile their differences and form a team, which would end up gaining a WWF Tag Team title match at the Royal Rumble against the Quebecers. During the match, Bret would see his knee injured by the Quebecers. This led to a viscous focusing of the weak appendage. In the end, the referee would call for the match to be ended due to the injury. This infuriated the younger Hart Brother, questioning Bret’s focus on the match. Bret would make it to his feat, only to have Owen kick his leg out from underneath his leg, and inciting a nearly 3 year long feud between the two brothers.
23. The Horsemen turn on Sting
Sting and Ric Flair had many battles throughout their career, but at the end of 1989, an Alliance was formed. Sting, Flair, and the Anderson’s would go onto form a new incarnation of the legendary Four Horsemen. At Starrcade that year, things would change. Sting would win a round robin Tournament, to determine the new number one contender for the NWA Championship.
This was a problem, Ric Flair was the NWA Champion. Sting would not relinquish his NWA championship shot, and in Horsemen fashion, the horsemen turned on Sting. This would eventually lead to Sting winning his first NWA Championship in July of that year.
22. I Did it for The Rock.
1999 ended with the WWE in a state of uncertainty heading into the new millenium, Triple H was the new WWE champion, and Steve Austin, the companies biggest star, was on the shelf. Throughout the next year, Austin would be replaced by guys like Triple H, but more importantly, the Rock. The Rock grabbed the brass ring like no one else in Austin’s absence, and became the face of the WWF.
When Austin returned, he promised to find out who was responsible for running him down at Survivor Series. Commissioner Mick Foley also vowed to find out who was responsible for the run down, with the only clue being that the driver was blond. The investigation continued until finally, Foley and the Rock were in the ring. Foley would announce that the man that ran down Steve Austin was nonother then Rikishi, the Rock’s cousin.
21. Betrayal.
Triple H and Shawn Michaels, two legendary names in the business, best friends, worst enemies, pretty much anything sums up the two of these men and their relationship with one another. Nothing in their careers compares to what happened on the night after Vengeance in 2002.
Shawn Michaels was trying for months to get his friend Triple H to return to Raw. First, Shawn showed up at the King of the Ring in the guise of the n.W.o., along side former Kliq members Kevin nash and X-Pac. Triple H didn’t return the wolfpac gesture, and the n.W.o. never interfered on his behalf. The next month, Stephanie McMahon and Eric Bischoff were given a chance to court Triple H to their respective show. Triple H would chose Smackdown… until. Shawn Michaels showed up. Reminded Triple H on how fun Raw was when they were raising hell together, and that Eric Bischoff would regret both of them being on Raw. In the end Triple H would chose Raw.
The next night, both would enter the ring in DX garb, eliciting a huge response from the live crowd. During their trademark DX entrance, Triple H would turn, and pedigree Shawn Michaels in the middle of the ring. This would spark a feud that lasted for several years.
20. The Millennium has arrived.
Y2K, for those old enough to remember it properly, we understand it was a bunch of hype, but nothing to it. Some would argue it was true for the man that played off of those 3 letters as his debut in the WWF. A Countdown to the Millennium clock began to appear on WWF TV. The problem with this clock, it didn’t end with December 31st, 1999.
In August of 1999, that clock ran out in Chicago, during Raw. What happened afterwards was one of the greatest live pops in the history of Monday Night Wrestling. The countdown ended and non other then Chris Jericho, now dubbing himself Y2J, appeared on the ramp way. This was the 2nd time the WWF had successfully taken a young talent from WCW in less then a year.
19. Radical Defection
2000 had hit, The WWF was beginning to show it’s dominance in the Monday Night War. The WWF had taken two huge young talents from WCW, Chris Jericho, and The Big Show. Sure, guys like Jeff Jarrett had jumped ship the other way, but nothing would prove to be the death blow to WCW then what happened on February 1st of 2000.
Four men, Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, Eddie Guerrero, and Perry Saturn would appear with commisioner Foley in the WWF. Guys had jumped ship before in the Monday Night Wars, but never a whole group. The four would become the Radicals, and their loss was a deathblow to WCW and it’s midcard.
18. A Giant Debut.
McMahon and Austin, undoubtedly the mentioning of both names conjures up some sort of emotion as a wrestling fan. To be honest, it probably was the best feud ever in the business. This feud came to a head at St. Valentine’s Day Massacre in 1999. Austin vs. McMahon, inside of a Steel cage.
The match was nothing more then a beat down. It was Austin finally alone in the ring with the man who did nothing but torment him for the last year and a half. Austin simply dominated this match, but wouldn’t take the victory.
Finally, Austin was about to finish McMahon again, when something came threw the ring from underneath. It was non other then the Giant from WCW, Paul Wight, later the Big Show. The Big Show would throw Austin into the cage, breaking it and allowing Austin to escape. This move symbolized the changing of the Monday Night War, as the Big Show was the first huge name to jump ship to the WWF.
17. Eric Bischoff, Leader of the N.W.O.
The N.W.O. was a huge success for the wrestling business. In the winter of 1996, the n.W.o. was beginning it’s dominance of the industry. Eric Bischoff, who behind the scenes was the acting president of WCW, decided that enough was enough. Bischoff was going to bring in one man that Hogan had never defeated, and that was Roddy Piper.
Bischoff went to the ring on one Nitro, and told the world that he couldn’t find Piper. That in fact, Piper wanted nothing to do with Hulk Hogan. This led to Roddy Piper coming to the ring, exposing to the world that Bischoff was lying and had never attempted to reach him at his home in Washington. In the end, Piper would be the victim of an N.W.O. gang attack, and Eric Bischoff would expose himself as the leader of the n.W.o.
16. Andre aligns with Bobby Heenan
Some may question Andre the Giant. Some doubt the mans in ring ability, but regardless of all of that, Andre the Giant was the biggest name in the business during the 1970’s. Hulk Hogan arrived on the scene again in New York, and quickly became the new guy in town. Hogan would win the WWF title from the Iron Sheik, and the first man to greet him in the back was Andre. Hogan had the backing of the locker room leader, he had the backing of the locker room. Hogan would hold the title, and over the years begin a feud with Manager Bobby Heenan. Hogan would defeat King Kong Bundy at Wrestlemania 2.
During this time, Hogan was presented a large trophy for being WWF champion for three years. Andre was presented with a smaller trophy to commemorate his fifteen years of never being pinned or forced to submit while with the WWF. Later, on a segment of Piper’s Pit, Bobby Heenan would confront Hulk Hogan, and announce to the world his newest acquisition, Andre the Giant. Andre, was infuriated over never being given a title shot in fifteen years. Andre had never lost a match for the WWF, and was never given the opportunity for the title. Heenan exploited this, setting up the match at Wrestlemania 3.
15. Matt Hardy pummels Edge
Oh boy, back to the Summer of 2005. While Shawn Michaels and Hulk Hogan were tearing it up in the main event scene of the WWE, another, more violent, and personal real life feud was unfolding. The WWE had let go of Matt Hardy, for making public the nasty Love Triangle that was going on between Lita, Edge, and Hardy. Now, the logic of releasing the victim of said locker room morale depressor instead of the two responsible is a topic for other conversations.
By the summertime, the tension behind the scenes had reached a fever pitch. Smarks had begun to vocally show displeasure, with the catalyst being Paul Heyman making mention of the situation in public at One Night Stand. Again, another situation of being in the know not ruining the business. On one Monday Night, Matt Hardy made his return, pummeling Edge and stunning the live crowd. No one was sure at first whether this was a work or a shoot, which it later was proven to be a work. For that time though, it was a stunner.
14. Lex Luger on Nitro
Lex Luger was a star for Vince McMahon and the WWF in 1995. Sure, he wasn’t the WWF champion, or even in contention for the title, but he was a recognizable name. Luger had cut his teeth in the N.W.A., and had jumped to the WWF, but in the summer of 1995, he was tired of being in New York. Luger would interfere in the WWF championship match at Summerslam at the end of August.
All the while in Georgia, Eric Bischoff was laying the groundwork for his new Monday Night Show, Monday Nitro. On the first episode of Nitro, WCW shocked the wrestling world, as Lex Luger arrived during the start of the Sting and Ric Flair match. This one event set the precedent for the Monday Night Wars. Anything could happen, and anything would happen on live TV.
13 Vince McMahon is the Higher Power
Austin and McMahon, as stated, one of the most bitter feuds in the history of the wrestling business. Austin would regain the WWF championship at Wrestlemania 15, setting up a tumultuous situation within the Corporation. Shane McMahon had begun a plan to remove his father from power. In the end, Vince would cost the Rock his rematch at Backlash, and find himself out of the corporation.
The Undertaker was in the middle of his own war with the corporation, and in particular, Vince McMahon. Seeing Vince weakened, the Undertaker and Shane would come together to form the alliance of the Corporate Ministry. Together, they were unstoppable, which led to the Undertaker winning the title at Over the Edge, all the while saying that he did so for a higher power.
Austin would interfere in the black wedding of Stephanie and the Undertaker, but the Undertaker promised t reveal the Higher Power. The Higher Power was non other then Vince McMahon, all an elaborate plot to rid the Rattlesnake from the WWF title once again.
12. Jerry Lawler arrives in the Bingo Hall.
ECW had invaded the WWF during 1995 at the King of the Ring in Philadelphia. This one incident would lead to several years of tension between the two companies, but none were so loud in their opinion then Jerry Lawler.
ECW would be given an invitation to Monday Night Raw during the early months of 1997. This infuriated the already agitated Jerry Lawler. Lawler was upset that these bingo hall wrestlers from Extremely Crappy Wrestling were given a chance on the WWF’s air time to promote their product.
This led t a night in the bingo hall. The lights went dim, and none other then Jerry Lawler, hiring the likes of RVD and Sabu, holding the arena hostage, which would eventually lead to a match with Tommy Dreamer.
11. Sting turns his back on WCW
The N.W.O. had begun it’s powerful take over in the fall of 1996. Leading up to War Games, the N.W.O. pulled the shocker of all shockers, convincing non other then the poster boy of WCW Sting, to join the n.W.o. Many in WCW were disgusted that Sting had turned his back on them, leading into the War Games match.
Fall Brawl arrived and War Games was on, Sting had shown up backstage, pleading his case that he wasn’t involved with the N.W.O. and that in fact, he was out of the country at the time. Lex Luger, Stings best friend, didn’t believe the Stinger. The match was underway, and Sting showed up for the n.W.o. The match continued, and Sting showed up again, proving that the N.W.O. had fabricated this plan all along. Sting cleared house and left the ring.
The next night on Nitro, Sting arrived in the ring, never once showing his face towards the camera. Sting would perform the entire promo with his back to the camera, symbolizing that WCW had turn their backs on Sting and his loyalty. Sting declared himself a free agent, sending himself into isolation for the next year and a half.
10. John Cena returns at the 2008 Royal Rumble.
I think some will question this one right away, but I dare challenge anyone to find one moment from the History of the Royal Rumble that was more shocking then this, and I’ll probably call you a liar. Long story short, John Cena was injured in September of 2007. He tore a pectoral muscle, and was forced to forfeit the WWE Championship, a title he held for more then a year. The best case scenario put John Cena coming back to the WWE sometime after Wrestlemania. If you know anything about muscle tears, there is no way in hell John Cena should have been able to come back.
The Royal Rumble occurs in January of 2008. The smarky Madison Square Garden crowd is eating this card up. They are loving every second of it, and the savior himself Triple H enters in at #29. This looks pretty cut and dry, Triple H is going to win the Rumble and move onto Wrestlemania. The countdown is on, but everyone forgets, we don’t know who #30 is.
What the hell, John Cena’s music hits. How in the hell was this possible? I’ll tell you why, John Cena is the freaking Bionic Man. Even the Smarky Garden crowd managed to pop like hell when John Cena’s music hit. For my money, that moment was easily the most shocking moment I have ever seen in a Royal Rumble.
9. ECW is Reborn Again
In the midst of the ground work being laid out in June of 2001, something else was brewing. Sure, WCW vs. WWF was in its infancy, but something strange happened. The backstory is simple, Jerry Lawler was fired from the WWF in February for defending his wife at the time. This led to an opening, an opening for the man that recently closed the doors of ECW, Paul Heyman. For months, Paul E. sat at ringside along Jim Ross calling matches for the WWF.
On July 9th, Chris Jericho came to the aid of Kane to face the WCW team of Lance Storm and Mike Awesome. Out of nowhere, Rob Van Dam and Tommy Dreamer came through the crowd and began to pummel Kane and Jericho. This led to the likes of Raven, the Dudleyz, Taz and others to come to ringside to help their WWF teammates. Or so we thought. Out of nowhere, all of the men in the ring turned on Kane and Jericho. Paul E. rose from the announcers table, proclaiming to the world they had just witnessed the rebirth of ECW.
8 Austin makes a deal with the Devil.
In November of 1999, Steve Austin’s career was put on hold. He was two months removed from the last time he held the WWF championship, and now he was on the shelf with a career threatening injury. The days turned into weeks, the weeks turned into months, and finally, the Rattlesnake returned. This time though, the Rattlesnake was seemingly more intense and pissed off then ever before.
The months went on, and Austin found out who was responsible for his injury. Austin would go onto win the Royal Rumble, and earn his spot in the Main Event for Wrestlemania X-7. On the way though, it was a chance to end his feud and settle the score with Triple H. One problem though, Triple H won that match, and beat Steve Austin cleanly. So Wrestlemania roles around, in Austin’s home state of Texas. However, he was facing the Rock, and man he had defeated, but now the Rock was at a whole new level.
Austin and the Rock would go onto a brutal match, a match in which Austin said he would do whatever it takes to win the WWF Title. In the end, he did just that. Vince McMahon appeared at ringside, sliding Steve Austin a steal chair. When the match was over, Vince McMahon and Steve Austin were shaking hands and drinking beer in the middle of the ring.
7. Shawn Michaels lays out the Immortal Hulk Hogan.
Maybe the groundwork was laid out at the 1993 King of the Ring. After Hulk Hogan was beaten in his last match by Yokozuna, the show went backstage, for an interview with the young Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels. To paraphrase, Michaels mentioned the word Hogan and Dinosaur in the same sentence, and made hints that it was time for the young guys to get a shot. Now, whether this semi-shoot was the groundwork for what was to come, no one will no for certain.
It started off at Wrestlemania 21, or actually, the night before, the induction of Hulk Hogan into the WWE Hall of Fame. The crowd made themselves known with deafening chants of, “One More Match” directed towards the Hulkster. Situations brewed, feuds were formed, and the need for Shawn Michaels to select a partner for his match against Muhammad Hassan and Davairi was there. Shawn, never wanting to disappoint the fans, gave them what they wanted, an invite for the Immortal one to return for one more bout. Hogan returned, teaming with Michaels to defeat the two heels, and the two would team again on July 4th.
Hogan and Michaels were triumphant once again, and to end the night, it was the traditional Hogan pose down with Michaels at his side, only this time, the fireworks didn’t occur outside of the ring, but inside. As Hogan turned around, he was greeted by Sweet Chin Music. The changed Shawn Michaels had reverted into his old ways, standing over Hogan in an iconic image not soon forgotten.
6 Vince McMahon buys WCW, maybe.
March 26, 2001. It may not mean much to most, but to wrestling fans, it could very well be known as Black Monday. Now I will have more to say about this in another column, so I’ll try to stick mainly to the shock value. Imagine, you’re Joe Wrestling fan. You turn into WCW Monday Nitro at 8 as you would usually do. You’ve been loyal. You’ve seen your favorite wrestling company take a dramatic turn for the worse the last few years, hell, you’ve suffered threw David Arquette, Vince Russo and others. Then, the unthinkable, the opening shot, Vince McMahon.
Not only was this ridiculously jaw dropping, it was damn near insulting. The Unthinkable had happened, Vince McMahon owned WCW. Not only that, but all throughout the night, the final broadcast of Nitro was innerlaced with backstage segments from Cleveland in the Raw Locker Room, showing WWF Wrestlers talk down WCW, not only talk it down, but treat it as if it never existed, and that it was never important.
The night ends not with Sting vs. Flair, the epitome of what WCW was to most, no, it ends with a simulcast from Cleveland, with Vince McMahon gloating. Mr. McMahon, proud of his acquisition, spitting names out left and right, and mockingly deciding what to do with them. Vince said it himself, the fate of WCW, was in his hands. But then, hope, a glimmer of hope, Shane McMahon himself appears in Panama City at Nitro, and says that the name on the contract for WCW does say McMahon, but Shane McMahon. Maybe not all is lost, maybe, just maybe, there is a glimmer of hope. After all, no one could possibly screw up a WCW vs. WWF angle…
5. The Double Switch.
Stone Cold Steve Austin, Bret Hart. Two of the biggest names in the history of the WWF. Two men that between them held 11 WWF Titles, and a plethora of Mid and Tag Titles. Both Royal Rumble Winners, Both King of the Rings. Both the epitome of the business during their respective eras up top. One mans career was made from a feud between these two.
Bret Hart had retired, or taking a sabbatical from the business after Wrestlemania 12. In that time, the Kliq ran wild in the locker room, leading up to the Madison Square Garden Incident. As punishment, Triple H lost his push that summer and was deservedly punished the hard way. During that push, Triple H was to receive the King of the Ring that year. With this turn of events, one man was given the opportunity of a life time. That one man, Was Stone Cold Steve Austin. Gone was the era of the Ringmaster, or the Hollywood Blond, this was the Era of Austin, the Era of Austin 3:16. With those simple words, Austin 3:16 says I just whooped your ass!, a strong foundation was laid.
In October of that year, Steve Austin would begin to mock Bret Hart for leaving the company, for putting his tail in between his legs, and going home. If you put the letter S in front of Hitman, that was Steve Austin’s exact opinion of Bret Hart. Bret would come out of retirement, and defeat the Rattlesnake at Survivor Series. Austin would return the favor by eliminating Bret Hart during the 1997 Royal Rumble, a situation that occurred after Austin was eliminated from the Rumble without the referees knowledge.
It led to a showdown, a Submission match at the grandest stage of them all, Wrestlemania 13 in Chicago, IL. The match was so important, that the WWF brought in the UFC’s Ken Shamrock as special guest referee. The match was brutal, and one of the greatest matches in the modern era without question. By the end of the match, Austin proved his worth. Instead of giving up to the painful Sharpshooter, the Rattlesnake passed out from blood loss. In the process, Bret Hart became the hell, and Austin the face, pulling off the best double switch in the history of the business.
4. The Hug that changed the business.
WCW was dead. For a year, it was Vince McMahon’s property and baby. The only question, what to do with so much talent. In April of 2002, the WWF/E, decided that it was time to do something drastic. All of this talent, all of the sheer numbers of people, was too much to handle. So, the WWF decided to split the roster into two separate entities, Smackdown, and Raw, the Brand Extension was born. It originally started as the Co-Owners of the Company would own and shape each brand in their own image. Ric Flair would control Raw, Vince McMahon Smackdown. Inevitably, the mutual ownership didn’t last, and in the long run, Vince McMahon would regain control of the entire company.
What to do with two shows with two different identities. Instead of over seeing both shows by himself, Mr. McMahon would go on to step aside, and appoint General Managers to take care of every day operations within his two brands. The problem, who could be big enough, good enough, to do such a job that meant answering to the Boss directly. The answer, none other then the man that nearly put the WWF out of business, Eric Bischoff.
Eric Bischoff, yes that Eric Bischoff that turned WCW around and turned it into a profitable company. Yes that Eric Bischoff that Vince McMahon said he would like to kill. Yes that Eric Bischoff that raided the WWF and it’s talent pool much like the same was Vince McMahon raided all of the smaller territories and threw around his money. Yes that Eric Bischoff that had Alundra Blaze/Madusa throw the WWF’s Women’s Championship into the trash can on live TV. Yes that Eric Bischoff that not only started his own show, but put it up against the WWF’s Flag Ship Show, and gave away the spoilers of Raw on weeks they were tapped. Yes that Eric Bischoff, that Eric Bischoff. Anything can happen in the WWF/E, and on that night in July of 2002, Vince McMahon and Eric Bischoff hugged, and the world was sent a cold chill it may not yet have recovered from.
3. The Rockers take a visit to The Barber Shop:
Tag Teams. As we all know, all of them have growing pains at one time or another, and in the long run, most of them split up. Now not all break ups are bad, sometimes, just rarely, teams can go on their own ways as a mutual benefit to both competitors, this was not one of those incidents.
The Rockers began to have their problems as a team. Mounting losses, and frustration began, and a WWF Magazine cover was soon released to go along with the ongoing saga of the Rockers. The two members of the team, Marty Jannetty and Shawn Michaels, would soon try to resolve their differences on Brutus Beefcakes Barber Shop. Tensions rose, and hints of anger were shown, but in the end, the two tag team specialist would soon resolve their problems. The segment ended with an embrace, symbolizing that the two had temporarily put aside their differences. Then the unthinkable.
Shawn Michaels, with Jannetty’s back turned, quickly swung his partner around and delivered the signature move that would define his career, Sweet Chin Music. Michaels would then pick up the staggered Jannetty, look him in the eye, and toss him face first threw the Barber Shop window. The Heartbreak Kid, in December of 1991, was born, and hasn’t looked back since. Considering that this was what it wa, and on during the kid friendly Saturday Morning Era of wrestling, this was a very bold move by the WWF, and has stood the test of time as a benchmark moment in the history of the Modern Era.
2. Who is the Third Man?:
This one is actually a series of events that led up to the big event. It all started on Memorial Day of 1996. A match that was forgettable was going to take place on Nitro, in fact, I don’t remember who was even in the ring at the time. All of a sudden, a greasy haired, yet familiar looking face came through the crowd and entered the ring. My mouth gaped as the first words to come from this mans mouth was “Hey Yo”. Razor Ramon, on WCW Nitro? What in the hell was going on. He was here to go to war with WCW. Surely the WWF and WCW hadn’t worked a backroom deal, and the dream was going to come true, WCW vs. the WWF. All throughout the evening, Hall was badgered by the WCW guys, leading to a confrontation with Sting.
Then, time passed, Scott Hall, the Outsider was back, and this time being interviewed by Eric Bischoff. All of a sudden, none other then Big Daddy Cool Diesel himself showed up behind Bischoff, turning the line of “WCW: Where the Big Boys Play” against them. They didn’t come to play.
More and more build up happened, including Bischoff being power bombed off of the Great American Bash set, leading to a WCW vs. the Outsiders match as the main event of the Great American Bash.
Three of WCW’s best against the Two Outsiders and their mystery opponent. The night came. The internet was a buzz. Where was Bret Hart? No one had seen Bret since Wrestlemania 12, could it be possible that he had jumped ship to WCW? Then we got our answer. As all seemed lost for Team WCW, Hulk Hogan himself reappeared to save the day. The Hulkster hit the ring, sending the Outsiders Hall and Nash scattering. Then the unthinkable happened, Hulk Hogan dropped the leg on the prone Randy Savage. Hulk Hogan, turned heel? What the hell. Something that no one saw coming, and one helluva gamble, that paid off tremendously for the time. Hulk Hogan to tell the fans to “Stick It” maybe the most memorable line of all time. All of this though, even Hogan turning heel, something that no one ever thought was possible, paled into comparison to what I believe is the most shocking moment in the modern Era.
1. Montreal Screw Job:
The Screwjob has been analyzed and studied to death. If you’re a wrestling fan, you’re familiar with the basic backstory of the Screwjob. It’s tough to get into the details of the screw job without going over the top, or for the sake of this argument, the mere shock value of it. With this, I’ll try to get the nuts and bolts of it without the later Locker Room repercussions, or the months and months of backstory leading up to the event itself. There are going to be several topics in which the Screw Job is a major factor.
As we all know, there was controversy surrounding what was going to happen with the WWF world title going into and leaving Survivor Series of 1997. What we didn’t know was how it was going to go down. Most of the story pertaining to the screw job is hindsight at this point, because in 1997, the IWC was in its infancy, and truly, most didn’t even know that Hart was leaving at the time. The night of Survivor Series came, and as we all know, Shawn Michaels placed Bret Hart in the sharpshooter, and the rest as we know it is history. If we all knew the backstory, we may not have been shocked, others still would have been just as shocked and aggravated as they are now.
The mere simple fact is, Bret Hart was the WWF Champion, Bret Hart was a guy that missed one date that he was scheduled to wrestle in a dozen years of service for the WWF. Bret Hart was the one of the few guys that had stayed loyal to a fault to Vince McMahon. All of that changed in that one night when Vince McMahon decided to make himself bigger then the business that he runs. Vince McMahon made himself the center of attention, and in the aftermath, the Mr. McMahon character was born. All I know is, maybe the feeling while watching this live was not so much shock, but more on the lines of huh? We all knew watching that something happened, something that shouldn’t have happened, happened. The stories broke, and the shock turned into disgust for most when they finally realized what they had just watched. Again, I’m skimming over the backstory of the screw job, and tyring to keep it simply to the shock value of it. Screwjobs have happened before in the business, but never before, or never again, will it involve someone the caliber of Bret Hart.
