It is, without question, an incident that defined an era in sports entertainment and marked - if not tainted - the legacies of two of the greatest professional wrestlers in modern history. It was a memorable and some say disgraceful event that is universally known today by just one word: Montreal.
The host city of the 1997 Survivor Series provided the location for a scandal the likes of which sports entertainment had never seen before and almost certainly never will again. Yet fifteen years after Vince McMahon perpetrated the ultimate con against Bret Hart on his native Canadian soil, the controversy remains.
To some, the claim upon which this work is based is every bit as controversial as the finish to the main event that night in Montreal. But the facts continue to point to what is definitely the biggest scandal in wrestling history - but possibly not for the reason most presently recognize.
“You screwed Bret! You screwed Bret!”
It's the chant that Shawn Michaels and Vince McMahon will be forced to hear wherever they go for the rest of their lives regardless of how much either man repents or accomplishes. Their collusion in Montreal will haunt their respective legacies forever.
But did they really screw Bret?
"If Bret was in on this," a WWE source speculates, "Bret may be the guy who screwed all of us. He may have screwed us into believing he was screwed."
Today, Bret Hart has finally made peace with Shawn Michaels. The same goes for Vince McMahon. And, by most accounts, all parties involved have moved forward in their lives. But our collective memories refuse to relinquish images from that night in Montreal. And until the real story is told, closure may never come.
"Inside The Montreal Screw Job: Who Really Got Screwed in the WWE?" is a compelling and completely unauthorized look at what may have actually happened at Survivor Series 1997. Derived from exclusive interviews, extensive investigative research, and a healthy dose of common sense, this gripping ebook from Sports Entertainment Publishing is a must-read for wrestling fans everywhere.
Note: This unauthorized work is not endorsed by or affiliated with WWE, Bret "The Hitman" Hart, Shawn Michaels, Vince McMahon or any representatives thereof.
