Montreal screwjob

The Montreal Screwjob was a name given to a real life incident that occurred at World Wrestling Entertainment's 1997 Survivor Series event held in Montreal. The main event featured hometown hero Bret Hart defending the WWE Title against challenger Shawn Michaels.

## Setup[edit]

WWE owner Vince McMahon wanted to get out of Hart's long term contract, citing financial peril. The two sides agreed to end the contract following the November Survivor Series show. McMahon wanted Hart to lose the WWE Title to Michaels. Hart refused to lose in his hometown to Michaels, a sports entertainer he had a strong dislike for. Hart suggested a scenario where he would put his signature hold on Michaels, Michaels would counter it and allies of both sports entertainers would run in and cause the match to be thrown out. Hart would then forfeit the title on WWE's Monday night television show. McMahon surprisingly agreed to Hart's request.

## The Match[edit]

The match started with a wild brawl outside of the ring. After several minutes, WWE officials as well as McMahon came out to get the sports entertainers into the ring. McMahon stayed at the ringside area once the two had re-entered the ring. After a few minutes of action, Hart put Michaels in the hold. When Michaels countered, McMahon had the timekeeper ring the bell and award the match to Michaels. McMahon and Michaels then ran to the exits as the irate crowd pelted the ring with debris.