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WWE Survivor Series: Will There Be An Allusion To The Montreal Screwjob?

By Bryan Heaton

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Twenty years ago, one of the most infamous moments in recent WWE history took place at Survivor Series. Will WWE make a reference to the Montreal Screwjob this year?

On November 9, 1997, the then-WWF held its annual Survivor Series pay per view in Montreal. In the main event, Bret Hart defended the WWF Championship against his most hated rival Shawn Michaels. Outwardly, this was just like any other match. But behind the scenes, trouble was brewing, and by the end of the match, many fans had the feeling that something was up.

If you’re reading this article, you likely know the history of the infamous Montreal Screwjob. It doesn’t matter which side of the story you believe, because either way there’s a villain and a victim. There are several agreed upon facts, too. Hart had signed a ridiculous 20-year contract, and Vince McMahon could no longer afford to honor the contract. McMahon suggested Hart renegotiate with WCW, leading to Bret signing with McMahon’s rival company.

One small problem – the Hitman was WWF Champion! And he refused to drop the title to Shawn Michaels for a variety of reasons. McMahon was terrified of seeing his top championship leave the company. So it was agreed upon to do a DQ finish at Survivor Series, with Hart dropping the title at a later date, before he entered WCW.

And as we know, it didn’t go that way. Michaels locked Hart in a Sharpshooter – Bret’s own finisher – and referee Earl Hebner called for the bell as if there was a submission. But Hart never gave up – it was a plot put together by McMahon with a still-unknown number of accomplices. The championship was safe, but Hart was furious – he refused to have anything to do with WWE for several years after the incident.

Since 1997, the “Montreal Screwjob” has been referenced numerous times in WWE programming. The very next year at Survivor Series was probably the most notable. A tournament was held for the vacant WWF Championship, with The Rock winning after Mankind – the presumed “corporate” choice for champion – was screwed.

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Roughly a year and a half ago, at WWE Payback in May 2016, the Montreal Screwjob was revisited. This time, Natalya – Bret’s niece – was locked in the Sharpshooter by her opponent Charlotte. Referee Charles Robinson – once Ric Flair’s personal referee in WCW – called for the bell even though Natalya never tapped out.

Where does that leave things for 2017? Is there any particular match that seems likely for a screwjob ending? Personally, I think such an ending would cheapen any such match. Let the superstars fight it out, and have the guts to book a true winner. But this is WWE, after all, and cheapening an ending isn’t beneath them.

With Survivor Series being a brand vs. brand show, there’s always the chance that a screwjob could be used to protect one or both shows. Let’s say there’s a champion vs. champion match, and rather than book a straight up winner, WWE wants to keep both champions looking strong. Maybe an as-of-yet unannounced special guest referee calls for the bell out of nowhere. Maybe, say, AJ Styles traps Brock Lesnar in the Calf Crusher, and Charles Robinson or whoever calls for the bell immediately.

Or perhaps one of the big elimination tag team matches will get the Montreal treatment. Remember, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens are both not a part of the Survivor Series card. What if one of them becomes special guest referee for the men’s elimination match? Couldn’t you see Owens screwing over Shane McMahon? It would be stupid, but I could absolutely see it happening.

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Whatever the case may be at Survivor Series this year, it’s still staggering to me that the Montreal Screwjob happened twenty years ago. That’s a long time to still be trying to squeeze life out of such a “creative” idea.

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