This week in WWE history (Nov 1-7th) - WWE Hall of Famer returns, Former Champion suffers career-threatening injury

This week's news has been dominated by the recent WWE releases. More than a dozen WWE Superstars have departed the company with "budget cuts" cited as the reason for the cull once again.

The likes of Nia Jax, Karrion Kross, Eva Marie, Keith Lee, and Mia Yim were all released from the company this week, and many fans are still talking about this news.

While this wave of releases is the biggest story in the wrestling world right now, this past week has also been an entertaining stretch of news throughout history.

The following article looks at just five of the biggest stories from this week in WWE history.

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#5. WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart officially signs with WCW - November 1st, 1997

Bret Hart is most famous wrestlers of all time, and some of the most important parts of his career happened in the month of November.

While the WWE Universe will remember that The Montreal Screwjob on November 9th, 1997 marked the end of his WWE career, it appears that the writing was already on the wall.

Hart officially signed with WCW eight days before Survivor Series, where he took on Shawn Michaels for the WWE Championship. It was supposed to be a secret that he had penned a deal with WWE's competition. But the news was later leaked, and it led to one of the most controversial moments in WWE history.

Hart was the champion at the time, and while his time with the company was ending, he was under no obligation to drop the title to Michaels. WWE was desperate to prevent Hart from leaving with the gold, and The Montreal Screwjob was the company's solution.

During Hart's match with Michaels at Survivor Series, Vince McMahon called for the bell when it was clear that Hart did not tap out. Fans could tell that something unusual was happening while Michaels left with the title, and Hart made it clear that he had been screwed.

This controversial ending has become the subject of several documentaries and books over the years, and it remains one of the most controversial moments in WWE history.

In the aftermath of The Montreal Screwjob, Hart went on to make his WCW debut on December 15th; he had to wait out his 30-day non-compete clause following his WWE departure. Due to injuries and questionable booking choices, Hart's WCW career never reached the fans' expectations. That being said, his decision to sign with the company in the first place remains a legendary move.

#4. WWE unveils the Hardcore Championship - November 2st, 1998

In recent years, WWE has used the 24/7 Championship in an attempt to recapture the glory days of the Hardcore Championship.

Interestingly, it was more than twenty years ago today that the Hardcore Championship made its debut. Mr. McMahon personally gave Mankind the title on an episode of RAW is War, but Big Boss Man won the gold four weeks later.

At first, the Hardcore Championship was used as a traditional title, but when Crash Holly won it in February 2000, the company went in a different direction.

Holly's reign kicked off the 24/7 rule, which let Superstars constantly compete for the title. As a result, it changed hands on a regular basis; with the 24/7 stipulation, this championship defied the norm and established its own legacy.

Rob Van Dam went on to unify the Hardcore and Intercontinental Championships in 2002 to end the end of the title's official existence

#3. Macho Man Randy Savage officially leaves WWE - November 7th, 1994

Macho Man Randy Savage is still widely considered to be one of the biggest legends in WWE history.

Savage, a former world champion, was mostly working commentary roles in WWE throughout 1994 after he failed to win the Royal Rumble match the year before. At the time, it was common knowledge that he wanted a much more active role in the company.

When his contract was up for renewal, Savage was open to negotiations, but WWE was unable to reach a deal with The Macho Man. Vince McMahon subsequently announced the fan-favorite star's departure from the company on the November 7th episode of RAW.

Just a month later, Savage would go on to make his debut in WCW as part of WCW Saturday Night. Until McMahon's promotion bought it out, Savage had a remarkable run with WCW. As one of the company's top stars, he won the World Heavyweight Championship four times.

The Macho Man tried to fix his relationship with WWE in the years leading up to his death in May 2011. He was posthumously inducted into the company's Hall of Fame in 2015.

#2. Seth Rollins suffers the worst injury of his career at a WWE live event in Ireland - November 4th, 2015

Seth Rollins was the reigning WWE World Heavyweight Champion when he suffered the worst injury of his career.

During a match against Kane at a live event in Dublin, Ireland, The Architect of The Shield landed awkwardly during a sunset flip. Rollins was subsequently sidelined with a torn ACL, torn MCL, and torn medical meniscus. Due to these injuries, he was out of action for more than six months.

Rollins was forced to relinquish his title, but he made it clear that he would reclaim it when he came back.

During his absence, Roman Reigns won the gold, and Rollins, determined to regain his championship, targeted his former Shield teammate upon his return at Extreme Rules 2016.

Shortly thereafter, The Architect won the gold again at Money in the Bank 2016, but he immediately lost it. His former Shield stablemate Dean Ambrose cashed in his Money in the Bank Contract and defeated Rollins to walk away with the gold.

#1. Shawn Michaels comes out of retirement at WWE Crown Jewel - November 2nd, 2018

Shawn Michaels was one of WWE's biggest stars, but he opted to end his in-ring career following his match against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 26.

At the time, Michaels made the decision to step away from the ring so that he could focus on spending time with his family. The WWE Hall of Famer made it clear that he wouldn't be like other stars who returned to the ring after they announced their retirement. The Heartbreak Kid stuck to this statement for more than eight years.

But when Triple H needed his D-Generation X teammate to help him take on The Brothers of Destruction in 2018, Michaels answered the call.

This star-studded tag team match was the main event of Crown Jewel 2018, but the bout wasn't what the WWE Universe was expecting. Due to this disappointing outcome, it's clear that Michaels regretted his decision to lace up his boots again. In recent years, HBK has reiterated that he is now retired, so he won't return any time soon.

Otherwise, Michaels has become one of the leading figures behind the scenes of NXT, and he continues to thrive in this role.