WWE History Vol. 8: The Day that Kayfabe Died

#3. The plan is hatched.

This shot contains all of the principals of the Montreal Screwjob: Vince, Bret, HBK, and Earl Hebner (referee.)

Bret was leaving WWE. That was a fact. The Hitman was about to depart on good terms with the WWE, but there was a catch.

The first day WCW could legally announce that Hart had signed a contract would be November 10, 1997. The only problem was that Hart was still the WWE World Champion.

McMahon wanted Hart to drop the belt to Shawn Michaels at Survivor Series, which was to take place on November 9th. That way, Hart would no longer be the champion when WCW made their announcement, sparing the WWE bad publicity.

Unfortunately, Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels were rivals both on and off screen. Bret felt as if Shawn disrespected him and his long tenure with the company. Michaels felt that Hart believed his own hype. Because of the tension, Hart refused to lose the title to HBK, especially since the event would take place in his native Canada. While Hart offered to lose the belt to Ken Shamrock or Steve Austin instead, McMahon was adamant it would be Michaels.

A plan was hatched. Hart was told the match would end in double disqualification. But Vince McMahon, Earl Hebner, and Shawn Michaels himself (Shawn admitted to as much on Hart's return episode of Raw) all plotted to remove the title from Bret at the Pay-Per-View without the Hitman's prior knowledge.

It was a deeply rooted conspiracy that would end up straining Bret Hart's relationship with both the WWE and Vince McMahon for over a decade.