20 years later: 5 reasons why some believe the Montreal Screwjob was a work

#5 All parties (conveniently) got what they wanted

Everything to gain.

Whenever a court of law is trying to ascertain the guilt of a defendant, one of the things they will typically explore is whether he or she stood to gain from what they are being accused of doing. If for example, a woman is found dead under mysterious circumstances, and her husband suddenly comes into a lot of money as a result, questions will inevitably be asked.

When we apply the same reasoning to the Montreal Screwjob, it becomes apparent that both Bret and the WWF gained pretty highly from it in their own way. Bret knew that given the changes happening with the company back in 97, his prospects were not going to be best served by staying. Despite his reservations, WCW were offering him more money and fewer hours, a decision anybody would likely make.

For the WWF's part, the thing they most craved in 1997 was attention. WCW was doing all the right things with the NWO storyline that almost the entire wrestling universe was focused on them. It didn't matter that the WWF was beginning to highlight new stars like Stone Cold, Mankind and The Rock if nobody was watching.

In the aftermath of the screwjob, the WWF managed to gain a level of infamy not seen since the days of Hogan. People were debating heavily about what they had seen, whether Vince had crossed the line or whether kayfabe would survive. Vince didn't even need positive publicity back then, anything would have been welcomed.

Even WCW, for their own part, ended up getting what they wanted, another high profile WWF superstar on their roster. When a situation is that mutually beneficial, it starts to look more and more like a pre-ordained affair.

When we look at the current state of the wrestling business and the journey the WWE has taken since Survivor Series 1997, it's a little too difficult to ignore that the Montreal Screwjob was where it all began.