WWE controversy "alienated half the locker room," Jim Ross says

Jim Ross was WWE's lead play-by-play commentator in the late 1990s. In a recent podcast episode, the veteran announcer recalled how the Montreal Screwjob divided wrestlers in the WWE locker room.

At Survivor Series 1997, Shawn Michaels won the WWE Championship from Bret Hart in one of the most controversial incidents in wrestling history. WCW-bound Hart entered the match thinking he would retain the title in front of his Canadian fans. However, due to Hart's real-life refusal to lose to Michaels, then-WWE Chairman Vince McMahon changed the finish without telling The Hitman.

Ross said on his Grilling JR podcast that the incident should have been handled differently to avoid tension behind the scenes:

"It got too political. It wasn't a good time to be working there because you had a lot of hurt feelings, a lot of bulls**t going on, that shouldn't have been going on. Look, I don't have an issue with Shawn Michaels beating Bret. That's not the issue. But, man, I would have thought about how to present it differently so it didn't alienate half the locker room." [44:14 – 44:41]

Hart worked for WWE for 13 years before the Montreal Screwjob incident occurred. According to Ross, the Canadian star was "loved" and "respected" by fellow wrestlers in the locker room.

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Jim Ross compares Shawn Michaels and Vince McMahon

Although he was one of WWE's biggest stars, it is well known that Shawn Michaels could be difficult to deal with backstage in the 1990s.

Jim Ross believes Vince McMahon liked Michaels because he viewed himself as a real-life version of The Heartbreak Kid's on-screen persona:

"Michaels had lobbied for it [defeating Bret Hart]. Michaels had ingratiated himself with Vince and, believe it or not, Vince identified with HBK. Vince saw himself as an extension of Shawn Michaels. Cocky, arrogant, all that good stuff. But he [Vince McMahon] was hellbent on, 'We're gonna do this [Montreal Screwjob incident],' so we did it." [43:41 – 44:10]

Hart and Michaels mended their strained relationship many years ago. The latter now works as the head of creative for WWE's NXT developmental brand.

What are your thoughts on the Montreal Screwjob? Hit the discuss button and let us know.

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Please credit Grilling JR and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use Jim Ross' quotes from this article.