WWE History Vol. 8: The Day that Kayfabe Died
Pro Wrestling has endured its share of scandals over the many decades of its existence. From the steroid scandals of the 1980s to the drunken antics of men like Ken Patera - who once threw a boulder through a fast food restaurant window - the industry has weathered its share of controversy.
Even if the pro wrestling industry takes an occasional hit of bad publicity, it often manages to recover and return to a relatively normal state. But the Montreal Screwjob, arguably the biggest wrestling controversy of all time, is different for a number of reasons.
The biggest difference was when it happened. In 1997, the world wide web had become enormously popular. Failed wrestling talents and bitter former wrestlers openly shared industry secrets on the internet. For the first time in history, a majority of wrestling fans were aware they were watching scripted entertainment, which presented itself as legitimate competition.
Kayfabe, that 'acknowledged fakery' upon which pro wrestling was traditionally relied upon, was already taking heavy shots. Fans began to speculate not just about which wrestlers might win which titles, but what type of contracts they had, and with which specific companies they would sign with.
Another big difference was that the Monday Night War was in full swing, and for the first time since the beginning of modern pro wrestling the WWE was in danger of losing to a rival. WCW had defeated WWE week after week in the ratings war.
When the Montreal Screwjob took place, the curtain wasn't just peeking behind; it was torn asunder, revealing the inner workings of the wrestling business in a way fans had never experienced before.
Here is the step-by-step breakdown of the Montreal Screwjob - the day that Kayfabe died.
#1. The seeds are planted.
In 1997, Bret Hart was a fourteen-year stalwart of the WWE, having started in the 80s as a member of the Hart Foundation before transitioning into the singles competition. Hart did the classic 'climbing the ladder' in WWE, first defeating midcard heels, then winning the IC title. Eventually he started defeating main event heels and was soon WWE World Champion.
In an era when Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, "'Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, and countless other WWE Superstars had jumped ship to rival WCW, Hart became the biggest star in McMahon's promotion. While the midcard was mired in ridiculous gimmicks, the main event scene was rife with technical wrestling wizardry courtesy of Hart and others such as Shawn Michaels.
In 1996, Hart took time off from the WWE to heal and revitalize his spirit. During this time, he received contract offers from both WCW and WWE. WCW offered Bret five million dollars over five years, but then WWE countered with an unheard of twenty million dollar twenty year contract. Under the WWE contract, Hart would wrestle for several more years and then transition into a managerial role with the company, as well as training young wrestlers.
Hart accepted the WWE contract, and it seemed as if he would be with the WWE for the rest of his career, if not his life.
But things would not work out that way.