39-year-old says former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon deserves "respect" for handling Montreal Screwjob (Exclusive)
Former WWE star EC3 believes Vince McMahon deserves respect for not being scared to tackle the ramifications of the infamous Montreal Screwjob moment.
In 1997, McMahon was presented with arguably the most difficult challenge of his career, as Bret Hart refused to lose the WWE Championship to Shawn Michaels at Survivor Series. The Hitman, who had signed a deal with WCW by then, didn't want to drop his title in front of the Montreal crowd, his hometown.
Given the circumstances, McMahon went ahead with a screwy finish. The referee ended the match just after Michaels applied the Sharpshooter on Bret Hart, even though the latter hadn't tapped out. While many have blamed the former WWE Chairman for the incident, on Sportskeeda Wrestling's The Wrestling Outlaws, EC3 explained why McMahon must also be respected for the same.
The former NXT star pointed out that despite knowing it could lead to backlash, Vince McMahon stuck with his guns and chose to face it with his head held high.
"You gotta respect the hell out of Vince, not for that fact [Montreal Screwjob] but maybe for the fact that he knows he has to take what happens next. Stand right up there, take it," said EC3. (10:13 - 10:24)
Check out the full video below:
WWE legend The Undertaker was furious with how Montreal Screwjob transpired
Elsewhere in the video, Vince Russo revealed how The Undertaker reacted to Bret Hart being robbed of his WWE Championship at Survivor Series. The wrestling veteran disclosed that The Deadman was so furious with the turn of events that he picked up the chair he was sitting on and threw it across in anger.
"The scariest thing for me, bro, was Taker sitting next to me. And when I watched that, and it then registered, holy s**t, that's kind of what I suggested and then I saw how hot 'Taker was. He picked up the chair he was sitting on and threw it across the room. So, I was like 'Holy s**t'. It was a situation you just didn't know what was gonna happen," said Vince Russo. (7:55 - 8:33)
#OnThisDay in wrestling history 25 years ago ...
Bret Hart spits in Vince McMahon's face in the immediate aftermath of the Montreal Screwjob, before punching McMahon in the face backstage. https://t.co/2PORjMsQA5
Despite the Montreal Screwjob taking place 25 years ago, it's just as fresh in fans' memories as it was one of the first times the line between kayfabe and reality was blurred.
What do you make of EC3's argument about why McMahon should be respected for handling the Montreal Screwjob? Sound off in the comment section below.
If you take any quotes from this article, please credit Sportskeeda Wrestling and embed the YouTube video.