Bret Hart is one of the most recognizable names in the professional wrestling industry, and back in 1997 he was involved in the most infamous incident in wrestling history, the Montreal Screwjob.
Bret was blindsided after Vince McMahon pulled a fast one on heart and had him drop the belt to Shawn Michaels even though Hart didn’t tap out while Michaels had him in the Sharpshooter.
The events leading up to the match are well documented in the film “Wrestling With Shadows” and for better or worse the Montreal Screwjob is something that has become synonymous with Bret Hart’s legacy.
After the match Bret Hart confronted Vince McMahon backstage, and he punched him in the face. During a recent chat with the Calgary Herald, the former WWE Champion talked about the punch, and he said it was a “beautiful punch.”
“It was only one punch but it was such a beautiful punch. Of all the things I’ve ever done in my life, it was the sweetest, most beautiful punch anyone could ever throw. It was just amazing. The whole memory of it brings a smile to my face. I just maybe wish that I’d mopped the floor with (wrestlers) Triple H and Shawn Michaels both at the same time right after. That would have been ideal.”
According to Bret himself, he feels that the confrontation in the locker room was Vince McMahon’s way of trying to back him down in front of everyone, but it didn’t happen that way.
“I think what it really amounted to was a case of Vince — and he’s a very macho kind of guy — he wanted to back me down in front of everybody in the dressing room and show that he was the boss and save face,” Hart said. “So he took it upon himself to put himself in a physical situation, which was laughable. But he put himself in that situation and I knocked him out.”
The debate over who was right or wrong in regards to the Montreal Screwjob has been going strong for years, and no matter which side of the fence you stand on it’s safe to say that the incident will continue to create controversy for years to come.
