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**NeanderCarl** · 05-01-2007, 12:51 PM

How bouts a thread where we look at some of the trickiest or most controversial decisions made in the wrestling business, and discuss what we would have done, looking back in hindsight??

Let's start with the obvious one: the Bret Hart Montreal Screwjob. Probably the most talked about incident of all time among the IWC, still rearing it's ugly head a decade later.

We all know the story: Bret had given his notice. The following night WCW were legally able to announce his signing on Nitro. Bret was WWF Champion. Vince wanted Bret to drop the belt so that Bret couldn't show up with it on Nitro (which he was legally unable to do anyway) or else Bischoff couldn't announce that the "WWF Champion is coming to WCW". Bret didn't want to drop the belt in Canada, and especially not to Shawn Michaels. So, Vince, Shawn, Brisco and Hebner conspired to screw Bret out of the title with a fake submission finish, because nobody could come to a compromise on how the match would end.

This is the suggestion I would have made to Bret, who had "creative control" in his last 30 days in the company.

Firstly, lower down on the card, Steve Austin and Owen Hart were battling over the Intercontinental title, with both men basically in no condition to perform, Austin still reeling from the neck injury which ultimately ended his career early, and Owen suffering from a brain bruise suffered at the hands of Ahmed Johnson.

I would have run an angle at the preview Free-For-All, in which Team Canada, Team USA, Owen, Austin, Bret and DX were involved in a massive brawl, the upshot of which would be commissioner Sgt Slaughter announcing that the main event of the evening had been changed. Bret Hart vs Shawn Michaels vs Owen Hart vs Steve Austin, in a two fall match. The first fall would be for the Intercontinental title, the second for the WWF World title.

In the first fall, Austin would pin Owen for the I-C title. In the second fall, however, Bret would nail Michaels with a chair behind the referees back, and just about to pin him, when Owen Hart throws Bret out of the ring and pins Shawn to take the title.

Owen Hart would have been the new World champion, which I believe Bret would have gone for, because it would be pushing his younger brother, giving a Canadian a victory in Montreal and Michaels would be doing the job.

The next night on Raw, Owen would cement himself as the leader of The Hart Foundation in an interview, leaving Bret in the cold. Bret would then challenge Owen to a 'Loser Leaves The WWF' match on the same show, and would put Owen over on his final appearance in the WWF.

Then, if they really wanted the belt on Michaels, they could have put him over Owen at the December PPV.

This would have served to elevate Owen as the new leader of the Hart Foundation, give him a caretaker 'pat on the back' run with the belt, saved Canadian face at the Survivor Series and left Bret on cordial terms with the WWF.

05-01-2007, 12:51 PM	#1
NeanderCarl That's Not My Name Posts: 9,086	What would you have done? How bouts a thread where we look at some of the trickiest or most controversial decisions made in the wrestling business, and discuss what we would have done, looking back in hindsight?? Let's start with the obvious one: the Bret Hart Montreal Screwjob. Probably the most talked about incident of all time among the IWC, still rearing it's ugly head a decade later. We all know the story: Bret had given his notice. The following night WCW were legally able to announce his signing on Nitro. Bret was WWF Champion. Vince wanted Bret to drop the belt so that Bret couldn't show up with it on Nitro (which he was legally unable to do anyway) or else Bischoff couldn't announce that the "WWF Champion is coming to WCW". Bret didn't want to drop the belt in Canada, and especially not to Shawn Michaels. So, Vince, Shawn, Brisco and Hebner conspired to screw Bret out of the title with a fake submission finish, because nobody could come to a compromise on how the match would end. This is the suggestion I would have made to Bret, who had "creative control" in his last 30 days in the company. Firstly, lower down on the card, Steve Austin and Owen Hart were battling over the Intercontinental title, with both men basically in no condition to perform, Austin still reeling from the neck injury which ultimately ended his career early, and Owen suffering from a brain bruise suffered at the hands of Ahmed Johnson. I would have run an angle at the preview Free-For-All, in which Team Canada, Team USA, Owen, Austin, Bret and DX were involved in a massive brawl, the upshot of which would be commissioner Sgt Slaughter announcing that the main event of the evening had been changed. Bret Hart vs Shawn Michaels vs Owen Hart vs Steve Austin, in a two fall match. The first fall would be for the Intercontinental title, the second for the WWF World title. In the first fall, Austin would pin Owen for the I-C title. In the second fall, however, Bret would nail Michaels with a chair behind the referees back, and just about to pin him, when Owen Hart throws Bret out of the ring and pins Shawn to take the title. Owen Hart would have been the new World champion, which I believe Bret would have gone for, because it would be pushing his younger brother, giving a Canadian a victory in Montreal and Michaels would be doing the job. The next night on Raw, Owen would cement himself as the leader of The Hart Foundation in an interview, leaving Bret in the cold. Bret would then challenge Owen to a 'Loser Leaves The WWF' match on the same show, and would put Owen over on his final appearance in the WWF. Then, if they really wanted the belt on Michaels, they could have put him over Owen at the December PPV. This would have served to elevate Owen as the new leader of the Hart Foundation, give him a caretaker 'pat on the back' run with the belt, saved Canadian face at the Survivor Series and left Bret on cordial terms with the WWF.