Mid 20th Century
197-860: 1970s and 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s and 2020s The Montreal Screwjob (also called the Montreal Incident ) was a notorious unscripted professional wrestling incident that occurred on November 9, 1997, at the Survivor Series pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) in Montreal , Quebec , Canada. During the WWF Championship match between Shawn Michaels and champion Bret Hart , WWF owner Vince McMahon and select WWF employees covertly manipulated
394-819: A TLC match at the TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view on December 15, 2013, to unify the titles. Subsequently, the unified championship was renamed WWE World Heavyweight Championship and retained the lineage of the WWE Championship; the World Heavyweight Championship was retired. Orton and subsequent champions held both championship belts until a single championship belt was given to reigning champion Brock Lesnar in August 2014. After Dean Ambrose became champion in June 2016,
591-678: A Winner Takes All match to claim both world championships and then become recognized as the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. WWE billed the match as a championship unification match and Reigns as a double champion, defending both titles together across both brands as the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship . On the April 24, 2023, episode of Raw , WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H announced that regardless of what brand Reigns
788-460: A ladder match between Eddie Guerrero and Rob Van Dam , a fan jumped the guardrail, got into the ring, and knocked over the ladder while Guerrero was climbing it. Guerrero noticed what was going on, landed on his feet, and kicked the fan a few times before security took him away. During a match with Bray Wyatt at a WWE house show in Victoria, British Columbia in August 2015, Roman Reigns
985-516: A shooter or shoot-fighter is not a wrestler with a reputation for being uncooperative but one who has legit hooking skills in their repertoire. These wrestlers often gain their skills from martial arts ( Ken Shamrock or Josh Barnett ), catch wrestling ( Lou Thesz or Billy Robinson ) or amateur wrestling ( Kurt Angle or Brock Lesnar ). These kinds of shooters are sometimes referred to as stretchers (from their ability to use legitimate holds on their opponents to stretch them). Despite
1182-685: A television ratings war, dubbed the Monday Night War . Near the end of the ratings war, WCW began a financial decline , which culminated in WWF purchasing WCW in March 2001. As a result of the purchase, the WWF acquired, among other assets, WCW's championships . Thus, there were two world titles in the WWF: the original WWF Championship and the WCW Championship, which was eventually renamed
1379-633: A "sheer joy" to work with in the ring. On the December 14, 2009, episode of Raw , Vince McMahon came out to announce the nominees for Guest Host of the Year during the Slammy Awards . After announcing Bob Barker as the recipient of the award, McMahon asked guest host Dennis Miller who he would like to see as a Raw guest host. Miller said he would like to see his long-time favorite, Bret Hart. McMahon dismissed Miller's suggestion, reminding him that
1576-644: A blueprint for WWE's men's and women's world championships, with the only differences being the name at the bottom of the center plate and the colors, as well as the women's being smaller. First was the WWE Women's Championship in April 2016, which became the Raw Women's Championship later that year, although it reverted to its original name in June 2023. After the WWE World Heavyweight Championship became exclusive to SmackDown as
1773-492: A corporate takeover of its parent company ( Time Warner ) by America Online , WCW was put up for sale and purchased by Vince McMahon in 2001, once again making WWF the single-largest wrestling company in North America. Bret Hart's entry into WCW had been hailed at the time as a major coup for the company, but it subsequently failed to utilize his popular appeal. Hart's active wrestling career ended in 2000 after he suffered
1970-470: A custom design that meant something, later said that WWE probably decided to go with the Rated R Spinner version in order to sell more merchandise. During Daniel Bryan's fourth reign (2018–2019) as part of his environmentalist heel gimmick, he threw the standard title belt in a garbage can (bemoaning the fact it was made from leather) and introduced a new custom belt, dubbed the "Planet's Championship", featuring
2167-464: A customized belt for John Cena, remained the standard title belt from 2005 to 2013. During Edge 's second reign in 2006, he introduced his own variation, the "Rated R Spinner" design, replacing the WWE scratch logo with his "Rated R Superstar" logo. Edge had sketched a completely new custom design, but due to creative differences, it did not get made. Edge, who was not a fan of his spinner version and wanted
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#17327877931382364-411: A disqualification. In his 1998 documentary Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows , Hart said that his fears were largely assuaged because he was close friends with referee Earl Hebner and trusted him implicitly. Asked by Hart, Hebner swore by his children that he would never double-cross Hart and that he would rather quit his job than participate in a screwjob. However, according to Michaels's account of
2561-418: A fan jumped the guardrail during a tense moment in the match. DiBiase, recalling the incident in his autobiography, yelled for Virgil (DiBiase's bodyguard, who was attempting to interfere in the match) to knock the man down, which he did, before security led the suspect away as the match played out as intended (Savage knocking the heads of DiBiase and Virgil together before escaping the cage). In 2002, during
2758-479: A fast count, and not allow himself to be placed in submission holds. The Molson Centre in Montreal was sold out, with more than 20,000 fans in attendance. Rumors of Hart's imminent departure from WWF had leaked and consequently heightened the fan interest in the match. The mixed signals and a war of words between Hart, McMahon, Michaels and WCW further heightened anticipation. Emotions were also running high due to
2955-505: A few even heaped garbage on them and some who were close enough pushed Michaels as he hurried backstage. Owen Hart, Neidhart and Davey Boy came out to the ring and had a conversation with Bret calming him down. Hart proceeded to finger trace "W-C-W" and "I love you" to the cheering fans before returning backstage. While much of the live Montreal audience immediately understood what had happened and responded angrily, television viewers had been left largely confused as Jim Ross promptly wrapped up
3152-711: A few minutes. WWE Championship The WWE Championship is a men's professional wrestling world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE , defended on the SmackDown brand division . Since April 2022, the title has been jointly held and defended with the WWE Universal Championship as the Undisputed WWE Championship , but both titles have maintained their individual lineages. It
3349-404: A few seconds longer or had Puder not given up the hold. As you would expect, Kurt Angle was less than happy backstage at Smackdown after almost being forced to tap out to Tough Enough contestant Daniel Puder. Downright ticked off would probably be the best way to describe his mood. The unscripted nature of the contest was the main reason that Angle was made to look so bad since Puder just reacted to
3546-508: A former American amateur wrestler and 1996 Olympic gold medalist , challenged the finalists to a squat thrust competition. Chris Nawrocki won the competition, and the prize Nawrocki won was a match against Angle. Angle quickly took Nawrocki down with a guillotine choke , but Nawrocki managed to make it to the ropes, forcing Angle to break the hold. Angle then took Nawrocki down with a double leg takedown , breaking his ribs. Angle locked another guillotine choke on Nawrocki, pinning him in
3743-540: A full recovery. He also briefly appeared during the 2013 Royal Rumble , giving a pep talk to Alberto Del Rio before his Last Man Standing match for the World Heavyweight Championship with Big Show . On the May 27, 2013, episode of Raw , it was named 'Bret Hart Appreciation Night'. Bret was pictured in the evening speaking to the likes of Kane , Daniel Bryan and Cena among others. At the end of
3940-639: A globe in the center, along with Roman columns and olive branches. It read "World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion" and included the famous WWF block logo at the top, while four side plates had flags (two flags per side plate) representing the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, the United Kingdom, Australia, the Soviet Union, and Italy. On February 5, 1988, just before ending his first championship reign, Hogan introduced another new design,
4137-588: A great Canadian hero. As his contract with WWF did not expire for four more weeks, Hart asserts that there was plenty of time and several other opportunities for him to drop the title. Several accounts claim that McMahon had originally proposed that Hart drop the title at December's In Your House pay-per-view in Springfield, Massachusetts , or at January's Royal Rumble in San Jose, California . Although Michaels expressed happiness at Hart's 2006 induction into
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#17327877931384334-500: A gun in a carnival target shooting game that did not have its sights misaligned. Terminology such as this reflects the professional wrestling industry's roots in traveling carnivals . Initially, the term referred to practice or ability in catch wrestling as a legitimate sport. It has since come to mean any legit attack or fight in professional wrestling regardless of the combat system employed, and its meaning has broadened to include unscripted events in general. The opposite of
4531-520: A hero in his native Canada, as well as throughout Europe. As a result, he was neither a hero nor a villain, and as such could not be properly placed into feuds with other wrestlers with more concrete personas. Hart had also been unhappy about McMahon's move towards more controversial subject matter, which would become a staple of the company's product during the Attitude Era. Convinced that McMahon's future plans did not include him, Hart resigned from
4728-405: A large center plate dominated by a cut out of the current WWE logo (encrusted with diamonds) inside an irregular heptagon with the capital words "World Heavyweight Champion" along the bottom edges, in very small print. The backing behind the logo was again the black leather strap with nugget texture. The belt retained the gold divider bars introduced in the previous design. The large side plates, like
4925-417: A large irregular heptagonal plate, with the border of the plate featuring diamonds and other gems. The backing behind the logo was the black leather strap itself with a nugget texture. The word "Champion" appeared in a large gold banner underneath the logo. Gold divider bars separated the center plate from its two large side plates. The side plates featured a removable center section that could be customized with
5122-455: A main event title match with Hart at that show. McMahon, anxious for Hart to give up the title, sought his consent to job to Michaels. Hart, however, refused to give up the title to a member of The Kliq (a group that included Michaels, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Hunter Hearst Helmsley , and Sean Waltman that had previously held enormous backstage influence), apparently standing up for the rest of
5319-421: A name plate, and like the previous two designs, it had an eagle atop the globe. There were also stars seemingly shooting out from the globe. It originally had the WWF scratch logo and read "World Wrestling Federation Champion"; after the promotion was renamed World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in May 2002, both the scratch logo and wording were changed accordingly. The inner side plates on this design also contained
5516-506: A new single title belt to represent the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. It features the same "Network Logo" design on a black strap, but the WWE logo is encrusted with black diamonds, it has a gold nugget-textured background behind the logo which was made as part of the metal plate instead of colored leather, and the text at the bottom of the plate says "Undisputed Champion"; the side plates remained
5713-617: A notorious legacy; accounts differ as to who exactly was involved in the plan and the extent of their involvement, while some wrestling fans, performers and bookers believe the incident was an elaborate work executed in collaboration with Hart , which he denies. Hart did not return to the WWE until his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame in April 2006, and he made his next live appearance on WWE programming in January 2010. Hart later said he legitimately reconciled with McMahon and Michaels, and
5910-414: A one-hour head start on McMahon due to Nitro going on the air live at 8:00 p.m., which would have been more than enough time to announce Hart's WCW arrival. Therefore, McMahon felt, he needed to find a way to preemptively strip Hart of the title. On November 8, 1997, one day before Survivor Series, McMahon met with Pat Patterson and Michaels in a hotel room in Montreal and planned the screwjob. It
6107-492: A part of a wrestling podcast . While shoot interviews generally occur outside a show, one rare example of a shoot interview during a televised show occurred on October 23, 1999, when Doug Gilbert , then with the Memphis independent promotion Power Pro Wrestling , turned a televised interview intended to further a feud with Brian Christopher into a shoot that soon led to the demise of the promotion. Gilbert publicly exposed
Montreal Screwjob - Misplaced Pages Continue
6304-405: A phone call from Jim Cornette, as well as his contract stipulations. Hart later commented in his autobiography that if Foley returned to WCW, he would be committing career suicide. Rick Rude , who was working there briefly as a story line manager for Michaels and was a real life friend of Hart's, called WCW and informed Eric Bischoff of what had transpired, and also returned to WCW two days after
6501-424: A potentially embarrassing situation that could affect its fortunes. The potential revolt was also quelled by Hart's counsel to wrestlers who asked him about boycotting Raw or leaving the company altogether. Hart advised them to fulfill their contractual obligations and not risk their own future over the episode. In protest, Mick Foley did not attend the next night's Raw show, but returned to work after that due to
6698-608: A result of the 2016 brand split, the design would also be used for the WWE Universal Championship that was introduced for the Raw brand. The design was also used for the SmackDown Women's Championship introduced in August until that title received a new design in June 2023 when it was renamed Women's World Championship. The NXT United Kingdom Championship and NXT UK Women's Championship belts also used
6895-466: A right hand and hitting Vince in the temple , dropping him to the floor. Although Shane and Brisco struggled briefly with Hart and Davey Boy Smith, Hart told them to take McMahon and leave or risk similar consequences. When Bret angrily asked McMahon if he was going to screw him on the pay he was still owed, a groggy McMahon replied in the negative. In the hallway outside the dressing rooms, Hart's then-wife Julie angrily confronted Triple H and others about
7092-406: A serious concussion during a match with Goldberg. After dropping the WWF title to Austin at WrestleMania XIV in 1998, Michaels was forced into retirement for four years due to a serious back injury. After a long period of rehabilitation, Michaels returned to the ring in 2002 at SummerSlam , and eventually retired in 2010 at WrestleMania XXVI , losing a Streak vs. Career match to The Undertaker in
7289-510: A shoot incident. Jeff Hardy was scheduled to challenge Sting for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, but a heavily intoxicated Hardy had been in hiding for the duration of the event, arriving late and in doing so he evaded management before making his entrance into the arena and ring. Referee Brian Hebner quickly realised that Hardy was not in proper condition to wrestle and threw up the X sign prior to
7486-428: A shoot is a work or kayfabe . 'Shoot' may also refer to legitimate 'shooting' for a takedown , as in interscholastic, amateur, and Olympic wrestling. With professional wrestling's history of 'shooters' and 'hookers', wrestlers with elite grappling skills, and the recent rise of shoot style wrestling and mixed martial arts , this use of the term is growing. Professional wrestling is staged entertainment rather than
7683-414: A show in San Jose, California , on October 12, 1997, Hart claimed he spoke to Michaels about being professional and trusting one another in the ring; Hart allegedly said he would have no problem losing to Michaels if McMahon requested. He also claimed that when Michaels replied that he "would not be willing to do the same" to Hart, Hart was shocked and became angry. This led to Hart's outright refusal to lose
7880-434: A sports competition. As such, virtually everything in it is worked (part of the show), and shoots rarely occur. Shoots in general are against the nature of the business, similar to an actor ad-libbing or dropping character during a performance. Performers who shoot during a wrestling event are often punished (often by lower pay or relegation to opening bouts) or even fired, since they cannot be relied on to act according to
8077-416: A state of confusion. Michaels was then seen by many viewers as having glanced at Hebner as he put Hart in the sharpshooter, which some saw as proof that he was in on the scheme. Contrary to their agreed plan, Michaels tightened the hold and refused to offer his own leg to Hart for the latter to break out of the hold. At that moment, Hebner got to his feet, looked toward timekeeper Mark Yeaton, and shouted, "Ring
Montreal Screwjob - Misplaced Pages Continue
8274-418: A steel chair towards Hart, who ducked, and the chair striking The Undertaker down. Hart would cover The Undertaker, and Michaels would reluctantly perform the three count. Hart's WCW contract was scheduled to begin on December 5, one month after the WWF's annual Survivor Series event, which was to be held in Montreal. Shawn Michaels, the leader of the emerging D-Generation X (DX) stable , had been booked into
8471-603: A stroke. The feud culminated in an encounter at WrestleMania XXVI , which saw Hart defeat McMahon in a match that involved the Hart family . After the match, Hart would continue to periodically work televised events for WWE. Hart briefly held the WWE United States Championship in May 2010, a title he had held four times previously, all during his tenure in WCW. It was Hart's first championship reign in WWE since
8668-400: A televised interview to commentator Jim Ross , explaining his version of events and making the now-infamous statement "Vince McMahon didn't screw Bret Hart. I truly believe that Bret Hart... screwed Bret Hart." Michaels continued his mocking of Hart in the coming weeks, performed a skit badgering a little person dressed up as Hart. As McMahon expected, WCW did address Hart and the aftermath of
8865-581: A title to London police officer Charlie Guenigault for his "exceptional bravery" during the 2017 London Bridge attack , and to the U.S. servicemen and women who have helped in hosting WWE Tribute to the Troops (since 2015) as well as for their continued service to the country. In 2020, WWE Championship belts were also presented to Christophe Agius and Philippe Chéreau, WWE announcers in France for 20 consecutive years presenting WWE on French television. With
9062-571: A tradition for WWE, and they have since created custom WWE Championship belts for winners in professional sports, with the side plates commemorating the achievement. They have also presented a custom belt to exceptionally notable people for their efforts in their profession. WWE had originally presented custom WWE Championships to winners in both male and female sports, but in 2018, they began presenting those in female sports with custom Women's Championship belts. Since that original gift in 2014, WWE has presented custom WWE Championship belts to winners of
9259-494: A worked shoot occurred on the June 27, 2011 Raw Roulette , where CM Punk delivered a promo popularly known as a "pipebomb" promo. In it, Punk aired his grievances with WWE at the time and announced he would leave the promotion three weeks after his promo with the WWE Championship (Punk would sign a new contract during the time period); the promo was not cut off until Punk attempted to mention bullying issues within
9456-456: A wrestler. Fan interference and violence was prevalent in the northeastern and southern United States from the mid to late 20th century, where many wrestling territories became known for offering violent action to a rabid, fiercely loyal audience which largely believed in what it was seeing. In 1988, during a steel cage match between "Macho Man" Randy Savage and "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase at New York City's Madison Square Garden ,
9653-565: A year ago I'd have probably said something different. But I've cooled off a bit now. I don't want to carry it around anymore. If he wanted to apologize I would accept it. I'd move on but I wouldn't forget it." He also put over the Michaels-Undertaker match at WrestleMania 25 , saying he was proud of both men's efforts and that despite his personal feelings towards Michaels, he always had the utmost respect for his abilities. Similarly, Michaels has commended Hart's abilities, calling him
9850-463: Is Hart's own testimony in his autobiography Hitman , that "Pat Patterson told me that he thought it would be a heckuva spot to let Shawn put me in the Sharpshooter and then reverse it on him," which would indicate that Patterson had initially proposed the "Sharpshooter" spot to Bret. However, in the same work, Hart also states, "I found myself jostling with Jerry Brisco, who I would find out later
10047-463: Is here with you. I'll do whatever you want.' 'What are we talking about, Shawn?' 'Whatever it takes. If we have to do a fast count or get him in a hold and tell someone to ring the bell, I'll do whatever you want me to do.'" The sharpshooter spot had been suggested by Hart. "We were talking things through, and Bret came up with this spot where I get him in the Sharpshooter and then he reverses it by pulling on my leg". Indirectly corroborating this assertion
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#173278779313810244-508: Is inspired by early professional wrestling shooters, who would often utilize these basic wrestling moves when shooting on an opponent (as opposed to the flashier takedowns used in worked matches, such as suplexes ). An example of shoot fighting happened on the November 4, 2004, episode of SmackDown! , taped in St. Louis, Missouri . During an unscripted segment of Tough Enough , Kurt Angle ,
10441-401: Is one of three world titles in WWE, alongside its companion Universal Championship on SmackDown, and the World Heavyweight Championship on Raw . The current champion is Cody Rhodes , who is in his first reign. He won the undisputed title by defeating previous champion Roman Reigns in a Bloodline Rules match at WrestleMania XL Night 2 on April 7, 2024. The original world championship of
10638-406: Is the oldest championship currently active in WWE, and is presented as being the promotion's most prestigious title, with many matches for the title having headlined pay-per-view and livestreaming events —including WWE's flagship event WrestleMania . In professional wrestling in general, it is considered to be one of the most prestigious championships of all time. From its inception until 2001, it
10835-428: Is unclear how many people knew of the impending betrayal, but McMahon's close aide Gerald Brisco was involved in the planning. Jim Ross has insisted that he did not know the screwjob would take place, although many, including various members of Hart's family, thought he was involved. Ross has stated that Jerry Lawler also did not know about the screwjob beforehand. Hart and Michaels had met with Pat Patterson to discuss
11032-479: The NWA Television Championship at the time. The '84 belt consisted of a dual-plated gold and silver main plate as well as two dual-plated side plates on each side. The main plate was engraved with red lettering. The '85 belt had a silver and black main plate with raised silver lettering and the same side plates as the '84 belt. Both belts included black straps. Both center plates read "WWF" at
11229-451: The WWF Championship five times. Between his third and fourth reigns, Hart took a seven-month leave of absence from the company after WrestleMania XII , during which he considered contract offers from both the WWF and its rival, World Championship Wrestling (WCW). In October 1996, Hart declined a three-year, $ 8.4 million offer from WCW, instead opting to sign an unprecedented 20-year deal offered by Vince McMahon , which promised to make him
11426-578: The World Series , Super Bowl , NBA Finals , FIFA Women's World Cup , College Football Playoff National Championship , Stanley Cup Finals , Australian Open , Premier League , Bundesliga , Indian Premier League , Liga MX , Argentine Primera División , Major League Baseball Home Run Derby , Formula One World Championship , UEFA Champions League , Overwatch League , Cricket World Cup , Men's US Open , and Canadian Football League Grey Cup . WWE also presented
11623-569: The WrestleMania 22 weekend. Michaels decided to step out of view to avoid a possible scene. Hart did not appear at the WrestleMania show in a mini-ceremony with the other inductees, explaining in an interview that he had never intended to attend or appear at the show. Hart would later return to WWE television on the June 11, 2007, edition of Raw , where he appeared in a taped promo spot mocking Mr. McMahon's "appreciation night." While he
11820-422: The bookers ' wishes. Shoots can also occur when wrestlers stop cooperating in a match. This may occur to teach one of the wrestlers "a lesson" for whatever reason, or if a wrestler has an issue with the promoter and intentionally makes the match look bad. While the term technically applies only to wrestling performers, crowds also cause shoots by interfering in events, usually by assaulting or attempting to assault
12017-437: The main event , but came out of retirement for one match eight years later at Crown Jewel in 2018. After weeks of speculation, WWE.com announced in late August 2005 that Hart and WWE had agreed to collaborate on a DVD project chronicling Hart's wrestling career. In subsequent interviews, Hart attributed his decision to his desire to be remembered for his storied career that spanned two decades. The project, which had been given
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#173278779313812214-418: The sharpshooter submission hold (Hart's signature move); although Hart did not submit, Michaels was declared the winner by submission and became WWF Champion. As a result of the screwjob, McMahon and Michaels elicited angry responses from Canadian audiences and others for many years. McMahon was viewed by many fans to have betrayed Hart, who was one of the WWF's longest-tenured and most popular performers at
12411-421: The "Spinner Belt", which had a gold and diamond bling-bling style reflecting his hip hop character at the time. Although originally a custom belt for Cena, it became the WWE Championship's primary design from April 12, 2005, until February 18, 2013. The scratch WWE logo, placed between an eagle on top and the word "Champ" and a name plate below, could be spun like spinner wheels or a turntable in keeping with
12608-436: The "Winged Eagle" championship belt, which became the primary design for the next decade with many wrestlers holding this version, and is considered the most popular design of the championship. Its nickname is derived from the eagle's wings seemingly coming off of the center plate, which included the block WWF logo and read "World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion". The championship belt also had four identical side plates. Apart from
12805-628: The "World Championship". In December 2001, the two championships were unified at Vengeance . At the event, Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated Kurt Angle to retain the WWF Championship, while Chris Jericho defeated The Rock for the World Championship. After this, Jericho then defeated Austin, unifying the WWF and World Championships, and becoming the first Undisputed WWF Champion; the Undisputed championship retained
13002-552: The "undisputed" moniker, while the World Heavyweight Championship (2002–2013 version) was created for Raw. ECW became a third brand in 2006, adding the ECW Championship . That title was deactivated in 2010, and the World Heavyweight Championship was unified into the WWE Championship in 2013. The championship was again the sole world title of WWE until the introduction of the Universal Championship with
13199-556: The 1950s, Capitol Wrestling Corporation (CWC) was a member of the NWA and by 1963, its executives held a controlling stake over NWA operations. During this time, Buddy Rogers held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship until January 24, when Lou Thesz defeated Rogers for the championship in a one-fall match. Claiming the title can only be contested in a traditional two-out-of-three falls match, CWC disputed
13396-642: The 1980s as one-half of the Hart Foundation tag team with his brother-in-law Jim Neidhart and manager Jimmy Hart . After the team had two reigns as the WWF Tag Team Champions – splitting from Jimmy Hart and becoming heroes between reigns – Hart then achieved tremendous success as a singles performer in the 1990s, twice taking the Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship , and then winning
13593-566: The 2016 brand split and then a new World Heavyweight Championship in 2023. During both brand splits, the WWE Championship has switched brands, usually as a result of the WWE Draft ; the 2023 draft moved it back to SmackDown. The title was introduced in 1963 with Buddy Rogers becoming the first champion. Its backstory began in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), which had various territorial member promotions . In
13790-532: The ECW Championship. In April 2011, WWE ceased going by its full name with the "WWE" abbreviation becoming an orphaned initialism , and the first brand split ended that August. Just prior to the end of the first brand split, a storyline saw CM Punk vowing to leave the company with the WWE Championship when his contract expired on July 17, 2011, the date of the 2011 Money in the Bank pay-per-view. At
13987-601: The Hall of Fame, the Hart–Michaels relationship remained laced with antagonism. Michaels criticized Hart's behavior and conduct during his days in WWF in his 2005 autobiography, comparing the Screwjob to a "mafia hit," and Hart has stated in his 2007 autobiography that he would "never forgive" Michaels. In interviews prior to the induction ceremony, Hart asserted that he would walk out from the ceremony if he saw Michaels anywhere on
14184-425: The Hart–Michaels rivalry and the "U.S. vs. Canada" storyline. While both men had been cordial with each other backstage, WWF officials ordered the deployment of a large number of company agents around the ring as a precaution if Hart decided to attack Michaels or McMahon in reaction to the double-cross. Highly unusual for any wrestling match, the deployment was explained on television as a necessary precaution in wake of
14381-657: The Hit Man." Bret returned on the January 4, 2010, episode of Raw , and promptly called out Michaels in order to bury the hatchet. Hart and Michaels then aired their grievances with one another while recognizing that their Ironman match at WrestleMania XII ought to be the highlight of their relationship rather than the Montreal Screwjob. The pair shook hands and Michaels turned as if to deliver Sweet Chin Music, but instead chose to embrace Hart. While many cast doubts on
14578-679: The Hogan '86 version. A much larger version similar to the Hogan '86 championship belt was created for André the Giant before WrestleMania III , although he never wore it as champion. A custom championship belt was used by "Stone Cold" Steve Austin during his second reign (1998), which included his "Smoking Skull" logo as well as rattle snakes. As an answer, The Rock also had a custom championship belt designed and constructed, including his trademark "Brahma Bull" logo, but due to creative reasons, it never appeared on television. The Spinner Belt, originally
14775-517: The June 2, 2023, episode of SmackDown , Triple H presented Reigns with a new singular championship belt to represent the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. Amidst confusion of the lineages, Fightful reported that WWE confirmed to them that the two championships are still in fact separate lineages, represented by one belt. This has also been represented on WWE.com, with both Reigns and Cody Rhodes , who defeated Reigns at WrestleMania XL , being shown as champions of both individual titles rather than
14972-456: The Kimura, or keylock as Tazz called it, although Tazz didn't let on the move was fully executed. Not only was Angle not getting out of the move, but most MMA fighters would have tapped already. Angle couldn't tap for obvious reasons. The ref counted a three even though Puder's shoulders weren't fully down, trying to end the thing, because the reality was Angle would have been in surgery had it gone
15169-594: The McMahon family crest of a lion holding a shield that had the company logo. The championship would drop the "undisputed" moniker in September 2002, becoming the WWE Championship again when it became exclusive to SmackDown!, while the Big Gold Belt was resurrected to represent the World Heavyweight Championship for Raw. After John Cena won the WWE Championship in April 2005, he introduced his own custom belt,
15366-494: The Montreal Screwjob. Hart appeared on the September 10, 2012, episode of Raw at the Bell Centre in Montreal, marking his return for the first time to the same building where the Screwjob occurred, where he took part in an interview segment featuring John Cena and WWE Champion CM Punk . However, the episode was overshadowed by Jerry Lawler 's real on-air heart attack earlier in the evening, from which he eventually made
15563-555: The November 7, 2017, episode of SmackDown . This was also the first time in nearly 15 years that the championship changed hands on an episode of SmackDown ; the last time was in 2003 when Brock Lesnar defeated Kurt Angle for the title. At Crown Jewel on October 31, 2019, SmackDown wrestler "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt won the Universal Championship, thus transferring the title to SmackDown. Also at that event, after reigning WWE Champion Brock Lesnar had defeated Cain Velasquez to retain
15760-587: The SmackDown General Manager and Raw Commissioner Stephanie McMahon named Mick Foley the Raw General Manager. Below is a list of dates indicating the transitions of the WWE Championship between the Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brands. When introduced in 1963, the original WWWF World Heavyweight Championship was represented by a United States championship belt that Buddy Rogers had defended in various territories prior to becoming
15957-476: The SmackDown brand, leaving the Raw brand without a world title. In response, on September 2, Bischoff disputed Lesnar's status as champion, stating Lesnar was refusing to defend his title against the designated No. 1 contender, Triple H, and awarded the latter with the newly created World Heavyweight Championship . Immediately afterward, Lesnar's championship dropped the epithet "Undisputed" and became known as
16154-633: The Undisputed Championship was the only male wrestler allowed to appear on both shows. In May 2002, the WWF was renamed World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and the championships were renamed accordingly. At first, the championship remained unaffiliated with either brand as wrestlers from both brands could challenge the champion. Following the appointment of Eric Bischoff and Stephanie McMahon as General Managers of Raw and SmackDown , respectively, Stephanie McMahon convinced then-Undisputed Champion Brock Lesnar to become exclusive to
16351-402: The Undisputed WWE Universal Champion at WrestleMania 38 in April 2022, both the standard versions of the WWE Championship and Universal Championship belts were used in tandem to represent the undisputed title, although both titles retained their individual lineages. On the June 2, 2023, episode of SmackDown , in celebration of Reigns reaching 1,000 days as Universal Champion, he was presented with
16548-518: The United States prior to Survivor Series or to surrender the title to McMahon on the episode of Monday Night Raw the day after Survivor Series, in Ottawa , Ontario, Canada. After several disagreements, McMahon, Michaels and Hart agreed to a proposal of a disqualification finish, which would be the result of a brawl between Hart's allies Owen Hart , Jim Neidhart , and Davey Boy Smith with Michaels's allies Triple H and Chyna , who would interfere in
16745-540: The WWE Championship at ECW One Night Stand on June 11, 2006, the championship briefly became a world title of the ECW brand; the ECW World Heavyweight Championship was subsequently reactivated for the ECW brand upon Van Dam's title win. Van Dam held both titles until he lost the WWE Championship to Raw's Edge the following month. The ECW brand was disbanded in 2010, subsequently deactivating
16942-437: The WWE Championship. Over the course of the first brand split, the WWE Championship was used as the world title of the SmackDown brand twice and of the Raw brand three times. In all but two cases, the WWE Championship switched brands as a result of the annual draft . In June 2006, WWE established ECW as a third brand, on which former Extreme Championship Wrestling stars and newer talent competed. When ECW's Rob Van Dam won
17139-640: The WWF Championship to Michaels at the pay-per-view event in Montreal, although in Hart's documentary , Hart states to McMahon that he would happily drop the belt, but not in Canada. However, in his own autobiography, Michaels rejected Hart's claim, saying that he would have cleanly lost to Hart had storylines demanded so (though others, including Jim Cornette in various shoot interviews, have often denied this, saying that they knew first-hand that Michaels had no intention of losing cleanly to Hart). Michaels also pointed out that he had lost cleanly to Hart several times in
17336-561: The WWF and World Championships into the Undisputed WWF Championship, the "Big Eagle" championship belt was used in tandem with the " Big Gold Belt ", the former WCW Championship belt, until a single Undisputed Championship belt was introduced to champion Triple H on the April 1, 2002, episode of Raw . This new belt, dubbed the "Undisputed Championship Belt", was designed by New York -based tattoo artist Keith Ciaramello. Taking inspiration from WCW, this design included
17533-418: The WWF and brought her title belt, which the WWF had neglected to take back, with her to the program, dumping it into a trash can. McMahon feared a repeat, despite claims from Bischoff that legal issues between the WWF and WCW would prevent such a thing, and that he would rather have Hart join WCW with a "clean slate". Hart continued to refuse to drop the title to Michaels, offering to lose the title anywhere in
17730-444: The WWF and signed an agreement with WCW, which had just offered him a large $ 3 million per annum contract on November 1, 1997. Hart's signing the WCW deal caused McMahon to worry about the possibility of Hart entering WCW while still WWF Champion. Hart asked McMahon if he would be mocked after leaving for WCW, as had occurred with other wrestlers who had transferred to WCW from the WWF (for example, Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage going by
17927-411: The WWF as champion, but Hart was unwilling to lose to Michaels – with whom he had a legitimate feud – at Survivor Series, as it was taking place in his home country of Canada. The match was planned to end in disqualification, causing Hart to retain the title, and then losing or forfeiting it at a later date. Instead, under McMahon's direction, referee Earl Hebner ended the match as Michaels held Hart in
18124-444: The WWF would honor his contract if he chose to stay. But, when Hart talked to McMahon about future plans and storylines, he was disappointed by McMahon's response and what he considered lackluster suggestions. At the time, Hart felt as though his career had been sabotaged by changes to his character, which had been retooled as an anti-America Canadian nationalist ; as a result, he drew significant ire from American audiences, but remained
18321-548: The WWF's monetary problems were at an all-time high. McMahon began to defer payments to Hart, claiming that the WWF was in "financial peril." At this time, McMahon reviewed the WWF's plans for the future, and saw the likes of Stone Cold Steve Austin , The Undertaker , and D-Generation X (DX) leading what was to become " The Attitude Era ". WWF's plans did not include Hart; McMahon therefore encouraged Hart to reopen negotiations with WCW. While Hart considered an offer from then-WCW President Eric Bischoff , McMahon informed Hart that
18518-501: The WWF. The two had been involved in a real fight after Michaels implied that Hart was having an affair with WWF valet Sunny . The recent storyline rivalry had also seen Michaels make insulting remarks about Hart's father Stu Hart , which had left Bret and others in the Hart family upset. McMahon's offering of an estimated $ 3 million contract to Hart in 1996 had reportedly also upset Michaels. McMahon remained insistent about Hart dropping
18715-462: The aftermath, Calaway didn’t let anyone who wasn’t affected or involved in the dressing room. Both Vince and Bret started talking back and forth with Vince trying to explain his position and Bret giving his thoughts on what he thought about Vince and what he did. Hart then angrily rebuffed him and warned him to leave immediately or risk being punched. Vince, however, didn’t leave and said “I’m gonna give you one”. An altercation ensued, with Hart throwing
18912-667: The bell ringing, he ran out of the ring and through the crowd, after which he locked himself in his hotel room for the night, refusing to speak to anyone. Tensions and excitement were high as the wrestlers and officials congregated for Survivor Series. Hart was anxious over the match finish and had been warned of the prospect of a screwjob by his brother-in-law and Hart Foundation member Davey Boy Smith as well as Vader , who had experienced similar situations while wrestling in Japan. They advised Hart to be alert, not lie on his back for too long, kick out from pinfall counts immediately so as to avoid
19109-454: The bell!" McMahon then elbowed Yeaton hard and yelled, "Ring the fucking bell!" Yeaton rang the bell just as Hart reached forward and grabbed Michaels's leg, which broke the hold and caused Michaels to fall. According to Bret Hart, while he was trying to trip Shawn Michaels's knee, he heard Vince McMahon say, "Ring the bell!" and he described he knew he was screwed right after the referee rang the bell. Michaels's theme music then began playing as
19306-476: The brand extension and wrestlers (including all champions), were then free to appear on any program. On July 19, 2016, SmackDown moved to Tuesdays and became a live show with its own set of wrestlers and writers, separate from Raw , thus reintroducing the brand split. The draft took place on the live premiere of SmackDown . On the July 18 episode of Raw , SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon named Daniel Bryan
19503-553: The caveats of rejoining is that the championship would no longer be recognised as a "world championship", and only as a regional heavyweight championship. In 1979, the WWWF was renamed World Wrestling Federation (WWF), and then after conclusively ending its affiliation with the NWA in 1983, the title regained its "world championship" status and was renamed the WWF World Heavyweight Championship. Although
19700-478: The champion's logo in lieu of a nameplate; the default side plates consisted of a red globe with the WWE logo on the globe underneath a crown. After Randy Orton unified the WWE Championship and World Heavyweight Championship, with the latter being retired, the "Big Logo Belt" was used in tandem with the "Big Gold Belt" to represent the renamed WWE World Heavyweight Championship. On the August 18, 2014, episode of Raw , reigning champion Brock Lesnar , who had won
19897-413: The championship belt was updated several times. First in 1971, this design was on an indigo colored strap and contained three shield-shaped plates. Below the center plate, which read "World Heavyweight Champion" and had a cross at its center, a separate horizontal plate read "WWWF". This was replaced with another design in 1972. This version, on a red strap, read "WWWF Heavyweight Wrestling Champion" around
20094-503: The combined Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, which was shortened to Undisputed WWE Championship after Rhodes won the title. With the first brand split, an annual draft was established in 2002. Each year (except 2003), the General Managers participated in a draft lottery in which select members of WWE's roster were assigned to a brand. The revived ECW became a third brand from 2006 to 2010. On August 29, 2011, WWE ended
20291-427: The company altogether. McMahon addressed a meeting in an effort to mollify the wrestlers who had been outraged that a WWF veteran had been double-crossed by McMahon—many feared for their own future and were suspicious of McMahon. McMahon sought to explain that Hart had been disregarding the company's interests. By refusing to drop the title in Montreal, McMahon claimed Hart was jeopardizing the company's future by creating
20488-489: The company had leaked to fans and wrestling news sources. McMahon was worried that allowing Hart to remain champion after the match at Survivor Series would cause problems and reckoned that Bischoff was still prone to doing anything he could to get under McMahon's skin and McMahon thought he would be likely to mention the signing of Hart to WCW on Nitro the following night (something Bischoff said would not have happened under normal circumstances). Furthermore, Bischoff would have
20685-681: The company. In order to provide an air of legitimacy, Punk received a kayfabe suspension from the company following the promo. A "shoot interview" is generally conducted and released by someone other than a wrestling promotion. They are conducted out of character with a wrestler, promoter, manager, or other insider generally being interviewed about their career and asked to give their opinion on wrestlers, promotions, or specific events in their past. While some wrestlers used these as an opportunity to insult people or promotions they dislike, many are more pleasant. These shoots are often released on DVD , end up on YouTube or other video sharing websites, or as
20882-416: The dressing room with him. Vince came into the dressing room with his son Shane McMahon , Brisco, Patterson, and Bruce Prichard . Everybody sat down, with Vince being on one side and Bret being on the other. Calaway, who came back with Vince, took Shawn to the far end of the dressing room and sat next to him, knowing he was eventually going to chime in and that wasn’t going to help. Along with this, throughout
21079-405: The edges with an eagle at the center, while six side plates represented several countries. 1973 saw the introduction of another yet similar design; this one was on a black strap and contained two grapplers above a differently designed eagle. This version was subsequently held by Stan Stasiak , Bruno Sammartino, "Superstar" Billy Graham – who wore a red leather variation – and Bob Backlund . During
21276-494: The entire episode would result in WCW becoming the dominant promotion in Canada, where a large majority of fans had remained loyal to WWF, especially as the Hart family was working with the company. Wrestlers backstage during the aftermath were in an uproar. Hart proceeded to the dressing rooms and questioned Michaels, who insisted he knew nothing about what had taken place and was equally outraged. McMahon locked himself in his office with Pat Patterson and other agents. Mark Calaway,
21473-472: The event on commentary and Survivor Series went off the air four minutes ahead of schedule with the parting image of Michaels holding the belt aloft as he disappeared backstage. Rumors and expressions of surprise and shock pervaded the Internet almost immediately after the match ended. Some observers considered it a creative and all-time great match finish. Observers of professional wrestling speculated whether
21670-491: The event, Punk succeeded in defeating the defending champion John Cena to win the title, and left the company with the physical championship belt. Subsequently, the championship was vacated and Rey Mysterio won an eight-man tournament by defeating The Miz in the finals to be crowned the new WWE Champion, only to subsequently lose it later that night to Cena, for the latter's record ninth reign . Punk then returned to WWE with his own championship belt, disputing Cena's claim to
21867-490: The events in Montreal mostly due to his disgust over Hart's treatment. Rude appeared on both WWF Raw is War and WCW Monday Nitro on November 17, 1997. A mustached Rude appeared on Nitro , which was live, and proceeded to criticize Michaels, DX, and the WWF, calling the company the " Titanic " (a reference to Titan Enterprises, as WWF's parent company was then known, as the "sinking ship"). An hour later on Raw (which had been taped six days earlier), Rude then appeared with
22064-400: The events in his 2005 autobiography, Heartbreak and Triumph: The Shawn Michaels Story , Michaels himself informed Hebner of the plan only on Sunday evening, just as Survivor Series was about to commence. This contradicted what Hebner said on a 2003 edition of WWE Confidential , claiming that he first knew of McMahon's plan only ten minutes before the match finished, and out of panic following
22261-470: The fact that Jerry Lawler , previously the owner of the USWA, another significant Memphis-based promotion , was Brian's father—a blatant violation of kayfabe , the portrayal of events within professional wrestling as not being staged (in this case, Brian "not" being Jerry's son). He also made disparaging remarks about both Lawlers, as well as the promotion's booker Randy Hales. Drawing from this related term,
22458-438: The finish, but was escorted away by Owen Hart. McMahon had a black eye and a sprained ankle, which according to Bret Hart, was a result of his punch lifting Vince off the floor and Vince rolling his ankle once he landed. However, McMahon and Brisco have since stated on WWE Confidential that Brisco accidentally stepped on Vince's foot, which as he tried to get back to his feet, immediately sprained his ankle and sent him back to
22655-468: The first heavily publicized professional wrestling double-cross since Wendi Richter lost the WWF Women's Championship to a masked Fabulous Moolah following a money dispute on November 25, 1985. It is perhaps the most controversial match in the history of the WWF, with the effects of its outcome being felt for over a decade later due to its notoriety and the infamous legacy it left in the company. Hart
22852-507: The floor, from which he suffered a concussion, and referred to Brisco's action as a 'comedy.' Michaels and Triple H were later confronted and assailed by angry fans outside the Molson Centre and in the lobby of their hotel. While Jim Neidhart, Davey Boy Smith, and Owen Hart had flown out of Montreal with Bret, McMahon faced a major revolt in the WWF locker room. Most wrestlers were outraged at him and threatened to boycott Raw or leave
23049-460: The full beard he had been sporting during his last few weeks in the WWF. Of the Hart family, only Owen continued to work with the company, being unable to terminate his contract. At the next night's Raw in Ottawa, Michaels appeared carrying the WWF title belt and performing a segment where he boasted before the audience of how he beat Hart with his own trademark move in his own country. McMahon gave
23246-565: The full name appeared on the championship belts until 1998, the name was often abbreviated to WWF Championship, which became its official name in 1998. In 1991, World Championship Wrestling (WCW), a member of the NWA, established the WCW World Heavyweight Championship to replace the NWA's world title. In 1993, WCW seceded from the NWA and grew to become a rival promotion to the WWF. Both organizations grew into mainstream prominence and were eventually involved in
23443-479: The guest host of Raw on January 4, 2010. On December 28, WWE.com confirmed that McMahon would be at Raw that night to address the rumors about Hart hosting the show. That night, McMahon confirmed that Hart will indeed be guest host on the January 4 episode of Raw . A WWE.com article published shortly after the December 28 edition of Raw alluded to an "almost guaranteed encounter between the WWE Chairman and
23640-408: The highest-paid wrestler in the company and secure him a major role with the company management following his retirement. Both Hart and the WWF saw the contract as an expression of mutual loyalty. By mid-1997, however, the WWF was facing financial difficulties due to stiff competition from WCW, which had become the largest professional wrestling promotion in the United States. At the same time, McMahon
23837-415: The hip-hop theme. The WWE logo was encrusted with diamonds while other parts of the championship were emblazoned with various other jewels. The inner side plates read "WWE Champion", though before 2008, one side plate indicated the brand the title was designated to. The spinning function was phased out in later years and the logo set in a fixed place, most notably during The Miz 's first reign (2010–2011) when
24034-489: The hold to try to revive the referee, but Michaels would hit Hart with his finisher, Sweet Chin Music , and make the pin. A second referee would then run to the ring with Owen Hart, Jim Neidhart, and Davey Boy Smith following close behind. The second referee would start the count, but Owen and Davey Boy would break the pin. The original referee would then recover and start to make the count, but Hart would kick out, setting up about five more minutes of brawling that would result in
24231-432: The image for the WWE Championship; the Universal Championship title history remains a picture of the previous blue belt. Custom championship belts have been created to honor certain reigning champions or match their characters . During Hogan's reign in 1986, he had a modified version of the Hogan '86 made, which included a picture of himself at the center. Not much is known about this "mystery belt" as he quickly reverted to
24428-439: The inaugural WWWF world champion. The center plate of this belt was an outline of the continental United States and there were two shield-shaped side plates with grapplers on them; the plates were on a red leather strap. On the center plate, there was a circle flanked by grapplers, and the circle was designed to contain a photograph of the titleholder. Above the circle was a shield with an eagle atop it with stars on opposite sides of
24625-514: The intense animosity between Hart's and Michaels's characters. There was also some legitimate concern that Michaels could be attacked during the planned in-crowd brawl, by fans angered at his actions of demeaning the Canadian flag. Michaels's entrance was greeted by loud booing and upon entering the ring, he proceeded to rub the Canadian flag against his crotch, picked his nose with it and later humped it—Michaels maintains that this flag desecration
24822-406: The introduction of the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship belt in June 2023, WWE have since presented custom versions of it. The WWE Championship was the first world championship introduced into the promotion in 1963. The inaugural champion was Buddy Rogers, and there have been 55 different official champions overall and 11 vacancies. The longest reigning champion is Bruno Sammartino , who held
25019-485: The last time Hart was in the WWE was when "Bret screwed Bret," and that he likely would have no interest in hosting the show. Miller then asked the audience if they would like to see Hart as a guest host, to applause, but McMahon simply walked away. On December 16, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that Hart had signed a four-month contract with WWE, and would debut as
25216-418: The latter's reign, the promotion's name was shortened to World Wrestling Federation (WWF), but the physical championship belt still read "WWWF". After the previous design was destroyed, a new design was introduced in January 1983, nicknamed the "Big Green Belt" due to its size and the color of its strap. This was the first to be created under the WWF name. It included eight (later ten) side plates dedicated to
25413-737: The lineage of the WWF Championship and the World Championship was retired. Subsequently, the Big Eagle Belt (formerly representing the WWF Championship) and the Big Gold Belt (formerly representing the World Championship) were used in tandem to represent the Undisputed Championship . Jericho held the championship for four months until he lost it at WrestleMania X8 against Triple H , who
25610-531: The locker room. As part of their rivalry storyline, Michaels had repeatedly performed acts insulting the Canadian flag and Canadian fans, which had also upset Hart. Wrestling fans also knew of Hart's long-standing personal difficulty with Michaels—Hart had been angered at Michaels's forfeiture of the WWF Championship in February 1997, ruining plans for a Hart–Michaels rematch at WrestleMania 13 , where Michaels
25807-424: The logo was turned upside down to look like an "M". On the February 18, 2013, episode of Raw , The Rock unveiled a new WWE Championship belt, often dubbed the "Big Logo Belt". The new title was partially designed by Orange County Choppers of American Chopper fame, as well as well-known belt maker Dave Millican. The championship included a large cut-out of the scratch WWE logo (encrusted with diamonds) inside
26004-467: The match began, Hart and Michaels brought their performance outside the ring and into the crowd, while being followed by McMahon and WWF officials. As the climax of the match approached, the two wrestlers returned to the ring while WWF officials continued to order more personnel to ringside. Hart's suspicions were first aroused upon noticing that Vince McMahon was not at the announcers' table to perform commentary, and that on-screen commissioner Sgt. Slaughter
26201-409: The match director was heard shouting instructions into his headset for Hebner to get up, but Hart did not notice anything amiss. Mike Chioda , the referee who was supposed to run in after Hebner went down, began yelling back that Hebner was not supposed to be up yet. Pat Patterson reacted in a similar way, and Owen Hart and Davey Boy Smith, who were waiting for their cues to run in, remained backstage in
26398-419: The match setup and plan, during which Hart agreed to allow Michaels to put him into the Sharpshooter hold at a time when the referee would be unconscious, as Patterson suggested. The rest of the match was planned to proceed thus: Hart would grab Michaels's foot and reverse the hold, putting him in the Sharpshooter. Michaels would submit to the hold, but the referee would still be unconscious. Hart would let go of
26595-465: The match starting. This caused an on-screen intervention from "general manager" Eric Bischoff and an instruction from Bischoff to Sting to immediately and legitimately pin Hardy. After a tie-up and a handful of punches, Sting performed his finisher on Hardy. Hardy did not understand what was happening and attempted but failed to kick-out with Sting holding down the pin, with Hardy losing the match in only
26792-407: The match to "go home" to the intended ending. Another way a referee may be involved is if there is an injury, or one of the wrestlers fails to respond to a 10 count or a pin. In some promotions referees are instructed to adjudicate regardless of the intended finish, resulting in a shoot ending with an "incorrect" winner, or one where the match finish is different. Shoots may also involve those outside
26989-490: The match to aid Michaels. Hart would then lose or forfeit the title at a later date, as he was not due to start in WCW until December. Hart also asked for and obtained McMahon's permission for an opportunity to explain his actions, his heel character, praise McMahon and the WWF and thus leave on good terms with the company and the fans. At some point in the days leading up to Survivor Series, however, McMahon began to reconsider that decision. Word of Hart's impending departure from
27186-422: The names of "The Huckster" and "The Nacho Man" respectively in the "Billionaire Ted" sketches of early 1996, as well as having Rick Bognar and Glenn Jacobs portray the characters of Razor Ramon and Diesel respectively, characters that were made famous by both Scott Hall and Kevin Nash respectively before they joined WCW later in 1996). McMahon assured him that nothing of the sort would happen. Despite this, on
27383-520: The night after the Montreal Screwjob on Monday Night Raw , D-Generation X performed a segment mockingly re-enacting the match between Michaels and Hart, with a dwarf dressed as Bret. Hart's imminent move to WCW created a tense situation, as he had won the WWF Championship at SummerSlam 1997 from The Undertaker , which had featured Michaels as a special guest referee. The finish of the match saw Hart spit in Michaels face, followed by Michaels swinging
27580-473: The past, most notably in the WWF's first ever ladder match at a Wrestling Challenge taping on July 21, 1992, which would subsequently be made available on multiple Coliseum/WWE Home Video releases, and in the main event of the 1992 Survivor Series . Michaels also lost to Hart in a Steel Cage match in December 1993. McMahon believed he made the right choice in pressing Hart to return, which kept him from joining WCW in 1996. However, by September 22, 1997,
27777-422: The predetermined outcome of the match in favor of Michaels; the screwjob occurred without Hart's knowledge, causing him to lose the championship. Hart had been WWF Champion since August 1997 . A week prior to Survivor Series, Hart, who had performed for the WWF since 1984, agreed to join rival wrestling promotion World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from December 1997. McMahon sought to prevent Hart from leaving
27974-452: The previous champions. The center plate featured a wrestler holding up a championship belt with a globe behind him. This design, held by Bob Backlund, The Iron Sheik , and Hulk Hogan , was replaced first by the "Hogan '84" design during the spring of 1984, then by the nearly identical "Hogan '85" design, which first appeared at WrestleMania 1. Both were called "Hogan" belts as they were only worn by Hulk Hogan, and they were similar in design to
28171-416: The previous design, included removable round center sections, allowing the holder's personal logo to be added to the championship belt; the default plates showed gold and red world maps with the WWE logo over them but without the crown from the previous design. Customizable side plates have since become a prominent feature with the majority of WWE's championship belts. The "Network Logo" design would become
28368-434: The process. After Angle defeated Nawrocki, Angle challenged the other finalists. Daniel Puder , an American professional mixed martial artist , accepted Angle's challenge. Angle and Puder wrestled for position, with Angle taking Puder down; however, in the process, Puder locked Angle in a kimura lock . With Puder on his back and Angle's arm locked in the kimura , Angle pushed Puder's shoulders down, pinning him. One of
28565-542: The promotion, it was established by the then- World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) on April 25, 1963, as the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship, after the promotion seceded from the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) following a dispute over the NWA World Heavyweight Championship . The inaugural champion was Buddy Rogers . Since its inception, the title has undergone many name changes due to company name changes and title unifications. It
28762-456: The recordings, Hart refused to drop the title to Michaels. The Montreal Screwjob's impact defined later storylines and rivalries. The WWF successfully tapped fan outrage at McMahon over the incident by creating the persona of "Mr. McMahon" — an authoritarian and arrogant heel boss who imposed his own will and authority on rebellious characters such as Stone Cold Steve Austin . Within the storylines, McMahon "screwed" such wrestlers in order to hand
28959-445: The ring announcer declared him the winner and the new WWF Champion. Hebner had already exited the ring and was on his way out of the arena. Jim Ross can be heard on commentary asking, "What happened?" A moment later, he says, "Bret Hart gave up in the Sharpshooter." After an initial moment of shock, Hart got to his feet, approached the apron where McMahon was standing and spat directly in his face, while Michaels feigned confusion. Michaels
29156-413: The same base outline but with a different design on the center plate itself. After the introduction of the Universal Championship, the WWE World Heavyweight Championship subsequently reverted to being called the WWE Championship, although from July to December 2016, it was called the "WWE World Championship". The physical belt retained the text "World Heavyweight Champion". After Roman Reigns became
29353-493: The same design as the "Network Logo" belt, but made from "entirely sustainable materials" (such as the strap being made from hemp and the center and side plates carved from wood of a naturally fallen oak tree ; the side plates also had his name instead of the WWE logo). In October 2014, WWE presented the San Francisco Giants a replica of the "Network Logo" belt for winning the 2014 World Series . This began
29550-502: The same. Despite this, his manager Paul Heyman had continued to carry around the previous WWE and Universal Championship belts until the end of July. On WWE's website, pictures of the previous title belts were still used for the individual title histories of each championship until April 2024 when the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship (subsequently referred to as the Undisputed WWE Championship) belt replaced
29747-592: The screwjob on Nitro from the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis that same night. Mike Tenay and Tony Schiavone strongly criticized McMahon and Michaels for their actions. The show started with Bischoff making reference to Hart's impending arrival in WCW and his punching McMahon in the face, and he then used his on-air persona as the mouthpiece for the New World Order to claim (kayfabe) that Hart
29944-409: The screwjob was used in a storyline between McMahon and Hart, leading to a match at WrestleMania XXVI . Longtime industry writer Mike Johnson referred to the screwjob as "arguably the most talked-about [event] in the history of professional wrestling". At the time of the screwjob, Bret Hart was a 14-year veteran of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), having got his first break in the promotion in
30141-459: The screwjob—McMahon's son Shane, a match referee, abandoned his on-screen rebellion against his father and allowed his father to screw Austin, by refusing to count Austin's pinfall against Mankind . The McMahons then double-crossed Mankind in his main event WWF Championship match against The Rock later that night. Just as The Rock put the Sharpshooter hold on Mankind, McMahon called for the bell to be rung, even though Mankind did not submit. The Rock
30338-457: The shield. The caption "World's Champion" was added below the circle. This title belt was worn by the inaugural champion Buddy Rogers in 1963 and the second champion Bruno Sammartino. After Sammartino became champion, a new title belt on a blue strap was created and used until 1965. The enlarged center piece contained a crowned globe and two grapplers, and read "WWWF World Champion"; the two side plates commemorated Sammartino's title win. This belt
30535-569: The show, Michaels and Lawler handed him a plaque commemorating his career. The following week, Bret took part in 'WWE Inbox', a webshow held by WWE on its YouTube channel where Bret answered fans' Twitter questions. In his 2005 autobiography Heartbreak and Triumph: The Shawn Michaels Story , Michaels stated that it was his idea: "It was my turn to chime in. 'I'll do whatever you want. We'll just take it off him. I'll just swerve him or whatever I have to. You tell me what needs to get done. You and this company have put up with so much from me. My loyalty
30732-472: The side plates were updated with the inner side plates containing the McMahon family crest of a lion holding a shield that had the WWF logo. When it was unveiled, it originally contained the block WWF logo and was on a blue strap, but was updated in November 1998 to the WWF scratch logo and on a black strap. In addition to the logo, it read "World Wrestling Federation Champion". After Chris Jericho unified
30929-486: The sincerity of their reconciliation, Hart has confirmed that it was indeed genuine, as did Michaels, and acknowledged that he felt that Michaels changed as a person, for the better. Later in the night, a storyline between Hart and McMahon began with the two appearing to have their own reconciliation only to have McMahon subsequently kick Hart in the gut: in real life, Hart and McMahon have been on slight speaking terms since 2002, when McMahon called Hart during his recovery from
31126-554: The situation and could have forced Angle to submit had the referees not thought quickly and counted a pin that wasn’t there on Puder. The term is also often used by wrestling fans, in another definition (in this case, also known as shoot wrestling ) to refer to mixed martial arts competitions, which, while superficially similar to wrestling matches, are actual athletic competition rather than sports entertainment . Example of spontaneous events that are not shoots include mistakes by wrestlers (these are known as botches ) or matches where
31323-560: The time. The screwjob impacted the professional wrestling industry in several ways: according to WWE, the incident is considered as one of the beginnings of the Attitude Era , leading to McMahon featuring as a villainous on-screen character on WWF television broadcasts, and has been used as a theme in matches and storylines across the wrestling industry. It was also partly chronicled in the documentary film Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows (1998). The Montreal Screwjob has garnered
31520-569: The title . The two WWE Champions wrestled each other at SummerSlam ; Punk defeated Cena to solidify his claim on the title. Following the end of the first brand split in August 2011, both the WWE Champion and World Heavyweight Champion could appear on both Raw and SmackDown . In November 2013, the night after Survivor Series , reigning World Heavyweight Champion John Cena made a challenge to reigning WWE Champion Randy Orton to determine WWE's undisputed world champion. Orton defeated Cena in
31717-538: The title change, and thus seceded from the NWA and became the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF). The WWWF World Heavyweight Championship was then established and awarded to Buddy Rogers with the explanation that he won a fictional tournament in Rio de Janeiro , supposedly defeating Antonino Rocca in the finals. After several years, the WWWF became affiliated with the NWA once again; one of
31914-428: The title for the first time at the age of 25 years, 44 days during SummerSlam 2002 in August 2002, while the oldest champion is Mr. McMahon , who won the title for the first and only time at the age of 54 years, 21 days during the September 16, 1999 episode of SmackDown. John Cena holds the record for most reigns with 13 which occurred between 2005 and 2017. Cody Rhodes is the current champion in his first reign. He won
32111-401: The title from May 17, 1963, to January 18, 1971, for a total of 2,803 days (7 years, 8 months, and 1 day); Sammartino also holds the record for longest combined reign at 4,040 days. André the Giant is the shortest reigning champion, officially holding the title for 1 minute, 48 seconds due to selling the title to Ted DiBiase following his title win. The youngest champion is Brock Lesnar, who won
32308-490: The title the night before at SummerSlam , was presented with a single championship belt, retiring the Big Gold Belt in the process. This new standard belt, often dubbed the "Network Logo" belt, had a slightly updated design from the belt introduced by The Rock in 2013 as a result of WWE changing their corporate logo to the one originally used for the WWE Network , which had launched earlier that year in February. It included
32505-423: The title to the performer of his choice. The "Bret screwed Bret" line inspired promos that McMahon made during his feud with Austin. At Unforgiven: In Your House , McMahon sat at ringside, placed strategically near the timekeeper, during Austin's title defense against Dude Love , which caused Austin to allude to the Montreal Screwjob during a promotional interview. At Survivor Series 1998 —the first anniversary of
32702-430: The title's name was reverted to WWE Championship. In light of the return of the brand split the following month, Ambrose was drafted to SmackDown . Ambrose then retained his title at Battleground on July 24 against Raw draftees Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns , making the title exclusive to SmackDown. On the July 25 episode of Raw , to address the lack of a world title for the brand, the WWE Universal Championship
32899-406: The title, he was attacked by Raw's Rey Mysterio , who Lesnar had attacked a few weeks prior. The following night on Friday Night SmackDown , Lesnar quit SmackDown and went to Raw to continue his feud with Mysterio, thus transferring the WWE Championship to Raw. At WrestleMania 38 Night 2 on April 3, 2022, SmackDown's Universal Champion Roman Reigns defeated reigning WWE Champion Brock Lesnar in
33096-587: The title. The WWF owner was anxious over Hart pulling a move like that of former employee Debrah Miceli . Miceli, a veteran women's wrestler who competed under the name Madusa for much of her career, performed as Alundra Blayze in the WWF from 1993 to 1995 and won the Women's Championship during her stay there. McMahon, however, had neglected to renew her contract when it expired, and Miceli signed with WCW whilst still Women's Champion. When she made her first appearance on WCW Monday Nitro , Madusa made fun of her time in
33293-423: The top, below that was an eagle with two banners below it reading "World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion". The bottom read "World Wrestling Federation" and above that was a name plate commemorating Hogan's title win, while the side plates noted previous champions. In October 1985, a new belt was introduced and was again only worn by Hogan. This belt is erroneously known as the "Hogan '86" belt. The center plate featured
33490-432: The two referees in the ring, Jim Korderas , quickly counted three to end the bout, despite the fact that Puder's shoulders were not fully down on the mat, bridging up at two. Puder later claimed he would have snapped Angle's arm on national television if Korderas had not ended the match. Dave Meltzer and Dave Scherer gave these following comments: It was real. If you don't follow fighting, Puder had Angle locked in
33687-406: The usual black leather strap, The Ultimate Warrior wore white, light blue, yellow, and purple variations, with the latter also worn by Sgt. Slaughter . In March 1998, after "Stone Cold" Steve Austin became champion, he was presented with a new design, often dubbed the "Big Eagle" or " Attitude Era " championship belt. The center plate was similar to the previous design, but became fully rounded, and
33884-477: The worked nature of the spectacle, shooters have been around since the beginning. Originally, the National Wrestling Alliance 's World Champion was typically a shooter or "hooker" in an effort to keep regional champions and other contenders from attempting to shoot on them and win the title when they were not scheduled to do so. The use of the term "shoot" to describe a single or double-leg takedown attempt (in legit fighting situations such as mixed martial arts )
34081-566: The working title of Screwed: The Bret Hart Story , was renamed Bret "Hit Man" Hart: The Best There Is, the Best There Was, the Best There Ever Will Be . In the 2005 DVD chronicling his career, both Hart and Bischoff denied that his holding the WWF title was a factor in WCW's desire to sign him. While McMahon claimed that there was mutual regret, Hart defended his actions and asserted that he stood by what he did. Hart
34278-505: The wrestler known as The Undertaker , screened the match in McMahon’s office and visited to Hart’s dressing room to express his shock. Furious with McMahon, Calaway went back to Vince’s office and banged on the door. McMahon opened and was told by Calaway he had to apologize to Hart. Recounted in Michaels's autobiography, he was told by McMahon not to say anything about the screwjob to anybody, because McMahon needed to have everyone think that it
34475-435: The wrestlers are good enough to not need to plan and rehearse beforehand. In such matches the wrestlers go into the match with only the length of the match and what the result should be, and work with each other off instinct and experience, often by "calling spots" in a voice low enough the crowd cannot hear until they reach the finish. The job of the referee will usually involve reminding them of time limits and often calling for
34672-518: The wrestling business. In 1984, while filming a 20/20 segment on professional wrestling, reporter John Stossel remarked to wrestler David "Dr. D" Schultz that wrestling was fake. Yelling "You think this is fake?", Schultz slapped him and knocked him to the ground twice. Stossel claimed that he still suffered from pain and buzzing in his ears eight weeks after the assault. Schultz maintains that he attacked Stossel because WWF owner Vince McMahon wanted him to. TNA Victory Road (2011) ended with
34869-424: The writers breaking the fourth wall and attempting to court the fans who are interested in shoots (i.e., events outside the traditional in-ring wrestling matchups). Notable characteristics of a worked-shoot include the mentioning of terms and information generally known only to industry insiders and "smart" fans. This community of "smart" pro-wrestling fans are sometimes referred to as " smarks ". A major example of
35066-554: Was WCW World Heavyweight Champion when he left the company and signed with the WWF in 1991, even appearing on television with the NWA/WCW belt, but also dropped the WWF Championship to Hart on October 12, 1992, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan at a house show). Hart, however, maintains that he was prepared to lose the title anywhere and to anyone, except to Michaels in Canada given that, during 1997, his "Hitman" character had been built up as
35263-724: Was able to reconcile to a degree with McMahon, Hart had never reconciled with Michaels. In a November 17, 2008, radio interview, Hart mocked Michaels's version of the incident, saying, "Shawn's this Christian today; and in his book, he wrote that Vince took a dive and that I never even hit him and I thought, 'This guy is such a liar'. I wonder what kind of Christian he is." Asked if he had seen or spoken to Michaels since 1997, Hart said, "No. And I hope I never do... for his sake." However, in 2009 Bret Hart stated in an interview with Sky Sports that he will forgive Michaels, if Shawn apologizes first, saying "For me I don't really have much issue with it anymore. If you asked me that up until probably about
35460-403: Was actually suggested by Hart as an effective way to draw heat and emotion. The palpable anger of the fans was converted into raucous cheering as Hart entered the ring carrying the Canadian flag and wearing the championship belt. Hart, however, was visibly disturbed when segments of the crowd that were aware of his move to WCW jeered him with chants of "You sold out!" as the match progressed. Once
35657-421: Was also standing at ringside with Vince McMahon. Nevertheless, the match continued. As planned, Michaels pushed Hebner in front of him as Hart jumped from the top turnbuckle , sending all three men to the canvas. Michaels and Hart both got up, but Michaels performed a rake on Hart's eye, sending Hart back to the mat. Michaels then proceeded to grab Hart's legs to execute the Sharpshooter maneuver. At this point,
35854-547: Was created; Finn Bálor became the inaugural champion at SummerSlam . After the unveiling of the Universal title, the WWE Championship was renamed WWE World Championship, but reverted to WWE Championship in December 2016 during AJ Styles ' first reign. The title changed hands for the first time outside of North America when AJ Styles defeated Jinder Mahal to win his second WWE Championship in Manchester , England on
36051-453: Was declared the winner by submission and the new WWF Champion, fully re-enacting the Hart double-cross, this time with a switch between the respective face and heel characters. Since then, professional wrestling storylines, including some storylines written by WWE, continue to refer to the screwjob whenever a title match ends under controversial circumstances. WWF eventually surpassed its arch-rival WCW. With its business steadily declining and
36248-430: Was drafted to in the 2023 WWE Draft , he and his undisputed championship would become exclusive to that brand. Triple H subsequently unveiled a new World Heavyweight Championship for the opposing brand as the counterpart to Reigns' Undisputed Championship, which was won by Seth "Freakin" Rollins at Night of Champions . As Reigns was drafted to SmackDown, the World Heavyweight Championship became exclusive to Raw. On
36445-417: Was expected to lose the title to Hart. Hart also believed that Michaels had faked a knee injury and talked about major surgery just to get out of their planned match. While Michaels denied rumors that he did not want to lose to Hart, and indeed Hart wound up winning the title shortly after Michaels relinquished it, Hart felt certain that Michaels would not have offered a loss in return if he had been staying with
36642-455: Was interviewed about the DVD and his career by Todd Grisham on the November 16, 2005, edition of Byte This! , marking Hart's first appearance on WWE programming since the Montreal Screwjob. Hart's refusal to lose to Michaels in Montreal has been criticized by others such as Ric Flair , who asserted that it was Hart's responsibility to drop the title belt of a company he was leaving (Flair himself
36839-497: Was only him involved. Michaels offered his assurance that he would not carry the title belt out the next day on Raw and would refuse to say anything derogatory about Hart. Hart states in his autobiography that Undertaker and many wrestlers in the back supported him and it would have become mutiny. Hart proceeded to the dressing room to shower and change after discovering that McMahon, Brisco, and Slaughter had locked themselves in McMahon's office. Bret had Owen Hart and Davey Boy Smith in
37036-582: Was ordered by McMahon to "pick up the damn belt and get the hell out of here!" Michaels left the arena with Brisco and Triple H and the broadcast signal cut off almost immediately after Michaels exited, with the last shot being a tight closeup of the Survivor Series logo above the entranceway. McMahon and most other WWF officials also quickly made their way backstage as an angry Hart smashed cameras, monitors, and ringside equipment. Fans in attendance also began to vent their fury on McMahon and WWF officials;
37233-464: Was ostracized by McMahon and later refused offers of induction to the WWF Hall of Fame. The documentary Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows included footage of McMahon's conversations with Hart in which he affirmed the planned disqualification finish and expressed determination for Hart to exit "the right way" and as amicably as possible—McMahon did not know that the conversation was being recorded. In
37430-558: Was planning to make the WWF a publicly traded company (even though the WWF would not go public until 1999), a move which required him to minimize any long-term financial commitments. For several months prior to the 1997 Survivor Series , Hart and Shawn Michaels had several backstage arguments, culminating in a fight before a WWF Raw event in Hartford, Connecticut (after Michaels had publicly accused Hart of having an affair with Sunny ) that saw Michaels go home for two months. After
37627-568: Was promoted as WWE's sole primary championship. An additional world title, the WCW Championship , was added after the then- World Wrestling Federation 's (WWF) purchase of World Championship Wrestling in early 2001. The titles were later unified as the Undisputed WWF Championship . After the first brand split in 2002 and the promotion being renamed to WWE , the championship became exclusive to SmackDown, dropping
37824-402: Was soon after presented with a single championship belt. The Undisputed Championship continued up through the beginning of the first brand split , which saw wrestlers being drafted to the company's main television programs , Raw and SmackDown , each show representing the brand of the same name, with championships assigned to and authority figures appointed for each brand. The holder of
38021-474: Was stolen in September 1965; a new belt was created with a mostly similar design with a couple of minor differences with the design of the side plates. This is the most recognizable version of Sammartino's belt that was used until 1971 and has been called the "holy grail of professional wrestling artifacts". After defeating Sammartino in January 1971, Ivan Koloff held Sammartino's belt for three weeks before losing it to Pedro Morales . During Morales's reign,
38218-419: Was struck in the head by a metal replica Money in the Bank briefcase thrown by a fan. Reigns was momentarily dazed by the incident, but was able to continue the match. Worked shoot is the term for any occurrence that is scripted by the creative team to come off as unscripted and therefore appear as though it were a real-life happening but is, in fact, still part of the show. This can be seen as an example of
38415-407: Was the one who had designed the whole Screwjob for Vince." Shoot (professional wrestling) Mid 20th Century 1970s and 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s and 2020s A shoot in professional wrestling is any unplanned, unscripted, or real-life occurrence within a wrestling event. It is a carny term shortened from "straight shooting", which originally referred to
38612-464: Was to join the nWo as soon as he could be signed to WCW. Hollywood Hogan , Kevin Nash , Scott Hall , and the rest of the nWo members stood with Canadian flags and sang the Canadian national anthem . WCW invoked the Screwjob again at Starrcade 1997 , as Hart prevented Hogan from leaving with the WCW World Heavyweight Championship . He claimed that the referee Nick Patrick gave a fast count and that he would not allow Sting to be screwed. The result
38809-428: Was what critics called an anti-climax as most had expected Sting to win cleanly on skill alone. At Starrcade 1999 , the finish of the match between Goldberg and Hart was for guest referee Roddy Piper to "ring the bell" once Hart placed Goldberg in the Sharpshooter despite Goldberg not submitting. The "Montreal Screwjob" remains one of the most high-profile double-crosses in the history of professional wrestling and
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