Bret Hart once publicly exposed Vince McMahon after WWF title loss to Shawn Michaels

Bret Hart gained massive success in WWF (now WWE) during the 1980s and 1990s. ‘The Hit Man’ became a household name at that time and created a great legacy under his name. Bret Hart left WWE after the “Montreal Screwjob” in November 1997, and Vince McMahon was the reason behind his controversial resignation.

‘The Excellence of Execution’ publicly exposed former WWE chairman Vince McMahon after his WWF title loss to ‘The Heartbreak Kid’ Shawn Michaels. After this incident, Bret left for World Championship Wrestling and stayed there until late 2000.

Bret Hart revealed the dark side of wrestling

Bret Hart had a long tenure during his time with the Stamford-based company. ‘The Hit Man’ was the rising star at that time and saw every side of the industry from many angles. In a controversial clip shared on Twitter on February 19, 2024, Hart was seen confronting Vince McMahon for deliberately making Shawn Michaels the winner of their match. Bret Hart was seen pushing Vince from the stage, and he took the mic to address the happenings behind the curtains.

Bret said, “Frustrated isn’t the goddam word for it. This is bullshit. You screw me. Everybody screws me. And nobody does a goddam thing about it. So much goddam injustice around here. Everybody knows it. I know it. I should be the World Wrestling Federation Champion. Everybody keeps turning a blind eye to it. You keep turning a blind eye to it. Everybody in that goddam locker room knows it. That I’m the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be.”

Why did Bret Hart leave WWE?

Bret Hart left WWE Survivor Series on November 9, 1997, which was one of the biggest controversies in wrestling history. The Montreal Screwjob, as some call it, saw Vince McMahon tricking Bret to lose his title to ‘The Heartbreak Kid’ Shawn Michaels.

In the match, Michaels was seen executing ‘The Sharpshooter’ on Hart, and before he could escape the submission hold, McMahon made the referee Earl Hebner ring the bell and declared HBK as the winner.

After the match Bret in his rage punched McMahon in the backstage. Although this was not captured in the camera it was still known by many fans as the famous fallout of the Montreal incident. During an interview with Sports Illustrated in 2014, Hart explained his feelings when he punched Vince.

Hart said, “It was the most beautiful uppercut punch you could ever imagine. I actually thought it would miss and go right up the side of his head, but I popped him right up like a cork was under his jaw and lifted him right off the hand. I broke my right hand just beneath the knuckle and knocked Vince out cold. He thought he would come out of that OK, but he didn’t plan on an uppercut. They dragged Vince out of the room and it was pretty much done.”

Although Bret Hart’s relationship with Vince McMahon and WWE was damaged after that incident, they later reconciled after McMahon called Hart in 2002 as he suffered a stroke. Vince said to Hart, “You’re a fighter. You’re going to beat this. You’re going to show everyone you’re going to get through this.”

Then in WrestleMania XXVI, Bret Hart and Vince McMahon, who resigned from TKO recently, clashed for the last time in a match for ‘The Montreal Screwjob’ and Bret emerged victorious to end their grudge once and for all.

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