15 pro wrestling bookings that went horribly wrong

14. “The Montreal Screwjob”; Survivor Series 1997

This is probably the most famous one on the list and that’s saying something. (David Arquette won a world title in WCW that one time.)

It’s no secret that Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels were intense rivals in the ring, but their rivalry wasn’t just the booking. The two men actually despised each other for the longest time.

That’s why the “Montreal Screwjob” remains one of the most memorable and most talked about subjects in professional wrestling to this day. You’ll hear stories and legends surrounding what happened at Survivor Series in 1997.

The match, which took place in Hart’s home country of Canada, was the main event of Survivor Series almost 20 years ago. Hart was the WWF Champion at the time and the rumors of him jumping ship to World Championship Wrestling was known by more and more people and fans as his contract came to a close in WWF.

Simply put, Vince McMahon had to find a way to avoid any controversy and a chance for WCW to take control of the Monday Night Wars, so Michaels locked the Sharpshooter on Hart — Bret’s signature finishing submission — but without Hart tapping out, the bell rang and Michaels won the match.

Until the last few years, Hart’s relationship with McMahon, Michaels and WWE had been … not great. There were better ways to handle this situation. This was not one of them.