Upon Bret Hart‘s return to the WWF after losing to Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XII, it meant the two adversaries would go their separate ways for the time being.
Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels –
Hitman Returns to WWF 1996
Unfortunately for Bret Hart, it was the end. Cameras tried to get an exclusive interview with the Hitman, but he yelled at them to get out. The last image of Bret Hart was him speeding away in his car.
He was mentally and physically drained. At the time, fans did not know whether Hart would retire or return as a heel. In later years, Bret has said on one hand that he wanted the fans to be surprised.
He was hoping that he would return and get a shot at HBK at the next WrestleMania. On the other hand, The Hitman was tired of wrestling. He even had a meeting with WCW. However, Bret would remain loyal to the WWF.
As WWE Champion, Shawn Michaels faced all challengers. He gained confidence with each title defense. He had his mentor, Jose Lothario, by his side. His first challenge was Diesel.
He defeated the big man, sending him to WCW. In reality, Nash had already decided he was going along with Scott Hall, aka Razor Ramon. Michaels faced the Man they call Vader at Summerslam.
He also defeated a vicious Mankind at In Your House: Mind Games. Finally, HBK met his match when he was defeated by Sycho Sid at Survivor Series 1996.
Coincidentally enough, The Hitman made his return at that event. However, it was not HBK who challenged the Hitman. It was Stone Cold Steve Austin. After winning the King of the Ring, Austin’s star was rising.
Bret Hart defeated Austin that night in Madison Square Garden, but the war was just beginning. In reality, the two stars respected each other. Hart really wanted to work with Austin.
I Lost My Smile
Bret Hart continued his battle with Austin. Slowly, you could see Hart was losing his calm, cool, collected demeanor.
In January at the 1997 Royal Rumble, Shawn Michaels regained the WWF title in front of his hometown crowd in San Antonio, Texas. Bret Hart competed in the Royal Rumble Match.
He eliminated Stone Cold Steve Austin, but the ref did not see it. Therefore, Austin waited until the end and, like a hyena, sneaked up on Bret Hart and threw him over the top rope, winning the rumble.
They decided to make this last-minute change due to the unbelievable popularity of Austin’s character. The night after on Monday Night Raw, the road to WrestleMania took an unexpected turn as Shawn Michaels had to forfeit the WWE Championship.
This was the infamous “I lost my smile ” promo. Keeping with the storyline, that same night, Bret Hart threatened to quit the WWF due to Steve Austin screwing him out of the rumble.
However, he was brought back by Gorilla Monsoon, setting up a Final 4 match at In Your House, with the winner becoming WWF Champion.
The match would be Undertaker vs. Vader vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Bret “Hitman” Hart. Bret Hart won the match, last eliminating the Undertaker.
WWF was becoming a lawless land as the next night on Raw proved, as Stone Cold Steve Austin cost Bret Hart the title to Psycho Sid.
By this time, the WWF had learned that Shawn Michaels would not be cleared for WrestleMania. Therefore, Bret Hart vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin would be an I-quit match.
Hart and Austin respected each other immensely, even though on screen it looked like their hatred had reached a boiling point.
It was revealed that HBK would actually be at WrestleMania 13, but on commentary. The Hitman and Stone Cold Steve Austin gave their best match at WrestleMania 13. In 2006, it was the first match to be inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame
Hart Foundation 1997 targets HBK
Austin’s career was skyrocketing. The fans were convinced that Bret Hart had gone full heel and turned his back on the fans, reuniting the Hart Foundation.
The Undertaker had defeated Psycho Sid to win the WWF Title. You have to understand that the 1997 WWF was a war zone. It was a great time to be a wrestling fan.
Even though Bret Hart knew that his rivalry with Austin was red hot, there was still that question mark. Can Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels be in the same building without chaos erupting?
The answer was no, as Hart confronted Michaels and “put him on the shelf” with a figure-four around the ringpost to Shawn’s already injured knee. Hart also suffered a broken leg at the hands of Austin a few weeks later.
Now, both Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels were out of action. The war continued between the Hart Foundation and Stone Cold Steve Austin. Bret would continue to interact with Austin from his wheelchair.
The American wrestling fans loved Austin. Bret knew he could do something that had never been done before. Bret was a heel, but only in America. Everywhere else, especially in Canada, Hart was a hero.
He has said this was one of the best times of his life. Shawn Michaels returned from his injury and started a reluctant tag team with Steve Austin. The two also had a match at the King of the Ring.
With all the players in place, WWF could continue telling the story of Hart vs Michaels, while simultaneously building Austin, including a shot at the Undertaker.
One Night on Raw, with Bret Hart still in his wheelchair, he called out Shawn Michaels. The plan was that, as Bret was going on a tirade, HBK was supposed to superkick him. Unfortunately, the timing was off, and it occurred during the break.
Summerslam 1997: Hart and Soul
Bret Hart recovered shortly after that, returning to action in a big way. In July, at In Your House Canadian Stampede held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
The Hart Foundation, complete with the Hitman back in action, fought Stone Cold Steve Austin, Ken Shamrock, LOD, and Goldust. The Harts won the match in front of their Hometown.
At Summerslam 1997, Hart and Soul, Bret Hitman Hart, challenged the Undertaker for the WWF title. Once again, Shawn Michaels was a thorn in Bret Hart’s side.
HBK announced that in the main event, he will be the special guest referee. Bret Hart said if he lost to the Undertaker and did not walk out as WWF Champion, he would never wrestle in America again.
Shawn Michaels likewise said that if he does not call it down the middle, he will also never wrestle in America ever again. This match was everything it promised and more.
Bret Hart defeated The Undertaker to become the WWF Champion for the 5th time; however, it was because of a timely chairshot from HBK to the Undertaker’s skull. Michaels had no choice but to make the count. Now the Undertaker wanted Shawn dead.
This was the opportunity Michaels needed to turn heel again. He, along with Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Chyna, and his insurance policy, Rick Rude, ganged up on the Undertaker.
The two icons competed in the first-ever Hell in a Cell match. Michaels won with a little help from his friends and a debuting Big Red Machine Kane.
Bret Hart, on the other hand, developed a rivalry with the Patriot. This was your classic Canada vs. the USA-type program, but unfortunately, the Patriot angle never took off.
Soon, Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels once again found themselves in each other’s sights. This time, it was gang warfare.
However, more important than the storyline playing out on Raw, in the locker room, this rivalry was going to get very personal.
This time it’s Personal
Bret Hart was now the WWF Champion. Shawn Michaels was named the number one contender. According to those in the know, both Bret and Shawn agreed on the promos they were going to use.
They knew it was about to get personal. Both onscreen and in the locker room. Bret Hart can actually be credited as the first superstar to call HBK, Triple H, Chyna, and Rude degenerates.
This, as you know, evolved into the most controversial group in WWE history, Degeneration X. Bret Hart did not like the direction the WWF was going; he didn’t think that it needed to be vulgar to be entertaining.
Being a traditionalist, Hart believed in telling your stories in the ring. During a promo, Shawn Michaels accused Bret Hart of having “sunny days.
At the time, Sunny was one of the most beautiful divas in the WWF. Michaels was insinuating that Bret was cheating on his wife with Sunny. Both the Hitman and Sunny deny this.
Ironically, it was actually Shawn Michaels having an affair with Sunny. Bret said recently that he didn’t think anything of the comment until his wife, at the time, Julie, started taking it personally.
Life began to imitate art. Never before had two stars of this magnitude been like oil and water in the locker room, then create a masterpiece in the ring. There are even accounts of physical fights between the two backstage.
One in particular resulted in Shawn Michaels’ hair getting ripped out by Bret. As a result, Michaels went to Vince McMahon complaining of a hostile working environment.
Michaels was even quoted as saying he would not drop the title to Bret; therefore, Bret refused to drop the title to Michaels. Things were getting incredibly heated.
The main event at Survivor Series 1997 in Montreal would be Bret Hitman Hart defending the WWF Championship against HBK Shawn Michaels.
It was also during this time that Bret Hart was going to head to WCW. Hart has stated this was the toughest decision he has ever made. He wishes he had stayed with the WWF.
It was revealed that Bret’s meeting with WCW was orchestrated by McMahon. Vince McMahon stated he could not afford Bret’s 20-year contract that he offered him last year.
Leading into Montreal, the news broke out that Hart had signed with WCW. Survivor Series would be his last WWF Match. Everyone says Bret Hart refused to lose in Canada; however, as was stated, that’s definitely not true.
In a documentary, Wrestling with Shadows, Bret Hart had his own film crew document his last year in WWE. In that documentary, it’s clear that the ending of the match was agreed to be a double DQ, with The Hart Foundation and DX interfering.
It was agreed on by both parties. Unfortunately, a few months before, the WWF Women’s champion, Alundra Blayze, aka Madusa, appeared on WCW Monday Nitro with the WWF Women’s title.
She was paid extra to trash the title live on TV. One Madusea did not get much competition in WWE. She primarily made her name in WCW. Secondly, this was the WWF women’s title, not the WWF Championship.
Third, no disrespect to Maduesa, but Bret Hart was all about tradition; he treated that belt with respect. Despite all that, McMahon was worried. HBK and the rest of the Kliq were in his ear.
It said that their influence convinced McMahon that Bret Hart refused to drop the belt, and the only way was to take it. This perfect storm is what we call the infamous Montreal Screwjob.
Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels started as friends, then rivals, and by 1997, bitter enemies. Both superstars wish they had done things differently.
Wrestling was always known as scripted, but there was always this one time. The most infamous one-time incident occurred on November 9, 1997, at Survivor Series in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Tensions could not have been higher than on this day. The fans knew that this was Bret Hart’s last WWF Match. They also knew about the past rivalry that Hart and Michaels had.
You don’t get any more of a bigger fight feel than that. Michaels did what the showstopper does best: antagonize the crowd. On his way to the ring, he would use the Canadian flag like a towel.
Complete disrespect to the Canadian fans. Bret Hart walked to the ring to a standing ovation. You could tell this was not going to be like any other match. The two locked up, and it quickly spilled onto the floor.
The two brawled through the arena. The match was 5 stars as far as the chemistry the two Hall of Famers had. It looked as if this would be another classic.
It wasn’t long before Michaels, according to the spot, put Bret Hart in his own move, the Sharpshooter. The plan was for Bret Hart to reverse it, then continue the match.
What Hart did not know was that the WWF had other ideas. As Bret went to grab Shawn’s leg to reverse the hold, someone called for the bell. That someone was WWE owner Vince McMahon himself.
Looking shocked, the ref Earl Hebner gave the title to a confused Shawn Michaels. As Michaels left the ring, it dawned on the Hitman that he had been screwed. They changed the finish without telling him.
He spat at McMahon. Then Bret proceeded to throw monitors on the floor. The rest of the Hart Foundation ran to the ring to try to get Bret to calm down. Bret was heartbroken. He felt betrayed and rightfully so.
Montreal Aftermath
The next night on Raw, Vince McMahon gave a reason for his actions. He stated that Bret Hart refused to drop the belt. He then said, ” Bret screwed Bret. This was our first glimpse into the Mr. McMahon heel character.
Vince McMahon was protecting his company. I get that part. However, I believe he was underestimating Bret’s respect for wrestling. The Montreal screwjob was not necessary.
Nevertheless, Shawn Michaels was now the WWF Champion. On Raw, he brought out a little Bret Hart lookalike and proceeded to further rub salt in the wound. Bret Hart was on his way to WCW.
However, his time there isn’t that memorable. Vince McMahon had said himself that WCW would not know what to do with a guy like Bret Hart. Unfortunately, that was the truth.
Bret did become WCW champion, however, after going through several heel turns. Bret Hart finally defeated Sting in the finals of the WCW Tournament in Montreal, Canada.
Shortly after that, Bret Hart was mule-kicked by Bill Goldberg in a match at Starrcade. Sadly, this led to a concussion and a stroke. Bret Hart retired from wrestling in 2000. Many wonder what might have happened if the screwjob never took place.
The Heartbreak Kid Returns to WWE 2002
HBK’s career was also cut short or interrupted for a little while as he injured his back on the Undertaker’s coffin at the 1997 Royal Rumble. He lost the WWF Championship to Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania 15.
After that, Shawn Michaels took time off. He returned as WWF Commissioner; however, he left again. That is, until 2002, when he returned to the WWE and started the second half of a legendary career.
Through most of the second half of his career, HBK remained a face. He won several championships, including the World Heavyweight Title.
He had wars with Triple H and Evolution. He reunited with HHH to form DX to antagonize the McMahons. However, one thing remained the same. Montreal never forgot about 1997.
Anytime Shawn Michaels appeared there, they mercilessly booed the showstopper. It was always an interesting dynamic. Everyone wondered if Bret Hart would ever come home to the WWE like Shawn Michaels did.
Bret Hart returned to WWE in 2010
All questions were answered on January 4th, 2010, when Bret Hitman Hart returned to the WWE. On Monday Night Raw’s premiere, hell froze over as, after 12 years, Bret Hart was back in a WWE ring.
The Hitman wasted no time in calling out Shawn Michaels. Everyone was in awe as these two had not been in the same building together since that night in Montreal.
Both Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels wanted to bury the hatchet. There was a lot of regret for both superstars, who stated they lived with the scars of that night every day.
As they hugged, you could tell Bret was still hurting, and arguably rightfully so. Bret then faced Vince McMahon at WrestleMania XXVII, with all the Harts at ringside.
Bret was also Raw GM for a few months after that. He also won his last championship by defeating The Miz to become United States Champion.
Shawn Michaels’ last Match
Shawn Michaels also had a match at Wrestlemania XXVI. This, however, would be his last. His opponent was The Undertaker. It was Shawn’s career vs The Deadman’s streak.
After a classic match, HBK retired from the ring. He would return a year later as the special guest referee in The End of an Era Match, where HHH challenged the Undertaker in Hell in a Cell.
Again, the Phenom was victorious over a DX member. Shawn Michaels eventually went on to lead NXT as the lead booker and trainer.
WWE Hall of Famers
Both Bret “Hitman” Hart and Shawn Michaels were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Not only were they inducted for their singles careers, but Bret was inducted with Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart as part of the Hart Foundation.
HBK was inducted as part of Degeneration X. The Hitman was also inducted this year, along with Stone Cold Steve Austin, for their legendary matchup at WrestleMania 13. Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker at WrestleMania 35 are likely to go to go in as well.
Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels will never have Thanksgiving dinner together; however, they are on speaking terms. It’s obvious Bret is still heartbroken by the Heartbreak Kid’s actions in 1997.
Shawn Michaels was fighting a lot of demons in 1997. Their rivalry was always very competitive, but it got very personal.
Both these Hall of Famers paved the way for the era of the wrestler. Gone were the juiced-up monsters. Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels proved that you could be a medium-sized athlete and be successful.
They had the first ladder match in WWE History. They also had the first Iron Man match in WWE History. They were grand slam champions of their era.
If you like technical wrestling, you can’t go wrong watching these two do what they do best.
