Columns
Morning Glory RCC: What
If Bret Wasn't Screwed?
This is a column that I wrote
in April 2001 for Rantasia, about what would have happened if Bret Hart hadn't been
screwed. Although it is serious, it's only what COULD have happened.
Anyway, this week's column is called "What If?" as it deals with one of the most
talked about topics in wrestling history: The Montreal Screwjob. Instead of going down the
same path that some other writers have gone down, analysing the screwjob and so forth, I'm
gonna put my own twist on it. What would have happened if Vince HADN'T screwed
Bret?........
OCTOBER 1997: Vince McMahon, owner of the WWF, has realised that his company only has the
financial clout to keep one of their two top stars, Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels. Incensed
by Shawn's constant whining behind the scenes, and also by the Clique's constant
politicking, Vince has had enough and decides, under the advisement of other stars, to
release Shawn Michaels and Triple H instantly. The New Age Outlaws, backstage friends of
HHH, follow. They go to WCW. The WWF carries on, with Bret Hart retaining the World Title
against The Undertaker at Survivor Series, against Ken Shamrock at IYH: 'Hart Attack', and
against 'Taker again at the Royal Rumble, while Steve Austin is being built into the 'next
big thing'. Meanwhile, Vince has been watching ECW's growing popularity closely, and
begins to wonder whether 'adult-orientated' wrestling is the way to go. Vince's judgement
is clouded by Bret Hart, and he decides to stick with things the way that they are, with
Austin being the only 'envelope pushing' character.
In WCW, Eric Bischoff decides to keep Michaels and HHH on the sidelines until after
Starrcade, where it has been decided that Sting will win the World Title from Hollywood
Hogan. Influenced by HBK and the Clique, Bischoff becomes convinced that the way to go is
to have Hogan replaced as nWo leader by Michaels, and to cut the nWo down to Michaels,
HHH, Nash, Hall, Gunn and Jammes. At Starrcade, Sting squashes Hogan, and after the match,
the Clique beat Hogan down. The rest of the nWo try to make the save and get beaten down
also. This incident turns Hogan face, and he reverts back to his 'Yellow and Red' gimmick.
However, the gimmick does not go over as well as expected, so under the influence of the
Clique, Bischoff becomes frustrated with Hogan's egotistical ways and releases him. The
WWF will not pick him up, so he retires and continues his acting career. Bischoff, under
the influence of the Clique, realises that the way to go is adult orientated wrestling,
ala ECW, so he convinces Ted Turner to allow a more risqué product. Michaels wins the
World Title at Uncensored in March, and the WCW begin to build to a rematch at July's Bash
At The Beach.
Back in the WWF, Bret Hart passes the torch to Austin at Wrestlemania, with Austin
finishing Bret cleanly with the Stunner, after escaping the Sharpshooter. They have a
rematch at Unforgiven, where Bret turns face and shakes Austin's hand after being defeated
again. The two form a friendship based on respect, and go up against the tandem of a
heel-turned Undertaker and his brother Kane, led by Paul Bearer. However, the ratings of
WCW have skyrocketed with the new nWo, and the WWF are still trailing, although their
ratings have improved slightly. Undertaker is positioned as the long-term opposition to
Austin, and the matches set up for August's Summerslam are Bret-Kane and Austin-Undertaker
for the title.
At Bash At The Beach, Sting, with the help of most of WCW, finally defeats Michaels for
the World Title. Sting is now the number-one face and the top draw in WCW, and the man
positioned as his next challenger is a popular rookie called Goldberg, also a face, and a
man who has been on a tear through WCW. WCW begins to build a match between the two for
October's Halloween Havoc, as HBK takes a few months off to rest. Sting and Goldberg team
up at first and battle the nWo, who are getting weaker without their leader. Eventually,
at Fall Brawl in September, The Outsiders decide to branch off on their own, beating down
on the other three nWo members and putting HHH on the shelf. The Outlaws split up and
become singles mid-carders, and that is the end of the nWo.
At Summerslam Undertaker defeats Austin for the title, and then after successfully
defending against Hart in September and Ken Shamrock in October, at Survivor Series in
November he drops the title to The Rock, who has been built up as a major face . Rocky
turns heel shortly after, as the WWF plan to have a Rock/Austin main event for
Wrestlemania XV, while Hart battles Undertaker and Shamrock faces Kane. Austin wins the
Royal Rumble, but at St Valentines Day Massacre in February, disaster strikes as Austin,
who is battling The Undertaker, re-injures his neck, putting the WWF's top draw out for at
least a year. Vince decides to follow through with a Hart/Rocky main event for WM.
In WCW, Goldberg wins the World Title at Halloween Havoc. Shortly after, Michaels and HHH
return as faces to take out the Outsiders, and the matches set up for Starrcade in
December are Sting/Goldberg 2 and HBK/HHH Vs The Outsiders. This PPV gets the biggest buy
rate ever, and WCW's dominance over the wrestling world is looking unstoppable. Goldberg
successfully defends his title, and then rolls through to April's Spring Stampede after
beating Kevin Nash (Jan), Scott Hall(Feb) and HHH(March). The main event for Spring
Stampede is Michaels/Goldberg.
Meanwhile in the WWF, the buyrate for WM tanks, and Vince finally realises that Bret Hart
and his 'family-orientated' wrestling can no longer draw. He brings in Vince Russo and his
son Shane as head bookers, to try and resurrect what they can, but their adult style is
viewed as a rip-off of WCW. Bret Hart, disillusioned with the world in general, demands
his release and quits wrestling. He is the WWF champion however, and relinquishes the
title rather than jobbing, making the title's value go down. Russo's 'crash TV' booking
and mad title changes make the title look even worse, as the company spirals downward and
a rumour goes around the internet that WCW could be in line to purchase the WWF from
McMahon........
Spring Stampede pops another monster buyrate as Michaels takes the World Title from Sting.
Bischoff is now being hailed as a total hero, and with the backing of Ted Turner's money,
can do no wrong. By May the WWF is on it's last legs. To top it all off, the World
champion, Owen Hart, who has been elevated by the WWF as a sign to Bret of how good his
brother could be, suffers an injury. Vince Russo decides that the title will be put up in
a battle royal at May's Over The Edge PPV. However, Russo decides that the best man for
the title would be little known shootfighter Dan Severn, who had a bad run in the WWF in
1998. Severn gets the title and a monster push, going over Undertaker, Kane and The Rock.
Severn's title reign makes ratings drop to new lows, and it's now August, and the WWF has
lost that much money that the only option seems to be to sell to WCW. But Vince's pride
won't allow this, and eventually he is forced to file for bankruptcy. All the good
wrestlers head to WCW, as Vince McMahon becomes a recluse. Steve Austin retires after not
being able to recover from his injuries. Vince Russo disappears altogether, with rumours
flying around that he was sent by Bischoff to destroy the WWF in the first place. Bischoff
then buys out the financially struggling ECW, who can't find a decent TV deal, and a match
is held between Michaels, Dan Severn, and the ECW champion Taz to unify the belts.
Michaels wins and becomes the undisputed World Champion.
By the start of the year 2000, the wrestling world is on a high, WCW can do no wrong, and
Shawn Michaels, Sting, Goldberg, and The Rock are four of the world's most well known
sportsmen. Eric Bischoff is hailed as a marketing genius and is revered by everyone. And
there you have it. Bet all you WWF fans are glad that the Montreal screwjob happened then.
Eric Bischoff, genius? BRET SCREWED BRET!!!!!!!!! That's the bottom line, cos Scott Newman
said so!
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