"Screw job" A very telling name for the third foray into the Netflix docuseries on Vince McMahon.
The Montreal ScrewJob is probably the most famous of McMahon pulling the wool over one of his talent's eyes. Wasn't the first time though.
1985 and Wendi Richter is the current Women's Champion. Her contract is geting ready to expire. In negotiations, McMahon felt she was asking for too much Moolah. When they weren't able to reach an agreement, Vince wanted her to do the job. According to him Wendi wasn't receptive to that. So at Madison Square Garden tv show Wendi is defending against the Spider Lady. Vince knows there will be a roll up spot. He instructs the ref to count three for te pinfall. Wendi's shoulders are definitely up at one but the ref follows Vince's instructions, counts to three, and awards the title to the Spider Lady. Once unmasked everyone knows that it is the Fabulous Moolah who carried out Vince's wishes.
To Vince. This is business. His company; his title. You aren't leaving with his property. Unlike the NWA, Vince didn't require his champions to pay a bond on the title that they would receive back' with interest. once they drop the title when instructed to.
Montreal Quebec Canada 1997 Survivor Series A bit of a background of events leading to this moment.
WCW has been raiding Vince's talents away. Hogan, Macho Man, Lex Luger, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash....Hall and Nash was probably the biggest coup because it was implied they were from the WWE to bring the war directly to WCW. With them as the Outsiders and then Hogan turning heel at Bash at the Beach Nitro begins an 83 week run of beating Raw in the ratings. Vince is hemorrhaging money. Under the gun and nt wanting to lose his biggest star, Bret Hart, Vince offers Bret a 20 year contract being paid a million dollars a year. Bret re ups but then Vince becomes aware he can't afford Bret's contract.
Vince meets with Bret and outlines the situation. He tells Bret to restart negotiations with WCW and to use him as leverage for a nice payday. Bret agrees to 3 million dollar a year, for 3 years, contract with WCW. He still under contract with Vince though. It is agreed that when Bret leaves, he will stay off tv for 30 days. Problem is, Bret is currently the WWE Heavyweight Champion. Vince needs to get the belt off of Bret so he doesn't show up on WCW television with the belt. Even though Bret reassures him that won't happen, Vince has some trust issues' especially with Madasu showing up on WCW Nitro with the WWE Women's Title and dropping it in a trash can. Vince can't afford that to happen.
Vince decides he wants Bret to drop the belt to Shawn Michaels at Survivor Series. Bret disagrees. First, he doesn't want to do the favor for Shawn. In the past, Shawn let Bret know he would never do the favor for Bret so why should Bret do it for Shawn. Besides that issue, there are tons of other heat between the two parties. From a backstage tussle to comments from Shawn during promos.
Then there is the fact that Survivor Series is in Canada. It was kind of an unwritten rule in the company, according to Bruce Pritchard, that Canadian wrestlers would go over in Canada. Pair that, with all the other backstage issues, Bret is against dropping it to Shawn. He suggests that he would relinquish the title the next night on Raw. That would be bad optics. Your champion just giving you the belt and going to the competition...those close to Vince agree that isn't the way. Allegedly Undertaker, a friend of Bret's, volunteers to win the belt from Bret and then he would drop it to Shawn on Raw the next night. yeah....no for some reason that idea doesn't fly.
The end result....Shawn puts Bret in the Sharpshooter, Bret's finisher, during the match. As Bret escapes the hold, Vince is yelling to the Bell Keeper to ring the Damn Bell. The bell is rung and Shawn is the camp. The only people who were aware this would occur: Vince, Shawn, and HHH.
When it comes to business, Vince is as ruthless as they come.
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