WWE History Vol. 8: The Day that Kayfabe Died

#2. Bret refuses to shake HBK's hand

Bret refuses to shake HBK's hand. The two would carry their rivalry outside of the ring.

In 1997, the WWE was feeling the pinch from rival WCW. They had lost many of their big name stars, like Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage. When Savage departed, he also took with him his lucrative Slim Jim endorsement deal. With floundering ratings and attendance, the WWE was struggling to make ends meet financially.

McMahon conferred with Hart and admitted that he could not afford to pay his contract. In an unprecedented move, McMahon said he would allow Hart to use "The Hitman" character in WCW, and encouraged Hart to see if the contract WCW had offered was still on the table.

Hart accepted the contract with WCW, though with some trepidation. Hart felt as if he were being disloyal to the WWE, but Vince McMahon's encouragement was all the prodding he needed.

Hart remained a man of ethics and contemplated his move to the WCW.

But Hart's planned departure would not be graceful. Not by a long shot. It would go down in wrestling history as one of the most shocking moments of all time.