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The WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff recently spoke about the backstage incidents after the Montreal Screwjob, where Bret "Hitman" Hart punched Vince McMahon.
The Montreal Screwjob is one of the darkest chapters in the history of professional wrestling. Due to the personal enmity between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, the Hitman did not want to drop the WWE Championship to The Heartbreak Kid in front of his home crowd. This led to Vince screwing Hart out of the title picture and his immediate departure to WCW.
During a recent episode from the 83 Weeks podcast, Bischoff spoke about the events following the incident. He recalled that Bret punched Vince, and his son Shane McMahon was also in the room. He was surprised how Shane was calm through it all, given his reputation of being a hothead in these situations.
"You know what even surprises me more? Listen to this because I forgot Shane was in the room when Bret punched Vince, I am surprised that Shane didn't take Bret apart, because Shane is a hothead. He likes to fight. I'm impressed that he was able to maintain composure because that would've been ugly for Bret," Bischoff said. [0:49 - 1:17]
You can watch the full video below:
The Montreal Screwjob paved the way for WWE's Attitude Era
After the Montreal Screwjob in 1997, WWE slowly started embracing an edgier direction for its product.
It led to Vince McMahon becoming the biggest heel in the business, and this coincided with the rise of Stone Cold Steve Austin. Their rivalry sent WWE to new heights. Other stars like The Rock, Triple H, The Undertaker, Mankind, and many more also came to the forefront.
The edgier product, in fact, helped WWE beat WCW in the ratings war, and Mr. McMahon finally acquired his rival promotion in 2001.
What do you think of Eric Bischoff's account of the incident? Sound off in the comments section below!
If you use the quotes from this article, please credit the 83 Weeks podcast and add an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.
