Professional wrestling legend Gerald Brisco who is a WWE Hall of Famer recently looked back at conversation with referee Earl Hebner about Montreal Screwjob.
The Montreal Screwjob was one of the most infamous incident in the history of professional wrestling. As mentioned it took place at the Survivor Series pay per view event of 1997. The Hitman Bret Hart defended his WWE Championship against Shawn Michaels on the main event scenario at Survivor Series 1997.
Gerald Brisco Looks Back At Conversation With Earl Hebner About Montreal Screwjob
The original plan was Bret Hart would drop the title to Shawn Michaels. But Bret did not want to drop the title and he went into the match knowing he would not drop the title. Vince McMahon still wanted him to drop it so he called for the bill during the match to announce Shawn Michaels as the winner of this match. After the match, Bret Hart lost his cool, he spitted on the face of Vince and left WWE to join WCW.
The incident remained very famous in the world of professional wrestling. Vince McMahon Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart buried the hatchet later on but the incident will always remain one of the most infamous keep breaking incident in the history of professional wrestling.
Gerald Brisco who is a WWE Hall of Famer recently spoke to “Something to Wrestle” podcast where he looked back at conversation with referee Earl Hebner about Montreal Screwjob. He said;
“As the match was getting ready to go to the ring, Earl was getting ready to get in there. I grabbed Earl by the arm and I took him just a few steps from the Gorilla position where Bruce (Prichard) was sitting, and Davey Boy and Owen, so I couldn’t talk to him right in front of them because they would alert Bret somehow that Brisco was talking to the referee and to be aware of something.
“So I took Earl back in a little corner and Earl did not want to do it. Earl was not going to do it. I just started laying it out in black and white to him. I said, ‘Earl, you have a mortgage on your house, right? If Bret takes his title down there (WCW), and like I said, we’re not in the greatest shape financially, we being WWF, is he going to pay your mortgage?
“Is he going to pay your electric bill? Is he going to feed your family when he takes off and he’s down there making billions of dollars? What’s going to happen to you if you refuse to do this and I have to replace you?’”
“I went to Timmy White and asked Timmy to stand by. I told Timmy, ‘We might have a ref bump so I might need you to stand by.’ That’s how I covered it with Timmy to be on standby to referee the match just in case something happened. Timmy of course being a company man said, ‘Yea, I’ll be glad to.’ He said, ‘I hope nothing happens.’ I said, ‘Well I do too, but I might need you as a standby.’
“So Timmy was sitting over by Gorilla [position]. Finally, I got down to brass tacks with Earl. I said, ‘Ok Earl. You have to go to the ring. You have to tell me right now. I’ve got Timmy White over there that will take your place. You know if you refuse to do it and you walk out, you’re probably finished here.
“Now is Bret going to take you to WCW and get you a job down there? I doubt it if he’ll take you down there. You’re going to be out of the business as far as making major money with a major organization.’ He looked at me and said, ‘Brisco, I wouldn’t do it for any other guy but you.’ He said, ‘It’s against my judgment.’
“I said, ‘It’s against my judgment too, but it’s the only choice that we have at this time. So are you going to do it or not?’ He said, ‘I’ll do it.’ I said, ‘As soon as you do that 1,2,3, I want you to grab the belt, hand it to Shawn, and just get the hell out of there. Get out of that arena as quickly and as fast as you possibly can.’”
H/T to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription