Owen Hart Wrestling With Angels

“I don’t have to worry about the referee tomorrow, cause I talked to Earl, he swore on his kids that he’s not going to let anything happen and I can trust Earl” ~ Bret Hart

Survivor Series 1997
November 9, 1997 -
What Happened?

A lot of people Question what happened at the Series back in Canada in 97 a few people thought it was a cool storyline especially the ones who didn’t know Bret signed with WCW personally I don’t look at it as “Selling Out” I look at it as looking out for your own career so you wanna know what happened read on and find out!

 Imagine this the most anticipated match in years and on the day of the show not having any resemblance of an end? Sounds kinna stupid dont it well this is what happened.

McMahon and Hart met that day and McMahon said something to the effect of: "What do you want to do?" Hart said that he just wanted to leave the arena with his head up. Hart said to McMahon, "Let tonight's match end a shomoze (a disqualification) and let me hand you the belt on RAW (the next night in Ottawa)
. Everyone knows I'm leaving. I'd like to tell the truth on RAW Monday". At this point the "truth" wouldn't take account of discussion finances, contract breaches, arguments about finishes, or anything that would make McMahon or the company look bad in public.
McMahon said he agreed, that it was the right thing to do, and the two-shook hands on it. Hart and Michaels were dressing together putting together a match. Both were professional with one another and talking about putting on the best match possible in Hart's last match.
Agreeing to a DQ finish in about 17:00 after a lengthy brawl before the bell would even sound to start the match. As they were putting their spots together Patterson came in. He had a suggestion for a high spot in the match as a false finish. There would be a referee bump. Michaels would put Hart in his own sharpshooter. Hart would reverse the hold.
Hebner would still be down at this point and not see Michaels tap out. Hart would release the hold to revive Hebner. Michaels would hit him when he turned around with the sweet chin music. A second ref, Mike Chioda, would shift his ass to the ring and begin the count. A few paces behind Owen Hart and Smith, and possibly Neidhart as well, would run down to the ring. Chioda would count1-2, and whomever got to the ring first, likely Owen, would drag Chioda out of the ring. While they think they've saved the day, on the pin on Bret, suddenly Hebner would recover... 1, 2 - and Bret would kick out. That would set the pace for about five more minutes of near falls before it would end up in a disqualification ending. Before the show started both Vader, with his Japanese experiences, and Smith told Hart to watch himself. He was warned not to lay down and not to allow himself to be put in a compromising position. He was told to kick out at one, not two, and not to allow himself into any submission holds. Hart recognized the possibility of the situation but his thoughts regarding a double-cross were more along the lines of always protecting himself in case Michaels tried to hit him with a sucker punch when he left himself open. The idea of being put in a submission, or one of the near falls while working spots would be dangerous for him, would be something to worry about normally. But he put it out of his mind because he had Hebner in the ring as the referee. The Match: People on the inside were watching this as close as on the outside. Would Bret do the job? Would Shawn do the job? Would Bret give Shawn a real beating before putting him over? The Molson Center was packed with more than 20,000 rabid fans, which up to that point had seen a largely lackluster under card. It appeared that about 10 to 20 percent of the crowd knew Hart was leaving and there were negative signs regarding his decision and negative signs toward the promotion for picking Michaels above him or the direction that seemingly forced him to leave. Some things were also strange - and not just the absence of McMahon from the broadcast. Hart the champion in the main event wasn't scheduled for an interview building up the match. When his name was announced early in the show there were great cheers, but there were many boos from fans that knew he signed with the opposition. Once Michaels got in the ring for the introduction, he wiped his butt, blew his nose and then picked his nose with the Canadian flag. He then put the flag on the ground and began humping it. Hart was immediately established as a baby face (Good guy). The two began the match as a brawl all around ringside and into the stands. The crowd was so rabid that it appeared there was genuine danger they'd attack Michaels. At one point they were brawling near the entrance knocking down refs as planned, knocking down Patterson as planned, and, as planned, Hart and McMahon had an argument almost teasing the idea of a spot later in the match where Hart would deck McMahon. Yet it was also clear that everything going on was 100% professional and the only curiosity left at that point was how good the match was going to be (it appeared to be very good) and how would they get "out" of the match (with something nobody will ever forget). But one thing was strange: Why were so many agents circling the ring and why was McMahon right there and acting so intense? About eight minutes before the show was "supposed" to end, Bruce Prichard in the "Gorilla" position (kind of the on-deck circle for the wrestlers) was screaming into his headset "We need more security at the ring." Why? They had already done the brawl in the crowd. The finish was going to be a DQ and it was still several minutes away. The Double-Cross: Hart climbed the top rope for a double sledge on Michaels. Michaels pulled Hebner in the way and Hart crashed on him. Just as planned. Michaels for a split second looked at McMahon and put Hart in the sharpshooter, just as planned. The next split seconds were the story. Chioda listening to his headpiece for his cue to run in heard the backstage director scream to Hebner it was time to get up. Hebner, listening himself, immediately got up. Chioda started screaming that he wasn't supposed to get up. Owen Hart and Smith readying their run in were equally perplexed seeing him get up. Prichard was freaking out backstage saying that wasn't supposed to happen. Bret still not realizing anything was wrong laid in the hold for only a few seconds to build up some heat before the reversal. Michaels cinched down hard on the hold and glanced at Hebner and then looked away which more than one wrestler in the promotion upon viewing the tape saw as proof he was in on it, but than fed Bret his leg for the reversal. Hebner quickly looked at the timekeeper and screamed, "Ring the bell!" At the same moment McMahon sitting next to the timekeeper elbowed him hard and screamed, "Ring the fucking bell!" The bell rang at about the same moment Bret grabbed the leg for the reversal and Michaels fell down on his face on the mat. Michaels music played immediately and was immediately announced as the winner and new champion. Hebner sprinted out of the ring on the other side, into the dressing room, through the dressing room and into an awaiting car in the parking lot that already had the motor running and was going to take him to the hotel where he'd be rushed out of town with his ticket home instead of staying to work the next two RAW tapings. Michaels and Hart both leaped to their feet looking equally mad, cursing in McMahon's direction and glaring at him. Hart spit right in McMahon's face. The cameras immediately pulled away from Hart to Michaels. Vince screamed at Michaels to "pick the fucking belt up and get the fuck out of there." Jerry Brisco who told him to hold the belt up high and get to the back ordered Michaels still looking mad to the back. The show abruptly went off the air about four minutes early. The camera never returned to Hart, standing in the ring, looking perplexed, disappointed, angry, and even somewhat amused. The Aftermath: The officials left the ring immediately. McMahon went into his private office in the building with Patterson and a few others and locked the door behind him. Hart in the ring flipped out on the realization of what happened and began smashing the television monitors left behind until Owen, Smith and Neidhart hit the ring to calm him down. The four had an animated discussion in the ring all looking perturbed. Finally Hart thanked his fans who for the most part left with the air let out of their sails, gave the I love you sign to the fans and finger painted "WCW" to all four corners of the ring, which got a surprisingly big pop, and went back to the dressing room. He first confronted Michaels who swore that he had nothing to do with it. Michaels obviously afraid Hart would punch him out right there told Hart that he gets heat for everything that happened but this time it wasn't his fault and he was as mad as Hart about the finish. He said he didn't want to win the belt that way, was disgusted by what happened and to prove it, would refuse to bring the belt out or say anything bad about Hart on RAW the next night. Hart said that Michaels could prove whether he was in on it or not by his actions on television the next night. The entire dressing room was furious at McMahon by this point. The feeling was that if Hart having worked for the company for 14 years and not missing shots due to injuries the entire time and having made McMahon millions of dollars throughout the years could get double-crossed this bad, then how could any of them trust anything he would say or do? People were saying that "How could anyone trust anyone ever again?" and that it was an unsafe working environment. For three years after the steroid trial and all the bad publicity McMahon had worked favorably to change his legacy in the industry: not as the man who ran all the other promoters out of business; not the man who marketed pro wrestling to young children while pushing steroid freaks; not as the man who tried to destroy wrestling history and create his own; not his worked Harvard MBA, worked billion dollar company; not a man so vain as to give himself a Hugh award in Madison Square Garden as "the genius who created WrestleMania"; not the man who at one time tried to monopolize every aspect of the business for himself. But instead, as the working man's hero, coming from humble beginnings, fighting those ruthless rich regional promoters and through nothing but guts, gusto and vision, became the dominant force in this industry and taking it to a new level. And now, against all odds, fighting against Billionaire Ted Turner. Three years of a facade was largely working on a new generation of wrestling fans who saw him as their underdog hero. Only this time there was a situation where those who didn't "know" him were truly "introduced" to him for the first time. Undertaker was furious, pounding on McMahon's locked door. And when he came out to talk with him, Undertaker told him in no uncertain terms that he needed to apologize to Hart. He went to Hart's dressing room where Hart had just come out of the shower. Smith answered the door and Hart said he didn't want to see him. Vince and son, Shane McMahon, came in with Sgt. Slaughter and Brisco anyway. Vince started to apologize saying that he had to do it because he couldn't take the chance of Hart going to WCW without giving back the belt and he couldn't let Bischoff go on television the next night and announce Hart was coming while he was still his champion and said how it would kill his business. Hart shot back that he had no problem losing the belt and told McMahon that he was going to dry off and get his clothes on and told McMahon, "If you're still here I'm going to punch you out." Hart called McMahon a liar and "a piece of shit" and talked about having worked for him for 14 years only missing 2 shots the entire time and being a role model for the company and the industry, and this was his payback? McMahon tried to say that in 14 years this was the first time he'd ever lied to him and Hart rattled off 15 lies over the last year alone without even thinking about it. Those in the dressing room watching were stunned listening to Hart rattle those off and McMahon not offering a comeback. Hart got dressed and twice told McMahon to get out. Hart got up and a scuffle started with them locking up like in a wrestling match. Hart broke free and threw a punch to the jaw that would have knocked down a rhino. Knock Out in 40 seconds in just one punch. McMahon growled like he was going to get up, but he had no legs. Shane McMahon jumped on Harts back and Smith jumped on Shane's back pulling him off. Not realizing there would be trouble Smith had already taken off his knee brace and hyper extended his knee in the process of pulling Shane off. Hart nearly broke his hand from the punch. McMahon's jaw was thought to be fractured or broken. Hart asked Vince if he was now going to screw him on all the money he owed him and a visibly shaken Vince said, "No". Hart told Shane and Brisco to get that "piece of shit" out of here and glaring at both of them told them if they tried anything they'd suffer the same results. In dragging McMahon out someone accidentally stepped on his ankle injuring it as well. Phone lines were ringing off the hook around wrestling land that night. Some people who were close to the inside thought it was the greatest worked finish in all of wrestling because it got everyone talking. By the morning, everyone realized the truth. This was the biggest double-cross in the history of modern, professional wrestling.