Bret Hart Reflects On The 'Day I Took Control Of My Destiny' In WWE

When looking back at some of the most infamous moments in pro wrestling history, "The Montreal Screwjob" easily stands out among fans ranking their most memorable. For those unfamiliar, Bret 'The Hitman' Hart was on his way out of WWE, making the leap to WCW. However, even with his exit, he was adamant that he would not lose the WWE Championship in his home country of Canada to Shawn Michaels in his final match before departing. As the story goes, Vince McMahon then took matters into his own hands at the 1997 Survivor Series. Michaels locked Hart in his own signature Sharpshooter submission maneuver at which point McMahon demanded referee Earl Hebner to call for the bell and award Michaels the victory.

Despite what occurred that night, "The Excellence of Execution" can now reflect on what transpired with a much more optimistic outlook than he may have had in the past. "On this day in 1997. Montreal, Quebec — one of the biggest — and most notorious — moments of my career," Hart posted to his Instagram accompanying a black and white photo of himself from that night. "You might remember it as the 'Montreal Screwjob' but I remember it as the day I took control of my destiny. We can't control everything that happens to us, but we can control how we react," he continued. "And now, when I look back on my career I stand proud in knowing I brought 'The Excellence of Execution' every time I made that walk."

Eventually, many years later, Hart made a return to WWE and brought the full story full circle in a match against McMahon at WrestleMania 26. It had been nearly 13 years at that point since the "Screwjob" had taken place. The relationship between Shawn Michaels and Hart also appears to have improved over the years despite being rivals inside and outside the ring during their peak runs.