Bret Hart Reveals Original Plan For Montreal Screwjob WWE Match

25 years to the day after the infamous "Montreal Screwjob" took place at WWE Survivor Series 1997 and Bret Hart said there was much more planned for his historic bout against Shawn Michaels. The "Hitman" was interviewed by Justin Barrasso of "Sports Illustrated" in honor of a match that changed the course of pro wrestling history. Hart said he and Michaels were gonna leave that hot Canadian crowd with one heck of a match.

"We had another 25 minutes," Hart said. "The match was already good, and we hadn't even hit our stride."

Despite their differences, Hart and Michaels were both known for being meticulous and methodical in how they told a story in the ring.

"Even when we didn't get along, Shawn and I always had great chemistry together in the ring," Hart said. "When we worked together, we wanted to be flawless, and we didn't get along, and that added to the intensity."

Hart noted that everything the fans did see was just a setup for things to come.

"When I clothesline Shawn over the top rope and we brawl and fight outside the ring, I could tell it was going to be a really special match. It was very competitive," Hart mentioned. "That match was just starting. All the brawling was done just to set up the actual match. It was going to really get going after I reversed his sharpshooter. We pictured the crowd standing up and going crazy. That was going to be the moment when it took off."

Instead, how it panned out was that Earl Hebner notoriously called for the bell at the behest of Vince McMahon. Michaels was declared the victor and new WWF Champion and Bret Hart made it clear he was headed to WCW.