Bret Hart Recalls Shawn Michaels Being "Scared For His Life" Following Montreal Screwjob

The Montreal Screwjob was one of the biggest stories of the modern era. After rewatching The Montreal Screwjob incident on "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's Broken Skull Sessions, Bret Hart had some choice words on how he felt about Vince McMahon that day.

"I'm thinking you piece of s–t," Hart announced. "You know, I felt so betrayed. I really worked so hard for Vince, and I gave him so much. I never complained about anything. I worked 14 years, 300 days a year, and never complained about anything."

Hart recalls that after the match, he found his opponent, Shawn Michaels, in his dressing room, horrified about what just happened. Michaels informed Hart that he had nothing to do with the outcome of the match.

"I came back to the dressing room. Shawn is sitting in my dressing room, which is so strange," Hart noted. "I open up the dressing room door and Shawn is changing in my dressing room. He never changed in my dressing room before... Right away I asked Shawn, he said 'I swear to God, I had nothing to do with it.' Shawn, I think, was scared for his life."

The last person that Hart wanted to see face-to-face afterward was McMahon himself. Hart recalls how he did everything in his power to avoid a confrontation, but in the end, it led to a physical altercation.

"I end up in the shower. That's when Rick Rude and Davey Boy Smith came in and said 'Vince is right outside, and he wants to talk to you.' I told Rick 'Just tell him to go.' There's nothing he can say to me to make it nice or make it –the safest thing is for him to leave right now before something bad happens," Hart recalled. "I said 'Just tell him to get the hell out and leave me alone.'

"I come out of the shower and into the dressing room and Vince is right there. He's got Sgt. Slaughter, Shane [McMahon], he had about five guys sort of line up to kind of back him up, I guess. Over against the wall is Undertaker. Shawn is in the corner crying. He was in tears the whole time. And Owen [Hart], Davey, Rick Rude and everybody were to my left. I remember walking past Vince naked. I was so mad at Vince, that part of me was like I should just rush him right now, naked. I remember thinking, that would look really bad in the movies someday...

"So, we sat down, and me and Vince exchanged some things. He kept talking about this – the first time he ever lied to me and I was like 'Please, stop lying to me.' I believe, Vince came to that dressing room after Undertaker got him to confront me and stand me down. Either in the sense that I would just do the right thing and not punch him...So, I think it was a calculated guess that he wanted to stand up to me in front of the wrestlers that were left at the building that night. I remember I told him 'As soon as I get finished getting dressed, and you're still here, I'm going to knock you out.'

"He stayed there talking to me. I remember when I tied my shoelaces, I stood up and said 'I guess, we're going to do this thing.' Vince and me actually walked out towards each other, and it was like we actually tied up...I was going to go with an overhand right punch. But everybody, Briscoe and Slaughter, and all these guys are getting ready to pounce. I thought no, don't go for that overhand right punch, because they'll go right after your arm. So, I drop my arm all the way down to my foot.

"I remember I said to myself, 14 years, 300 days a year. I have given this guy everything... everything I could have given to a man, I gave to Vince. I uncorked like Mike Tyson. It was like a beautiful uppercut punch. Vince had the shiner the next day, but it wasn't from an overhand punch. It was from an uppercut. I only hit Vince one time, with an uppercut. I broke my hand, I broke a bone in my hand and knocked him out cold...Everyone was stunned. I couldn't believe I just knocked out Vince McMahon."

As the night came to an end, Hart stated that he decided to take the high road and thank Michaels for their match.

"I remember I walked over and tapped him on the shoulder. I said, Shawn, thanks for the match. I shook his hand. We shook hands. I remember thinking, I should have just kicked him in the face, and gone for like a 50-yard field goal," Hart stated.

Twenty-three years later, Hart can say that in his opinion, he believes that he and McMahon have settled their differences. However, he can't speak for McMahon.

"We have a good relationship," Hart answered. "I'm not sure. I can't speak for him, like how it affects him, whether there's real forgiveness. I think there is. Although, I'll never get over what happened to me. As far as our relationship today, there is part of me that forgives Vince because I love what I did for the company. I'm so proud of my career. I'm proud of my matches. I couldn't have wished for more when I got into the business."

You can view Hart's full interview on the WWE Network. If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Steve Austin's Broken Skull Sessions with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.