Monday Night RAW post game

As I looked at my notes that took from Monday’s Raw, I was surprised by how little happened compared to the TNA show. Two big things did happen and that’s why everybody tuned in. Bret Hart had a show down with Shawn Michaels and then at the end of RAW had one with Vince McMahon. I’m not going to go as in depth with RAW show because frankly not that much happened.

I’m going to attempt to explain the Bret Hart incident as simply as possible because it could really be a post by itself and it was 12 years ago. If you haven’t heard the story of the so-called “Montreal Screw job” by now, well you probably don’t watch wrestling. In a nutshell here is what happened, and I know this is brief and doesn’t really cover the emotions involved.

At the height of the Monday night wrestling wars between the now defunct WCW and the then WWF, Bret Hart was the star attraction for Vince’s show. When contracts would come up, WCW forced a bidding war for talent since the Ted Turner backed show could afford to pay more. In order to keep Hart from jumping he was offered a 20 year deal at a lower rate which Brett signed. Here’s the wikipedia version of what happened next since it explains it better than I can.

In late 1997, McMahon informed Hart that financial problems would not allow him to keep Hart on at the same rate of pay under his recently signed 20 year contract. While McMahon wished for Hart to remain with the WWF, he informed Hart that he would breach the contract and gave consent to Bret to negotiate with Eric Bischoff and WCW. While the decision was made with McMahon's blessing, the reason for the screw job was rooted in this decision. Hart cited a clause in his contract that granted him "reasonable creative control" for the last thirty days of his WWF contract and was steadfast in his refusal to lose a match hosted in his home country of Canada, especially against Shawn Michaels, with whom he did not get along. McMahon remained insistent that Hart should lose to Michaels in Montreal, fearing that his company's business would suffer if WCW announced Hart as its latest signing while he still held the WWF Championship. Although Hart and McMahon agreed to a compromise on the match ending that allowed Hart to retain the title, McMahon was determined to remove the title from Hart.

Although Hart stated to McMahon he would not take the WWF Championship with him to WCW TV (and despite insistence from then-WCW President Eric Bischoff, according to Hart's DVD biography, that Hart would join WCW with a "clean slate"), McMahon was still concerned; this led to him breaking his word in what eventually came to be known as the Montreal Screw job. During the match even though Hart did not submit to the Sharpshooter (his own finishing move) applied by Shawn Michaels, referee Earl Hebner called for the bell as if he had, on McMahon's orders. This resulted in Hart "losing" the WWF Championship to Michaels. The night ended with an irate Hart spitting in McMahon's face, destroying television equipment, and punching McMahon backstage.

Needless to say, Bret Hart was never the same after this and became embittered, I watched him on WCW after this where he seemed lost and they had no idea what to do with him. The company soon folded and Bret held a grudge and vowed never to work for Vince again. Which makes it all the more surprising that appeared last Monday for the first time in 12 years.

Bret Hart appears as promised as guest host of RAW which is a gimmick they have been doing lately and doesn’t waste anytime and calls out Shawn Michaels. Bret surprisingly asks for a truce from Michaels as the two stands face to face for the first time since the incident. He wants closure on the incident that basically ended his career. Michaels states that a part of him feels Bret deserved what happened to him. The tension is thick in the air, as I expected them to come to blows at any moment. Michaels then says a part of him wants closure too and talks about their epic one hour iron man match as that is how he remembers Bret Hart. Finally Bret offers to shake hands with him, and Michaels does thereby burying the hatchet. The men embrace and Shawn leaves.

Bret calls out the person who he really wants to have to out with Vince McMahon and of course Vince no shows to keep people watching. He is seen later backstage and says he’ll call out Bret on his terms at the end of the show. We then get a very ordinary RAW show between the two confrontations.

Finally at the end of the show, Vince calls out Bret. He says he knows what the people and Bret want. They want to see him put the sharpshooter on Vince. He asks Bret to be a better man and let him get a few things off his chest. Vince repeats the famous quote that “Bret Hart screwed Bret Hart” and that he hasn’t forgot Bret spitting in his face literally after the match. He talks about Bret punching him after the match and trashing him for years in the press. He asks Bret to say two words to him. “I’m Sorry.”

Bret responds he has two different words in mind. He then states that is not why he is here, he instead wants closure and to put this behind them. They both want that. He knows Vince wants it and this is his chance to make it right. Vince says he really wanted to kick Bret in the guts but he agrees that this needs to be settled. Vince spends the next few minutes buttering Hart up with a list of his accomplishments while in the WWE. The two men finally agree to shake hands and Vince raises Bret’s hand in victory. I’m still expecting Hart to beat the crap out Vince but instead Vince does kick Bret in the gut as he said he would. I am sure this is leading to a rumored Wrestlemania street fight where Bret will get his revenge because Vince is still all about the ratings.

I know TNA had their highest rated show ever, and Vince did well too. However the Raw show was pretty ordinary and without the Bret Hart gimmick would not have been very memorable. They have got to do better than girls who are all looks and can’t wrestle like Maryse. Buzz kills like the Miz who is all talk and no real action. Funny but pointless DX skits. Unproven paper champions like Shamus wrestling the highly skilled but not hyped up yet Evan Bourne. There were two good matches, DX vs. Jericho and Big Show, and the best match of the evening Orton vs. Kofi Kingston. Why Kingston who is exciting and fresh didn’t get the belt as a surprise instead Shamus I don’t know.

Vince, you dodged a bullet this week but former baddest man on the planet Mike Tyson is not the answer next week. You need to raise your game because you have real competition again.