At the 1997 Survivor Series PPV event in Montreal, Vince McMahon rang the bell while Shawn Michaels had Bret Hart in the Sharpshooter. This was done in order for Michaels to win the WWE Championship as Hart was leaving for WCW.
Former WWE referee Mike Chioda shared the initial plan for the match before the screw job during the latest “Monday Mailbag” on AdFreeShows.
“It wasn’t going to be a referee swap,” Chioda said, correcting a previous account of the situation. “I go in, and Owen [Hart] was supposed to be right behind me. … I count ‘one, two,’ Owen’s right behind me, he picks me up by my belt and my shirt, throws me through the second rope.”
Chioda was supposed to be down for the count, while Michaels stood up and superkick Owen in an attempt to pin Bret.
Chioda was supposed to take over for Hebner after the referee was knocked out and also taken out by Owen. Instead, Michaels used his own finisher, the Sharpshooter, on Bret.
