For over two decades, the “Montreal Screwjob” has been one of the most debated and dissected events in professional wrestling history. However, Cody Rhodes, appearing on a recent Ringer podcast, offered a different and controversial perspective: what if the entire thing was an elaborate work?

The incident in question took place at the Survivor Series pay-per-view in November 1997, where WWF owner Vince McMahon conspired with Shawn Michaels and referee Earl Hebner to unjustly take the WWF Championship from Bret Hart. Hart, who was leaving for the rival WCW promotion, was led to believe he would retain the title in his home country of Canada, only to be double-crossed in the ring in a moment that blurred the lines between reality and entertainment. The event is widely considered a legitimate betrayal that fractured relationships for years.

Rhodes floated the theory while discussing how wrestlers can still maintain the illusion of reality, or “kayfabe,” in the modern era. He questioned the convenient presence of a documentary crew backstage for the film Wrestling with Shadows. “There was a documentary crew backstage at a company that never ever allows anything like that,” Rhodes pointed out. “There’s mics in the room.”

This led him to propose his “work within the work” theory. While acknowledging that key figures like Hart and Michaels have never suggested it was anything but real, Rhodes presented a compelling case for it being a masterfully executed storyline. “This to me is always the work within the work,” he said. When confronted with the fact that Vince McMahon was legitimately knocked out by Hart backstage after the match, Rhodes was unfazed. “Well, it’s pro wrestling. You you wouldn’t have faked it, right? … If the whole thing was a work from beginning to end, then part of it is he has to hit.”

Rhodes recalled growing up and watching wrestling with his father, the legendary Dusty Rhodes. Whenever something happened on screen that felt real, he would look back at his dad. “He just always smile ear to ear,” Cody remembered. “And I felt like in that smile I could tell he knew they were doing some highlevel work and the whole world was doing exactly what they needed to do.”

He drew a parallel to the classic WrestleMania 12 Iron Man match between Hart and Michaels. After an hour, the match was a draw, and Cody, a huge Michaels fan, was disappointed. But then the match was ordered to continue. “And again, I looked at my dad, smile, ear to ear. And I thought, yeah, this is they got me. They got me.” For Cody, anything that happens in the ring could be part of the show.

Of course, not everyone is convinced. I remain skeptical of this theory, and respected journalist Dave Meltzer, who covered the story extensively at the time, flatly rejected the notion. “I can answer every one of those questions,” Meltzer commented. “I lived that shit and there’s 0% chance that Bret and Vince set this up.”

https://x.com/davemeltzerWON/status/1951147524003094841

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