Credit to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bret_Hart#The_Montreal_Screwjob
The Montreal Screwjob

Main article: Montreal Screwjob At this point in time, the WWF was not
doing well financially (mostly due to the popularity of WCW) and Vince McMahon
regretted the "lifetime" deal he had signed Hart to. He asked Bret to release
the WWF of that contract, to which Bret agreed. (McMahon in fact would use some
of that money to lure Mike Tyson to make appearances in early 1998). Hart was to
sign with WCW, but there was still the matter of what to do with the WWF
Championship. Hart had supposedly struck a deal with McMahon not to lose the
belt to Shawn Michaels in Montreal at Survivor Series, but to voluntarily
forfeit it the next night on RAW in Ottawa.
However, what actually occurred was a controversial match (known to fans as
the Montreal Screwjob or The Double Cross) at Survivor Series 1997, where
Michaels "defeated" Hart in Canada with the Sharpshooter, Hart's own finishing
move. This happened when referee Earl Hebner, breaking kayfabe called for the
bell after only a few seconds, even though Hart never submitted. Hebner
immediately ran out of the ring, and Michaels was escorted to the back with
Gerald Brisco, seemingly livid with what just happened. Vince McMahon stayed at
ringside, only to be spit in the face by Hart. In his anger, Hart proceeded to
destroy equipment at ringside, and pretended to write the letters "WCW", with
whom he had signed, in the air. Hart punched McMahon in a dressing room after
the affair and McMahon had a visible black eye in the days immediately after the
event. To this day, Hebner, McMahon and Michaels are disliked by many wrestling
fans in Canada, particularly in Montreal.
Hart was so upset over the way things turned out that he stated he would never
again return to the WWF. He had also refused to be inducted into the WWE Hall of
Fame. Eight years later however, in an interview on his 2005 DVD, Bret stated
that he wished he had been with the WWF when his brother Owen's tragic accident
happened in 1999.
WWE used images and references to Hart sparingly in years following because of
their fragile relationship. Many consider Chris Benoit's angle with Shawn
Michaels in 2004 to be an apology of sorts to Hart. In a triple threat match
against Michaels and Triple H in Chris Benoit's hometown of Edmonton, Alberta,
Canada, the ref had been knocked down and instead of there being a period of
time for the ref to get back up, the new ref, Earl Hebner ran to the ring as
Chris Benoit put Shawn Michaels in the Sharpshooter. The crowd seemed energetic
the whole night, but knew the image of a Canadian in the sharpshooter, on Shawn
Michaels, in Canada, with Earl Hebner officiating, may have paid tribute to
Bret. The bell was not rung early, but only after Michaels tapped out.



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