Friday, September 9, 2011

Wrestling With Shadows (1998)

just watched this documentary again.  it's still pretty fascinating, but these days I believe the whole "Montreal Screwjob" was a work.  it is really weird to see Bret Hart looking so young and fit only 13 years ago, and knowing that Owen was still alive (apparently the new DVD has a doc on that as well, which I have not seen).

I find it hard to believe Vince McMahon was surprised by what would happen in Montreal, much less with a film crew that wasn't one of his there as well.  he'd take Bret's punch for a storyline, which propelled the wwf out of the ratings tank it had been in for over a year.

it ends as Bret leaves for WCW, where he was pretty wasted.  he should have been their version of Stone Cold Steve Austin, a lone wolf only out to get the title, beating faces and heels alike, instead of having him be a heel or a face, or flip-flopping constantly.

but what do I know?

3 comments:

Cory Gross said...

I don't think it was a work because the whole thing really messed Hart up too much. Maybe it's not really apparent from his appearances on television, but up here in Canada we got a pretty steady diet of shoot interviews and his own newspaper column where you could see it really beat him up. He was never quite the same person after it and I'm glad to finally see him get some closure in the last couple years. His simple "I'm okay now" at the Hall of Fame almost made me tear up.

X7 said...

that's true, we didn't get a lot of what he wrote and said up there. so much of wrestling is a work that I never think any of it's a shoot these days.
I know Bret was messed up quit a bit after that. he never fit in well with WCW at all.
I'm glad he's "OK" now.

Chad said...

I used to have this and it was well done. Bret has a healthy ego and his pride helped cause this. He never wanted to leave and I feel Vince pushed him to this. It is a damn shame really. Bret was willing to drop it to anyone but HBK and with the junk Shawn pulled I can understand. I am glad all parties involved have made their peace with each other and the situation.