4) Jim Ross Was Also Kept In The Dark
Jim Ross was the commentator on the night of the Montreal Screwjob and says that he had no part in what happened. Many people have questioned this claim considering he was both the announcer and Head Of Talent Relations at the time. In an article for Fox Sports, JR explains that Vince wanted to make sure that his hands were clean of the incident because he had to deal with the wrestlers afterward:
“Being the Head of Talent Relations as EVP of the department, I was upset that McMahon had not confided in me of his covert actions. I wanted to keep you clean of this matter,” he told me then. “You have to continue to communicate and support the talent roster and they have to trust you. You knew nothing on-purpose because you can honestly tell each and every one of them how you feel about what went down and be honest with them and that you did not know. Your role in restoring a productive and professional locker room is going to be a challenge we have to meet,” the WWE Chairman told me”
Even though Vince’s intentions were to keep the heat off JR, it didn’t really help when he had to try and get the roster to trust him:
“While I understand Vince’s logic and it makes a great deal of sense there were still plenty of issues convincing the talents of that they could trust me and that I was there to listen and to help them”
A tough situation for JR. At the end of the day, Vince probably made the right call in not telling him about it so he could look talent in the eyes and tell them that he wouldn’t screw them over.
3) Shawn Michaels Gives His Side
Bret’s long-time rival Shawn Michaels played one of the largest roles in the incident. Especially since Shawn was the one in the match against Bret. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Shawn still remembers the incident as the most uncomfortable day of his career:
“The way I feel about that night is one thing that hasn’t changed over the years. “It is still the most uncomfortable day of my career. It was unlike any other day I’ve ever had.”
Shawn would lie right to the face of Bret following the match when asked if he had anything to do with the incident. We have learned since that Vince McMahon wanted to take 100% responsibility for what happened:
“Back then, it was very important to Vince that he take the brunt of everything. In theory, that’s a nice, noble gesture on his part. But as I told him then and it’s still the case now, the reality is I was the one having to do it. I pulled the trigger”
Shawn is right. Regardless of Vince wanting to take the full fall, there was no way for him to escape the heat of the incident. Bret never really blamed Shawn for what happened and saw him as just a pawn in the big picture. The two have since reconciled from all of their personal drama that took place over the years.
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