In addition, Michaels was constantly bragging backstage during this time about never losing. When Hart tried to calm the situation days before Survivor Series by telling Michaels that he had no problem putting him over, Michaels responded by saying, “That’s great because if the roles were reversed I wouldn’t put you over”.
Jericho says this is a fine detail that a lot of people seem to forget today, especially those who criticize Hart for not wanting to do the job that night. He says if someone said that to his face, he’d tell them to “Go F*** Yourself” and he’d never work with them again.
Meltzer points out that the original idea that night might have been to simply have Michaels hold Hart down for the 3-count, but McMahon didn’t think they could do it like that because Hart might have got up and knocked Michaels out with one punch. Then Hart would have went to WCW as a hero, and WWE would have been left with a Champion that wasn’t worth a penny. Michaels had to be able to deny that he knew what had happened.
Jericho points out that the Screwjob created a butterfly effect, changing the course of professional wrestling history. If Hart would have remained in WWE, would Steve Austin or The Rock have become huge stars? Would Hart have convinced his brother, Owen to say no to the stunt that ultimately cost him his life?
