Bret Hart Defends His Actions Following Montreal Screwjob

In the 25 years since the "Montreal Screwjob," the event has become immortalized in the eyes of wrestling fans as legend. Almost as notorious as the incident itself is what happened backstage in the aftermath; specifically, Bret Hart punching WWE owner Vince McMahon in the face. While that moment itself was not captured on camera, the events leading up to and following the punch were documented as a part of the 1998 film "Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows." McMahon famously appeared on television the following week sporting a black eye.

To this day, Hart maintains that he did the right thing –- both in the lead-up to and aftermath of the infamous incident (via Ringer). "I'm a pretty easygoing guy," Hart said. "But I do know that I had a lot of dark thoughts, really crazy, dark thoughts about how angry I was when that happened." Hart went on to say that he initially tried to enter McMahon's office to confront the boss, but felt some relief when he found the door locked. However, McMahon would later approach Hart in the locker room.

"I said, 'I'm not in a friendly mood and this is not going to go well and you need to go right now,'" Hart continued. "And he stayed. And I always think whatever happened that day defined me as a person. And it was probably the greatest thing I ever did, in the sense that I stood up for myself like no other wrestler ever stood up for themselves," he added.

While some still doubt the reality of the "Montreal Screwjob," there's no denying that it was a life-changing moment for Hart. The performer made his way over to WCW, where he had a relatively short stint in the company before an injury would force him to retire.