Bret Hart alleges Vince McMahon undermined his 1997 WWE run

Professional wrestler Bret Hart has alleged that WWE Chairman Vince McMahon deliberately undermined his momentum during his 1997 run months before the infamous Montreal Screwjob. In a recent interview with Inside The Ropes, Hart claimed that the company began stripping away the creative direction of his popular anti-American character once it became unexpectedly successful.

Hart noted that the Canada versus USA storyline initially gained strong traction, but he felt the creative team eventually "cut the power," leaving him to repeat repetitive promos without advancing the narrative. He suggested that his character's popularity may have become a problem for McMahon.

Additional booking decisions, such as turning Shawn Michaels heel, further increased backstage tension by placing the two wrestlers in direct competition. Hart also cited counterproductive match pairings, including bouts against Vader and The Patriot, which he interpreted as intentional efforts to drain sympathy from his character.