Was Alundra Blayze/Madusa Indirectly Responsible for the Montreal Screwjob?

The Montreal Screwjob at Survivor Series 1997, involving Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, and Vince McMahon, is a pivotal and controversial moment in professional wrestling. However, while Alundra Blayze, also known as Madusa, threw the WWF Women's Championship into a trash can on WCW Nitro in December 1995, this act does not directly lead to the Montreal Screwjob. Instead, Blayze's actions played a role in shaping Vince McMahon's mindset regarding title retention and control over wrestlers.

Blayze's Actions and Their Impact

Blayze's public declaration of her discontent with WWF by throwing the Women's Championship into a trash can on WCW Nitro sent a powerful message. This symbolic gesture highlighted the potential for wrestlers to take their titles and reputations to rival promotions. This incident likely contributed to McMahon's increasing paranoia about retaining control over his talent and the integrity of his championships.

McMahon's Paranoia and Bret Hart

By the time of the Montreal Screwjob, McMahon was indeed concerned about Bret Hart's intentions. Hart was set to leave WWF for WCW, and his reluctance to drop the title to Shawn Michaels in Montreal compounded McMahon's fears. McMahon emphasized to Hart, his chief talent, that letting him take the championship with him could be detrimental to both Hart's career and the company's reputation.

Blayze's actions could have contributed to the overall environment of distrust and concern within WWF, but attributing direct responsibility for the Montreal Screwjob to her would be an oversimplification of a complex situation. The Screwjob was primarily driven by the specific circumstances surrounding Hart's contract and his relationship with McMahon.

McMahon's Decision-Making

One of the things McMahon told Hart was that he could not risk letting Hart leave the company with the championship belt because it would ruin him and the company. However, after deciding to Screw Bret over at Survivor Series, this excuse was not enough to justify the actions taken. The decision to cut Bret Hart off the title was ultimately driven by the immediate contract negotiation and trust issues rather than any direct influence from Blayze's actions.

Conclusion

While Alundra Blayze's actions may have contributed to the overall environment of mistrust and concern, they are not the direct cause of the Montreal Screwjob. The Screwjob's primary drivers were the contract negotiations, trust issues, and the specific circumstances surrounding Bret Hart's departure from WWF.