Pat Laprade Takes Issue With ‘False Narrative’ in Mr. McMahon Docuseries

– Longtime wrestling writer and author Pat Laprade is taking issue with what he calls a “false narrative” perpetuated by the new Mr. McMahon docuseries streaming now on Netflix. According to Laprade, the series suggests that WWE Hall of Famer and then-WWE Champion Bret Hart would’ve left WWE with the title after Survivor Series and taken it to WCW after leaving the company in 1997. It was an outcome Vince McMahon likely feared leading to the infamous “Montreal Screwjob” finish at the pay-per-view event.

Writing on social media, Laprade said the docuseries’ suggestion that Hart would’ve done this was false, noting that Hart was still under contract to WWE through December and had agreed to lose the title to Shawn Michaels. Hart simply wanted to do it outside of Canada. Laprade wrote the following:

“Another false narrative in the Netflix McMahon doc: Bret was NOT gonna leave the WWF with the title. He was under contract until December and had agreed to lose the title against someone else than Shawn [Michaels], and not in Canada. Springfield, MA was talked about. The right narrative should be that Vince was afraid that Bischoff would announce Bret’s signing on Nitro 11/10. But Bret had specifically asked Eric not to do that and Eric had agreed. Vince wanted Shawn as champion and made it happened. But he was wrong here.”

“The right narrative should be that Vince was afraid that Bischoff would announce Bret’s signing on Nitro 11/10. But Bret had specifically asked Eric not to do that and Eric had agreed. Vince wanted Shawn as champion and made it happened. But he was wrong here.

“You can’t blame Bret. He had a creative control clause on his last month with the company, therefore could indeed decide who he would lose the title to, or in this case, who he didn’t want to lose the title to. And it’s Vince who gave him that power with that clause.”

The events surrounding the Montreal Screwjob have been documented in the documentary feature, Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows, and also the docuseries, Dark Side of the Ring. Mr. McMahon is streaming now on Netflix.

Another false narrative in the Netflix McMahon doc: Bret was NOT gonna leave the WWF with the title.

He was under contract until December and had agreed to lose the title against someone else than Shawn, and not in Canada. Springfield, MA was talked about.

(1/3)

— Pat Laprade (@PatLaprade) September 25, 2024

The right narrative should be that Vince was afraid that Bischoff would announce Bret’s signing on Nitro 11/10. But Bret had specifically asked Eric not to do that and Eric had agreed.

Vince wanted Shawn as champion and made it happened. But he was wrong here.

(2/3)

— Pat Laprade (@PatLaprade) September 25, 2024

You can’t blame Bret. He had a creative control clause on his last month with the company, therefore could indeed decide who he would lose the title to, or in this case, who he didn’t want to lose the title to.

And it’s Vince who gave him that power with that clause (3/3)

— Pat Laprade (@PatLaprade) September 25, 2024