Bret Hart Leaks Footage Of Rick Rude That WWE Wanted to Keep Secret
The professional wrestling industry is built on a foundation of “kayfabe,” a curated illusion where heroes and villains are manufactured for profit. However, the events surrounding the 1997 Montreal Screw Job stripped away the greasepaint to reveal a corporate machine that was as ruthless as it was dishonest. While WWE’s historical revisionism often focuses on the “necessity” of the betrayal to launch the Attitude Era, the real story lies in the extraordinary moral courage of Rick Rude—a man the company would prefer you forget.
The Night the Illusion Shattered
On November 17, 1997, the artificial boundaries of wrestling were exposed in a way that remains unprecedented. Rick Rude appeared on both Monday Night Raw and WCW Monday Nitro on the same night. On one channel, he was a bearded member of D-Generation X; on the other, he was clean-shaven, standing with the New World Order and delivering a scathing “shoot” promo.
This wasn’t just a gimmick or a clever jump between companies. It was a middle finger to Vince McMahon. Rude used his two minutes of airtime on Nitro to call out the “rights and wrongs” of the business, flatly stating that Shawn Michaels was a fraud and that Bret Hart had been robbed. This footage is a visceral reminder of a time when the “Monday Night Wars” were driven by genuine fury rather than just scriptwriters.
A Brotherhood Forged on the Road
To the casual observer, Bret “The Hitman” Hart and “Ravishing” Rick Rude were polar opposites. Hart was the technical purist, the “Excellence of Execution” who treated wrestling as a sacred art. Rude was the ultimate heel, a narcissistic specimen who insulted the “sweaty, out-of-shape inner-city sweat hogs” in the audience.
Yet, behind the curtain, they shared a bond that transcended their characters. Hart’s 2007 autobiography paints Rude as a devoted family man and a paragon of loyalty. In an industry where everyone is looking for an opening to take your spot, Rude was the rare individual who would back a friend regardless of the cost.
The Ultimate Stand in Montreal
The Montreal Screw Job was a masterclass in corporate gaslighting. Vince McMahon, fearing that Hart would take the WWF Championship to WCW, conspired to “screw” him in his home country of Canada. When the bell rang on that November night, the locker room was forced to choose between their livelihoods and their integrity.
While most wrestlers kept their heads down to protect their paychecks, Rick Rude chose brotherhood. He didn’t just stand guard in the locker room while Hart confronted McMahon; he became the primary witness to the truth.
The Phone Call That Saved a Legacy
Rude’s most significant contribution occurred in the shadows. Immediately following the betrayal, he called WCW executive Eric Bischoff. This wasn’t a career move; it was a character reference. Bischoff was famously paranoid that the Montreal incident was a “work” designed to plant Hart as a mole in WCW. Rude’s vouching for Hart’s genuine devastation was the only thing that allowed Hart’s transition to proceed with dignity. Rude risked his own standing with the most powerful man in the business to ensure his friend wasn’t left in the cold.
The Price of Integrity
Rick Rude’s defection to WCW was a principled exit. He was working on a per-appearance basis, meaning he had zero job security. He chose to walk away from the WWF because he could not, in good conscience, work for a man who had betrayed a locker room leader so callously.
Tragically, Rude passed away in 1999 at the age of 40. He never got to see the eventual reconciliation between Hart and WWE. While WWE has spent decades polishing the “Screw Job” into a legendary marketing tool, they rarely mention Rude. His presence is an inconvenient truth for a company that wants to believe business always comes before people.
Rick Rude’s legacy is not defined by his sculpted physique or his signature gyrations. It is defined by the fact that in a business of liars, he was the only one who told the truth when it mattered most. He proved that even in the circus of professional wrestling, some things—like loyalty—are not for sale.
