CREDIT: QUOIPOURQUOI & www.WrestlingForum.com
Timeline of the Hart/Michaels Relationship
1996-03-31: Hart and Michaels agree beforehand not to shake hands at the end of the match
1996-04-??: Michaels, after prompting from McMahon, calls Hart and thanks him for the match
1996-05-19: Madison Square Garden incident
1996-06-??: Hart and Michaels agree to begin taking verbal shots at each other as a work
1996-07-22: Hart turns down a WWF contract
1996-10-21: Hart makes comments about Shawn Michaels’ Playgirl spread
1996-12-15: Michaels interferes in Hart/Sid
1996-12-16: Michaels appears visibly upset about the angle with Hart
1997-01-19: Hart congratulates Michaels for his match with Sid
1997-02-02: Michaels and Triple H complain about Hart being late to a show
1997-02-03: Hart/Michaels is changed from a WrestleMania XIII title match to a non-title match with Sid taking Michaels’ belt; Taker is scheduled to win at Final Four
1997-02-13: Michaels forfeits the WWF Title; Hart is now scheduled to win at Final Four and lose the belt to Sid the next day
1997-02-16: The locker room learns that Michaels will recover from his injury
1997-02-26: Triple H books himself to go over Hart; McMahon changes it to a DQ at Hart’s request
1997-03-24: Michaels breaks kayfabe saying: "Nobody knows better than me, you have to have a handwritten note from the Lord Almighty to get the belt from you."
1997-03-25: Triple H books Hart to win the IC Title from Rocky Maivia; McMahon changes it to a DQ at Hart’s request
1997-04-07: Michaels breaks kayfabe saying: "When it came time for Bret Hart to return the favor, oh yeah he did it, but he did it kickin’ and screamin’ every inch of the way… The reason Bret Hart returned to the World Wrestling Federation, after using a rival organization against [Vince McMahon] and the company that made him what he was, he stabbed the World Wrestling Federation in the back! Why? For his financial gain!"
1997-04-??: Hart puts off surgery to work a match at Revenge of the Taker
1997-04-21: Hart and Michaels apologize to each other in hopes of working a match at King of the Ring
1997-05-12: Hart’s promo goes over, and Michaels doesn’t get to Superkick him on live television
1997-05-19: Michaels alludes to Hart’s alleged affair with Sunny in a promo; Hart pulls out of King of the Ring
1997-06-09: Hart and Michaels have a backstage fight; Michaels threatens to quit
1997-07-03: Michaels agrees to stay with the WWF
1997-07-14: Hart and Michaels agree to stop taking personal shots in interviews
1997-08-03: Hart apologizes for the amount of spit he delivered to Michaels at SummerSlam and they shake hands
1997-09-??: Hart becomes critical of the WWF’s sexual storylines
1997-09-21: Michaels convinces McMahon to let him book himself to beat the Davey Boy Smith in England; Michaels jokes that he’s not doing jobs for anyone anymore
1997-09-22: Michaels asks Hart to call him and Triple H "gay" in an interview
1997-10-06: Michaels, again, asks Hart to call him and Triple H "homos" in an interview; Hart asks Michaels not to make comments about him or his family
1997-10-12: Hart tells Michaels: "I just want you to know that despite any differences we’ve had this past year, I have no problem dropping the belt to you." Michaels responds: "I appreciate that, but I want you to know that I’m not willing to do the same thing for you."
1997-10-21: Hart refuses to agree to put Michaels over at Survivor Series in return for a win in Springfield on December 7th
1997-10-31: Hart signs with WCW for December 1997, starting his 30 days of creative control
1997-11-02: Hart offers to lose the title to Steve Austin, the Undertaker, Ken Shamrock, and even the Brooklyn Brawler, but not Shawn Michaels: "If he puts me over, I’ll be happy to put him over."
1997-11-??: McMahon agrees to let Hart win- only to change his mind
1997-11-05: McMahon, Michaels, and Triple H plan the Montreal Screwjob; Michaels and Triple H are told to deny any involvement
1997-11-09: Hart proposes that they do a double DQ; McMahon agrees; Hart gets screwed
1997-11-10: McMahon tells the wrestlers that Hart refused to lose the title under any circumstances
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