During the latest edition of VOC Nation’s “In the Room” podcast, Earl Hebner revealed why he thinks the Montreal Screwjob was a work, and more. You can check out some highlights from the interview below:
On working with AEW: “It’s been great…the traveling is not one of my deals now…Cody and I worked a deal out where I only want to work when I’m needed. I don’t want to work all the TVs and the house shows and stuff like that. Whenever he needs me, he’s got my number and he can call me…I’m running out of gas. I’m not a spring chicken anymore. I just want to do the things that I’m needed for the most and the rest of it, the young boys can handle it.”
On his best moments in wrestling: “The Hulk Hogan deal was good for my brother and I. Working with Stone Cold was good. The Bret Hart deal, that was good for Vince but it wasn’t good for me.”
On his career: “I wouldn’t change a thing. It is what it is. Vince gave me the opportunity because I guess some of the other guys couldn’t deliver what he wanted. Me being me, I guess he had a lot of (confidence) in me that he could deliver what he wanted.”
On the Montreal Screwjob incident: “At that time, it was like ‘I’ve got to do what they tell me to do.’ After it all panned out twenty some odd years later, I’m thinking ‘why’d I do it; why didn’t I just say no?’ You know what I mean? There’s a lot behind the story and I’m working on a book right now and I’m going to put it all in there. There’s a lot of things that I took in respect for the talent, and Bret, and everything, you know what I’m saying? This business is a give and take…everybody in the dressing room made you who you are as the world’s champion, and for you to let them down because of something stupid – – it just doesn’t make sense. You’re hurting the (WWE)…Just think of all the guys that put him over to make (Bret) who he is. Bret’s a great guy, believe me. He had a grudge with Shawn and Vince, and they couldn’t work it out and I was a gopher, put it that way.”
On the night of the screwjob: “That night walking to the ring knowing what I was told…within 5 minutes of me leaving that gorilla position and getting to that ring, I thought it was a 10 mile walk. I’m thinking, ‘God what am I going to do? Am I going to do I? Am I not going to do it?’ It was painful.”
On whether the screwjob was a work: “At that time, I really didn’t think it was a work; today, I think it was. Somebody had to be the gopher, somebody had to ring the bell, and to make it look official, it was me…if you look back at the tapes, Vince and Sgt. Slaughter was at that ring. Regardless of whether I rang that bell or not after the sharpshooter, somebody was gonna ring it to make it official.”
On whether it would bother him if it was a work and he wasn’t told ahead of time: “Yes it does. It’s bothered me for a long time. Now that I’ve been with Bret, talked to Bret, been on some indy shows with him, we’re great friends now, believe me. He calls me here and there, and I talk to him. I’m pretty sure that both of them knew it was a work…the only one that didn’t know at the time was me…I know I (got screwed), but I don’t know if they did.”
