TNA Title Changes Hands After Referee Earl Hebner Refuses To Repeat Montreal Screwjob

At WWE Survivor Series 1997, former WWE referee Earl Hebner declared that "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels defeated Bret "The Hitman" Hart via disqualification after Hart "tapped out" to the Sharpshooter, when in actuality, Hart had not. This series of events, which unfolded in the city of Montreal, Quebec, famously became known as The Montreal Screwjob. Fast forward 26 years, Hebner faced a similar situation at TNA Slammiversary, as Mustafa Ali defended the TNA X-Division Championship against "Speedball" Mike Bailey.

On this occasion, also taking place in Montreal, the original referee was inadvertently knocked out by a superkick from Bailey, which paved the way for the surprise appearance of a referee-shirt-wearing Hebner. Upon Hebner's arrival, Ali placed Bailey in the Sharpshooter. This move prompted Hebner to turn toward the timekeeper's area and tease a repeat of The Montreal Screwjob. Reluctantly, Hebner chose to instead redeem himself, and continue his officiating in an honest fashion.

Much to the dismay of Ali, Hebner's honorableness allowed Bailey to shift momentum into his favor by dodging a chair-shot before trapping Ali in a Sharpshooter. The result of this Sharpshooter saw Ali clearly tap out, signaling the end of his X-Division Championship reign, and the beginning of Bailey's second. 

In addition to being the host city of Survivor Series 1997 and TNA Slammiversary 2024, Montreal is also in close proximity to Bailey's hometown of Laval, Quebec, Canada, effectively making his victory at Slammiversary a homecoming celebration of sorts. Ali and Bailey previously faced off at Prestige Wrestling's A Moment Of Violence event in February, which saw the former emerge victorious.