Wrestling Historian Takes Issue With 'False Narrative' In Mr. McMahon Docuseries

The release of Netflix's "Mr. McMahon" docuseries comes with the issues plaguing any documentary, simplified narratives, flattened timelines, and in the latest case, a Montreal-based wrestling historian has taken to social media with his issues with the docuseries. 

Pat Laprade, author of several wrestling books about the likes of Mad Dog Vachon, Andre The Giant, and Kevin Owens, took to X (formerly Twitter) to correct the docuseries's account of the infamous Montreal Screwjob. Laprade took umbrage with the suggestion that Bret "Hitman" Hart would've left WWE with the world title and taken it to WCW in 1997.

"[Hart] 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," Laprade wrote. "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."

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

Laprade believes that any issues McMahon had with Hart were caused more by decisions McMahon made when re-signing Hart earlier in the '90s, than it did by any decision Hart made through his creative control.

"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," Laprade continued. "And it's Vince who gave him that power with that clause."