Former WWE referee Earl Hebner has shockingly said he believes the Montreal Screwjob was a work, in an interview with SiriusXM's Busted Open.

Speaking on the infamous Survivor Series 1997 main event where Bret Hart lost the WWF title despite never tapping, Hebner said he'd thought long and hard in the years since the show.

He said: "I think both of them knew to be honest with you.

"Why would you let a man put you in your own finish?”

When asked if he thought Bret Hart was in on it, Hebner further clarified.

“Yeah, I really do. I’m not gonna lie about it anymore. I was trying to protect Bret," Hebner claimed.

The Screwjob, which is cited by many as the debut of the evil Mr. McMahon character, has recently been the focus of Viceland's 'Dark Side of the Ring'. 

Hebner also said he told his brother and fellow referee Dave "15 seconds" before going to the ring, and barricaded his hotel room door after the show in fear for his life. 

Despite Earl's claims, the majority of fans believe that the Screwjob was legitimate, due to backstage issues between the Hitman and Shawn Michaels backstage.

The reported original plan was for Hart to retain and forfeit the title the next night on RAW, before leaving for WCW.

Both Earl and Dave were fired from WWE in July 2005 after being found to be selling WWE merchandise behind the company's back. 

He has since refereed in Impact Wrestling and at last year's independent super-show ALL IN. 

You can check out what the infamous ref had to say below: 

.@TheEarlHebner reflects on the Montreal screwjob, saying he believes both @BretHart & @ShawnMichaels knew what was about to happen.

Earl also reveals how scared he was later that night in the hotel after Survivor Series. pic.twitter.com/ExjAo27Ed0

, SiriusXM Busted Open (@BustedOpenRadio) April 18, 2019