Wrestlemania Rewind : Stone Cold Steve Austin Vs Bret Hart

The granddaddy of them all, WrestleMania is just about a month away. The anticipation for the extravaganza is sky high among the WWE Universe. And since the pay-per-view is richer than Richie rich when it comes to history, we have decided to take a look back at some of the best WrestleMania matches with this latest series.Over the last thirty years, WWE fans have witnessed some great WrestleMania matches. And the match between Stone Cold Steve Austin and Bret Hart is the pinnacle of storyline execution. It may as well be your favorite wrestler’s favorite match. Here’s how this unfolded.

#1 The Build- Up

The aftermath of the brilliant match between Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart at WM12, which led to HBK’s ‘boyhood dreams’ coming true, saw Hart take a hiatus from the company.

The year was 1996 and this was the very year when Stone Cold Steve Austin became a force to be reckoned with in the wrestling industry. At King of The Ring that year, he spelt out what was to become the most popular WWE catchphrases of all time- Austin 3:16.

And on the heels of that, Steve Austin had become a heel whom everyone was beginning to love. Since then he began taunting Bret Hart and kept challenging him for a match and like clockwork Hart obliged and returned to begin his feud with The Texas Rattlesnake.

And then the feud unravelled. They faced each at Survivor Series and Hart won. Hart eliminated Austin from the Royal Rumble in 1997 but since none of the officials saw that, Austin sneaked in and won the Rumble by eliminating Hart last. This led to a fatal four way match in the main event for the World Wrestling Federation Championship of the next PPV which involved Hart and Austin as the two of the four competitors. Hart won.

But he lost the championship the next night on Raw, courtesy- Stone Cold Steve Austin.

And all of this culminated in their match at Wrestlemania 13.

#2 The Match

What more can be written about a match that has gone down in history as one of the greatest matches ever and one of the most relevant moments in WWE history?

This was storyline perfection. This was kayfabe executed to perfection. When you hear any wrestler or any wrestling fan say that there is no drama in the world quite like wrestling, remember this match.

It was a Submissions match. Austin’s submission manoeuvre was The Cobra Clutch and Hart’s submission move was, ofcourse, the movethat he made legendary- The Sharpshooter.

It was a hard fought battle which was a characteristic of both of these great workers. What the match is and will forever be remembered for is the climax. Hart locked Austin in the sharpshooter and Austin had blood splattered all over his face. He was battered and bruised and in a lot of pain and yet he refused to give up.

He did not tap out. Austin was unconscious. Bret Hart was adjusted as the winner. But Austin just did not tap out.

Next thing we know. Hart goes on a rampage of beatdowns on Austin. The audience begins booing the babyface and sympathizes with the heel. And in a moment of dramatic perfection, Hart becomes the heel and Austin becomes a babyface. Double. Turn.

This match was officially the incarnation of the anti-hero Stone Cold Steve Austin

#3 The Fallout

1997 was the year when Hart was breaking away bit by bit from Vince McMahon’s company and Austin was claiming bit by bit a part of the throne. WM 13, in retrospect, was the passing of the baton moment. There was Bret Hart the technician, known to churn out the best of matches, who began showing signs of discomfort with his boss and succintly spelt it out in a famous promo that contained expletives which was a rarity in those times.And there was Steve Austin who had begun his rise to superstardom.

1997 saw the Montreal Screwjob take place and Hart leaving the company unceremoniously.

Steve Austin on the other hand was a part of the upper mid card and got his neck broken during a match for the IC title against Owen Hart. As soon as Hart departed, Steve Austin took a leap into the title picture and the rest is history.