5 WWE Superstars who benefited from losing a match

#1 Stone Cold Steve Austin (vs. Bret Hart at WrestleMania 13)

The WWE WrestleMania 13 encounter between Bret "The Hitman" Hart and Stone Cold Steve Austin is rightfully dubbed by many as one of the greatest matches in the history of this business. The classic brawl was officiated by MMA legend Ken Shamrock, and kept fans at the edge of their seats from start to finish. The final moments of the match have been etched in fans' minds forever.

As Bret Hart secured the Sharpshooter on Austin, he refused to utter the words, "I Quit". Austin's bloodied face while being locked in a Sharpshooter told the whole story. He finally passed out and Hart was declared the winner. This is still regarded as the best example of a "double turn", an instance where fans turn on a wrestler in the midst of a match, and begin supporting the other Superstar. Austin lost the match, but was instantly made into a star due to his performance and that iconic image in the final moments of the bout.

He never looked back and was pushed to the moon over the next few years. Austin defeated Shawn Michaels at WWE WrestleMania 14 to become WWE Champion, and went on to become one of the greatest Superstars in WWE history, rivaling the popularity of Hulk Hogan in the process.

About the author

Abhilash Mendhe is a pro wrestling journalist at Sportskeeda with nearly five years of experience. He completed his MBA from the Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management in 2016 and worked with multiple banking institutions, including Tech Mahindra. While he started writing WWE articles for Sportskeeda in 2019 as a hobby, it eventually became a significant part of his professional journey.

Abhilash checks his articles thrice before sending them to the editing team, ensuring his work is highly accurate and reliable.

He has interviewed prominent pro wrestling personalities like Noam Dar, Angry Miz Girl, Brendan Cobbina, and Jesse Lambert. Abhilash is a big fan of AEW star Orange Cassidy, as he believes the former International Champion’s on-screen gimmick of an extremely lazy guy resonates with him.

Given the opportunity to script WWE’s next big storyline, Abhilash would treat fans to the second installment of The Bloodline Civil War. He would book Roman Reigns to re-form The Bloodline with The Usos and Sami Zayn upon his comeback. The angle would see The Tribal Chief-led group go head-to-head with The Rock, Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and Jacob Fatu in a blockbuster family feud.

When not reporting on pro wrestling, Abhilash likes to work out, go on walks, read, and explore new eateries.

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Edited by Alan John