5 Reasons why Bret Hart vs. Stone Cold was one of the greatest feuds of all time

#1 Setting up a template for Austin vs. McMahon

Bret Hart's feud with Steve Austin paved the way to another story with fewer great matches, but arguably even more great moments.

Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin was a very different storyline from Mr. McMahon vs. Steve Austin. Hart was a veteran ring general, arguably more capable of calling better matches, more consistently than anyone else in WWE history. McMahon was not a trained wrestler but rather got by as an all-time great villain on account of his personality, real-life credibility as the owner of the company, and the added sizzle of his herculean physique.

However, Hart vs. Austin and McMahon vs. Austin also had some deceptive similarities beneath the surface. The heart of Stone Cold facing off with The Hitman was grounded in the new guard daring to challenge the old guard and shake up WWE’s status quo. Not so dissimilarly, Austin went from challenging an inveterate star to challenging the company itself in goading its chairman into wars of words and eventually fisticuffs. Austin was nothing if not an anti-authority character. The feud with Hart was key to establishing that foundation; the rivalry with Mr. McMahon elevated the dynamic to its highest level.