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When talking about the biggest WWE rivalries of all time, Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin ranks highly in the conversation. Their feud was one of the most pivotal in company history, changing the landscape of WWE forever.
Let's relive the rivalry between Bret "Hitman" Hart and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin that led to their iconic WrestleMania 13 match.
The beginning of the rivalry
Hart took a hiatus from WWE television following his loss to Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XII. He returned during an episode of WWE RAW in October 1996 and answered Austin's challenges. Throughout the summer of 1996, Austin had been issuing challenges to Hart should he return to the company. During that episode of Raw, Hart announced he would face Austin at Survivor Series in Madison Square Garden.
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Survivor Series 1996 saw the two superstars face each other in a highly competitive match. While Bret wanted to silence Austin for his disgraceful comments about him, the latter wanted to make a lasting impression by beating the Canadian legend.
The match was an instant classic. In the end, Hart defeated Stone Cold via pinfall after a hard-fought battle. Despite the loss, Austin looked like an absolute star.
The buildup to Royal Rumble 1997
Austin made sure that their rivalry was far from over following Survivor Series. He attacked Bret several times during the buildup to the WWE Royal Rumble. Things got even more intense when Austin controversially won the Royal Rumble by eliminating Bret Hart, despite the fact that Austin had been eliminated earlier behind the referee's back.
It has been reported over the years that the initial WrestleMania 13 plan was to have Hart square-off against Shawn Michaels in a rematch from their WrestleMania bout one year earlier. However, the plans were changed after Shawn vacated his WWE Championship in February 1997. At the In Your House: Final Four PPV in February 1997, Bret Hart won the vacant WWE Championship.
However, his reign was short-lived as Austin cost him the title the very next night on RAW in a match against Sycho Sid. At this point, fans had gradually started to turn on Bret Hart and cheer for Austin.
WWE WrestleMania 13 (Submission Match): Stone Cold Vs Bret Hart
The two men decided to settle their score at WrestleMania. The bout was a Submission Match with UFC legend Ken Shamrock serving as the special guest referee.
The contest was a masterpiece and is still considered one of the best wrestling matches of all time. The two superstars attacked each other with various weapons, including a ring bell and electrical wire. Austin bled profusely from his forehead.
The ending of the match gave fans one of the most iconic WrestleMania visuals in history. Bret Hart locked Austin into a Sharpshooter while a bloody Austin refused to submit, eventually passing out.
The referee declared Bret the winner. The crowd heavily cheered Austin, though, due to the courage he showed. After the match, Hart turned heel and viciously attacked Austin. Ken Shamrock intervened to save Steve, picking up Bret and pulling him away.
Why is it such an important rivalry?
This WrestleMania bout is still considered by many as the match that made Austin's WWE career. It established Austin as a versatile superstar that can be a vicious heel as well as a beloved babyface. It also displayed an entirely different side of Bret Hart.
From the character development to the in-ring storytelling, this feud excelled in every aspect of pro wrestling. That's why it is still remembered as one of the greatest wrestling rivalries of all time.
