Steve Austin on His All-Time Favorite WrestleMania

“Whenever I have to pick one, it’s always going to WrestleMania 13 with Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart”ikn.

This is part of the Sports Illustrated Road to WrestleMania series.

Steve Austin’s place in professional wrestling history is secure.

With the exception of Hulk Hogan and potentially Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, there is no bigger star in wrestling history than Austin.

But that wasn’t always the case.

Before he was “Stone Cold”, Austin fought for nearly a decade, relentlessly searching for his breakout moment. It finally happened in WWE, where he famously feuded with Vince McMahon, The Rock, Shawn Michaels, and The Undertaker. Yet none of those marked his first feud of major prominence.

“If it wasn’t for Bret Hart, I don’t know that I would be having this interview right now,” said Austin. “My feud with Bret changed everything.”

Bret Hart and Steve Austin / Courtesy WWE

Austin had fleeting moments of success prior to WWE. During his run in WCW, “Stunning” Steve Austin was part of The Dangerous Alliance, then later teamed with Brian Pillman as part of The Hollywood Blonds. Some of his best work during that run came when he joined Colonel Robert Parker’s Stud Stable, beginning a stretch in late 1993 where he beat Pillman and then later defeated Dustin Rhodes to become the United States champion. That title was a pathway to the world heavyweight belt, but it was not to be for Austin, who was cast aside as a flurry of more established stars from WWE signed with WCW.

After a brief stint in ECW, a road to glory became attainable for Austin in WWE as “Stone Cold”. His program with Hart elevated his stature, and he continually made the most of every opportunity he was presented. Austin, who cut a legendary promo in the spring of ’96 after winning the King of the Ring tournament, followed that up in the winter with a compelling bout at Survivor Series against Hart. Even though it was not the match either man initially wanted–Hart was seeking a rematch against Shawn Michaels–it did not stop Austin and Hart from creating history at WrestleMania 13.

Steve Austin/WrestleMania 13 / Courtesy WWE

“They ended up throwing me and Steve together and it was kind of an ice cold story line,” said Hart, speaking with Sports Illustrated in 2014. “That was a big disappointment, at first, for Steve and me. We’d just fought months earlier at the Survivor Series, and even though we loved working together, he was looking for someone new to work with and I was looking for Shawn.”

The finish of their Survivor Series match saw Hart beat Austin by catapulting himself backward off a turnbuckle while locked in the Million Dollar Dream. Their rematch at WrestleMania was a no disqualification submission match, with Ken Shamrock–an underrated but major star at the time–served as the special guest referee.

“Steve was in his prime,” said Hart in an interview two years ago with SI. “I don’t think he was ever better. That was my peak moment, too. It was two asteroids hitting at the right time.”

Steve Austin- and Bret Hart/WrestleMania 13 / Courtesy WWE

In the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois at the Rosemont Horizon, Hart and Austin redefined professional wrestling by executing the best double-turn in the history of the industry.

The match opened with a fan favorite Hart and villainous Austin, but each reversed roles in masterful fashion within 22 minutes. The beloved Hart went on to become WWE’s top heel while Austin brought WWE to unforeseen heights as its top star.

Hart was the architect. Laying out a match was a skill Hart harnessed over his decades in and around the ring, and he was never better than he was in this moment. And while so much is made of title matches and main events, this was neither. Third from last, in a match that continues to stand the test of time, Hart and Austin reinvented the art form.

“The funniest thing about that match, and it will probably surprise people, is that we ran out of ideas when we tried to map out the match,” said Hart. “It was all submissions, so there was no one-two-kickout. Taking away the pin falls removed a lot of the element of suspense. But we’d always had great chemistry, so we entered the match with confidence. If you look at our match from the Survivor Series in ‘96, some people argue that was an even better match. What we had was a storyline and two characters who were destined to cross paths. At that time, Steve was becoming a huge force and was just about ready to break through to a level that few wrestlers ever reach. I was lucky to be there at the right place and right time with him.

“The match with Steve, that’s the greatest song I ever sang. When I watch it back, I wouldn’t change a thing. I still love seeing that spot where I’m punching the daylights out of Steve in the corner and he kicks me in the groin. It was a beautiful, violent piece of art. Working with Steve was easy, it was fun, and it was memorable.

“We put a lot of heart into that match. It captures every element you see in a back-and-forth UFC fight. I always love the Iron Man match, too. Pound-for-pound workload, that was the hardest match of my career, but I love the psychology of my match with Steve. I think of the expression, ‘No animals were harmed in the making of the movie.’ There were some hard falls and good shots with Steve, a fight between two warriors.”

Steve Austin and Bret Hart/WrestleMania 13 / Courtesy WWE

The finish remains timeless. As blood gushed across Austin’s face, he sold the gut-wrenching pain of Hart’s Sharpshooter. When Austin’s body quit on him, he still refused to tap, which also set up the following night’s story that solidified Hart as a heel–and laid the groundwork for Austin to become an undeniable star.

“Steve was somebody that had a lot of respect for me, and he showed it in that match,” said Hart. “And I wanted to do all I could for Steve in those days. I was a big advocate for Steve before he ever got to WWF, so I was really happy for him.”

Remarkably, Austin’s fame eventually eclipsed even Hart’s. And Austin remains grateful for the life-altering moment.

“I’ve been lucky to have been part of several WrestleManias,” said Austin. “Rocking the house with the one and only Rock at WrestleMania 17 in Houston, which was basically my backyard. Winning my first championship against Shawn Michaels, the greatest in-ring performer of all-time, at WrestleMania 14, that was special.

“Of all the ones I’ve been part of, my favorite is WrestleMania 13 against Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart when we executed a double turn. I got busted open in that match, transitioned from a heel into a babyface.
It was so paramount in the importance of ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin getting over.”

Austin returned two years ago at WrestleMania for a match against Kevin Owens. Despite the fact he was only three years away from turning 60, he found the fountain of youth in the ring.

Many enduring moments made Austin a legend. Yet, through it all, especially this time of year, he reflects back on WrestleMania 13. The match against Hart set him on an upward trajectory, one that forever changed professional wrestling.

“To come back at WrestleMania 38, against Kevin Owens at the age of 57, I never figured in a million years that was ever going to happen,” said Austin. “There’s been so many good ones. I have a lot of fond memories of WrestleMania. But whenever I have to pick one, it’s always going to WrestleMania 13 with Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart.”