10 Best Stone Cold Steve Austin WWE Moments
3. Death By Sharpshooter
Widely regarded as one of the greatest matches in WWE history, Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Bret Hart is the easy showstealer of WrestleMania 13. The blood-soaked battle provided a new chapter for both men with Hart moving into heel territory and Austin finally becoming the babyface fans wanted.
Brawling all over Chicago’s Rosemont Horizon arena, the 2 put each other through hell in the sadistic quest to make the other man quit. A masterclass in storytelling, the match depicts the once noble Hart succumbing to villainy as the renegade Austin gradually reveals the true extent of his endurance and courage. To the Hitman, the crowd had already turned on him, failing him in a time when he was suffering numerous kayfabe setbacks. Their support of a morally scrupulous character like Austin simply bolstered Hart’s determination to knock Stone Cold down.
The visceral, stiff style displayed by both competitors added a sense of vicious, hateful realism unlike anything else WWE offered that night. By the end, Austin is a bleeding mess, agonisingly refusing to give into the Hitman’s signature submission hold. Passing out in a pool of his own blood, Austin woke up to a standing ovation from audiences. Amazed by the quality of the bout, WWE quickly began Austin’s push to takeover as the promotion’s lead babyface.