10 Biggest Swerves WWE Made Before WrestleMania
6. Sycho Sid Wins The Title From Bret Hart (1997)
Cheating like the heel he was, Steve Austin eliminated Bret Hart and (the fake) Diesel to win the 1997 Royal Rumble. Austin had already been eliminated by Hart, but as the referees had missed his tumble to the floor entirely, Stone Cold re-entered the ring. His win promised something fresh on top come WrestleMania 13.
When Shawn Michaels beat Sycho Sid in the Rumble's main event, it seemed like Austin vs. Michaels was a possibility for 'Mania. The much more obvious scenario involved running a rematch from 'Mania XII between Michaels and Bret Hart, with the latter seemingly poised to exact revenge and beat HBK.
Neither match would happen. Vacating the title due to a supposed knee injury, Shawn Michaels "lost his smile" and was removed from contention for a main event berth at WrestleMania. Shortly afterwards, a heroic Bret Hart win in a Fatal-4-Way bout (also involving Austin) at In Your House 13 in February appeared to set up Hart vs. Austin for the WWF Title as the most logical choice.
24 hours after winning the title, Hart was beaten by Sid on Raw and the card switched around again. Instead of any matches previously pitched for WrestleMania, a series of twists and turns meant new champ Sid would defend against The Undertaker and Hart would battle his enemy Austin on the undercard.