10 Matches That Made Chicago The Hottest Wrestling City In The World

2. Bret Hart Vs Stone Cold Steve Austin (WrestleMania 13)

Cm Punk Stars
WWE.com

Steve Austin has joined numerous performers over the years in showering praise on the Rosemont Horizon (now the Allstate Arena) punters as being the loudest, most energetic crowd to work in front of.

A regular touring spot for decades, the company has swung by the city for decades and 'The Rattlesnake' will know doubt still the reverberations from countless loops as the top star in the entire industry.

However, his place in the hearts and minds of the Chicago faithful was sealed forever after his blistering WrestleMania 13 war with Bret Hart.

Emblematic of the city's rebellious reputation, Austin and the 'Hitman' engaged an uncompromising and brutal battle. Evocative, entrancing and exhausting, the duo gave every physical and mental attribute they had in crafting the most important contest in the company's history.

Cheered and jeered on by a crowd superbly conducted by two of the finest band leaders in the history of the art form, their titanic struggle and concluding double turn redefined 'era-defining', and needed the unvarnished veracity of the natives as a soundtrack to their composition.

Like any wrestling masterpiece, all the circumstances need to converge perfectly in order to elevate a contest beyond the norm. The wild Rosemont Horizon atmosphere was a vital element.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett