WrestleMania 13 was the first 'Mania card not to sell out the building which hosted it. The Rosemont Horizon in Illinois, now known as the Allstate Arena, was papered to help fill it out, which may be baffling to younger fans who are used to WrestleMania taking place in huge stadiums. In 1997, the then-WWF product wasn't hot, even if one match on the undercard still makes the show relevant. Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart is a memorable, hard-hitting Submission Match. The action still holds up today, and the bout is notable for featuring a double turn - Austin becoming a defacto babyface, and longtime good guy Hart a heel. Miserably, there was little else essential on the card, and that includes the WWF Title main event between The Undertaker and Sycho Sid. On one level, the match was too long. Going just over 20 minutes, fans in the arena were noticeably bored by the conclusion. In fairness, the Hart vs. Austin epic had been that good, so it was only natural people would be a little jaded. That bout should have finished 'Mania 13, it would have been a much more fitting finale.
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.
