10 WWE Superstars That Got Over In Losing Efforts
1. Stone Cold Steve Austin
Is there a single, greater example of a match where the loser walked out a bigger star than he was coming into the match than WrestleMania 13's Submission Match?
Bret 'Hitman' Hart vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin, often considered the greatest match in WrestleMania history, is also one of the most important matches in WWE history given how it launched The Rattlesnake into the stratosphere.
In their Submission Match, Bret Hart helped propel Steve Austin towards the main event. Tangled up in the Sharpshooter, Austin, pain etched on his face, refused to give up and instead passed out with blood pouring down his face and dripping between his teeth. It became THE flagship image of the Attitude Era.
Despite losing the match as a heel, Austin left the Rosemont Horizon as a babyface with a sold-out crowd chanting, "Austin, Austin!" As good as Stone Cold was, he has Bret Hart's professionalism to thank for taking him to the next level. Like others before him, Austin would end up winning the WWF Championship at the next WrestleMania by defeating Shawn Michaels.
When one thinks of superstars that benefited the most from losing, there can be no better answer than Stone Cold Steve Austin.