100 Greatest WWE Matches Of All Time (Ranked)
1. Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin (WrestleMania 13)
Shock! Or not. Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin at Survivor Series 1996 was like a pilot for what was coming next. That test run showed how much chemistry they had as diametrically opposed characters, but (crucially) not as in-ring workers. Indeed, Austin and Hart had more in common as pro wrestlers than either wanted to freely admit over the microphone heading into WrestleMania 13.
Austin would later admit to being slightly hesitant about the added submission stipulation, largely because he hadn't really used holds since abandoning Ted DiBiase's Million Dollar Dream. Both managed to overcome that, and it's also true that incoming UFC man Ken Shamrock acting as a special enforcer/referee helped the attraction shine brighter.
Nobody was going to mess with the 'World's Most Dangerous Man' - not even Bret or 'Stone Cold'.
The greatest compliment one could pay to Bret and Steve here is that they orchestrated a double turn like one happened every single week on television. That's how easy they made it look. Fans had started to get behind Austin's antihero persona, and Bret's character didn't like the changing face of the WWF audience. Mid-match, there was a definite swing towards Steve becoming top babyface and Hart becoming a weary veteran heel.
A closing shot of blood trickling down Austin's face as he passed out in Bret's Sharpshooter finish cemented his popularity and became somewhat of a WWE production staffer's dream from that point on. Hart continuing to attack after the bell confirmed his heel status with booing fans who wanted more 'Stone Cold'.
Wrestling fans will never grow tired of this classic.
We hope you enjoyed this collection of WWE's best matches ever. For more wrestling, check out 15 WWE Gimmick Changes That IMMEDIATELY Backfired and 15 Times WWE Stars Made Cameos BEFORE They Were Famous!