20 Days That Changed WWE Forever

By 1997, Nitro was pummeling Raw in the ratings, and by extension, WCW was winning the wrestling war. While established WWF stars like Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, and The Undertaker were still popular, they couldn't compete with WCW and the nWo.

That didn't stop them from trying, though - nor did it stop the WWF from pushing Steve Austin, a rising villain who had been wasted during a four-year tenure with WCW. The previous year, Austin had burst onto the scene with a surprising King of the Ring victory and an audacious call-out of former WWF Champion Hart, and their feud continued into WrestleMania 13.

It was clear that a changing of the guard was in order as the two men geared up for their submission match. Though Austin was the cruel heel and Hart the valiant babyface, fans had begun to respond well to 'Stone Cold' - so much so, that they were losing interest in Hart. It was clear that the old good-versus-bad paradigm as it existed was becoming outdated.

At WrestleMania, Hart and Austin battled in one of the best matches in WWF history, but more importantly, they set the stage for the next several years of WWF success. Hart bullied Austin during the match, beating him to a pulp and ultimately winning with his Sharpshooter - but only because Austin passed out while refusing to submit. That made Austin a brand-new babyface to an adoring crowd, and Hart's post-match attack cemented him as the company's top heel.

WWF's fortunes wouldn't change overnight - indeed, there were desperate times ahead - but the seeds were planted on 23 March 1997.