8 Seriously Underrated Stone Cold Steve Austin WWE Matches
4. Vs. Bret Hart - In Your House: Revenge Of The Taker
Ah yes, the 'forgotten' Bret Hart versus Steve Austin match. This one took place just a month after their classic Submission match at WrestleMania 13 and about six months after their other classic at Survivor Series '96. Steve Austin was now on his way to becoming the biggest babyface in the business, while an attitude change had cost Bret a large portion of his American fanbase.
It was a tall order trying to better what was arguably the greatest WrestleMania match ever. They didn't exactly go all-out as they had at the Showcase of the Immortals but they didn't need to. This was a continuation of the story, the next chapter if you will and was never going to be better than 'Mania. It was different, and different is good.
The Hitman was relishing his new heel role, attacking Austin's knee viciously with a steel chair and adding a lot of heelish mannerisms that he hadn't displayed since his Hart Foundation days in the late 80s/early 90s. Austin kept fighting back, even though it was obvious his limb was injured. Bret, smelling blood, took advantage with the old ringpost-assisted Figure Four Leglock, as Stone Cold writhed in pain.
Like the heroic babyface he now was positioned as, Austin refused to give up and managed to brawl his way back into things before locking The Excellence of Execution in his very own Sharpshoot. Regrettably, before he could get Bret to tap, The British Bulldog ran in and decked him with a steel chair, causing the disqualification.
A lot of people are down on this match because it headlined a thoroughly mediocre pay-per-view and had something of a cop-out ending, but the work in the match is crisp and the ending actually helped kickstart the hottest feud of the year.
Better than you remember it being, I promise.