Ranking The Biggest Rivalries In Wrestling Every Year 1990-2020
24. 1997 - Bret Hart Vs Stone Cold Steve Austin
WCW dominated the commercial landscape in 1997, but their patient build to Hulk Hogan Vs Sting was slaughtered by the rotten conclusion of their record-smashing Starrcade at the end of that year.
In contrast, WWE presented Stone Cold Steve Austin Vs Bret Hart to their smallest ever WrestleMania audience and Raw ratings that couldn't touch those on the other side. But the end result catapulted the entire company into enough dominance that they'd have a North American monopoly four years later.
The WrestleMania 13 submission match was the most transcendent in company history. Masterfully mixing believable violence with cathartic pro wrestling theatre, the intricately crafted double turn set both off on the new courses the company needed, while the style foreshadowed the controlled and consumer-friendly chaos of the Attitude Era.