Steve Austin's WrestleMania Matches Ranked - From Worst To Best

1. Vs. Bret Hart - WrestleMania XIII

Simply put, this is one of the greatest matches in the history of WrestleMania. It was the match that made Steve Austin a megastar, the match that kicked Bret Hart off on his way to a great heel run and a match that set the stall out for Attitude Era main events to come. It was an absolute lesson in ring psychology, and it pulled off arguably the greatest double turn in professional wrestling history. Steve Austin was a genuine loose cannon at the moment, an angry man tired of being held down whose pride was everything, a man who would stop at nothing to show his viciousness. Bret Hart was well on the way to becoming an ornery old veteran, someone who had achieved everything yet still didn't seem to get the requisite respect from the company. Austin was greeted with boos, Hart with a mixture of boos and cheers. This isn't to say the crowd wasn't totally invested, far from it, and right off the bat the action is fast and intense. They brawl to start, something that was still fairly rare at the time and added extra tension to the match. A Submission Match, Hart worked over Austin's dodgy knees throughout as the crowd slowly got behind the seemingly indestructible Stone Cold. All of which led to one of the most memorable and iconic images of the entire decade, if not the history of professional wrestling. Austin had been busted wide open, and as Hart slapped the Sharpshooter on him he tried with all of his might to push out of it. The image of Austin, screaming in pain, blood dripping out of his bald head and down to his teeth but refusing, flat-out refusing to give in is one that defined him as a character. Moments later Austin would pass out, and special referee Ken Shamrock raises Hart's arm in victory. On the surface, professional wrestling is about matches where one competitor wins and the other loses. This match is proof that there is so much more to the art. Austin lost the match, but this was arguably the biggest win of his career from a reputation and popularity standpoint. It also removed any indecision when it came to company thinking. They had their next star. The era of Stone Cold Steve Austin was about to begin.