All time classic. Match of the year. The best match in WrestleMania history. These are all phrases that have been used to describe the epic encounter between Austin and Bret Hart at WrestleMania 13. In order to understand just how far Austin's stock had risen throughout 1996, all you have to do is compare his WrestleMania matches from 1996 and 1997. In 1996 at WrestleMania XII, Austin went one on one with Savio Vega as part of a largely forgettable feud that had mid card written all over it. In 1997 at WrestleMania 13, Austin was in the co-main event against the biggest star in the company, Bret Hart. Make no mistake about, Austin and Hart was the rivalry that kicked off what would eventually be known as the Attitude Era. After Hart's comeback at Survivor Series in November 1996, the two grapplers continued their rivalry into early 1997. At the Royal Rumble in January, it looked as though Hart had the Rumble won. He had eliminated Austin, but the referees did not see it, allowing Austin to sneak back into the ring and eliminate Hart and win the Rumble in the process. Then, at February's In Your House event, Austin and Hart were part of an excellent fatal four way match for the WWF title (Shawn Michaels had recently vacated the belt) that Hart won. The following night on RAW, Hart lost the title to Psycho Sid due to interference by Austin. The stage was set for a memorable submission match in March at WrestleMania in Chicago. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x13mkie_stone-cold-vs-bret-hart-wrestlemania-13_sport Looking back, this match clearly should have been for the WWF title. Nobody remembers the Undertaker vs. Sid main event for the belt, but everyone remembers the iconic moments from the Austin/Hart match. Ken Shamrock was also brought in as the special referee (Hart had recently convinced Shamrock that getting into wrestling would be a good career choice for him). This match had it all: the biggest star in the WWF, the fastest rising star in the WWF, and one of the most successful UFC fighters of the era. Add in the notoriously vocal Chicago wrestling audience, and you just knew this was going to be something special. The ending of the match marked a major turning point for the future of the company. Austin and Hart pulled a double switch where the heel Austin officially became the company's top babyface, and the long time babyface Hart became the company's top heel. It was done masterfully, as Bret synched in his Sharpshooter while the tough Texas Rattlesnake refused to submit. The iconic images of a bloodied Austin attempting to power out of the Sharpshooter are well known, but in the end Austin could not get out as he passed out from blood loss. Shamrock stopped the match, raising Hart's hand in victory, but the audience was most impressed with the fact that Austin was so tough that he would pass out before he would submit. Hart's heel turn occurred when he did the lowest thing one could do at this point: he kicked the passed out Austin while he was down. As Hart left the Rosemont Horizon to a chorus of boos, Austin exited to cheers when he walked out under his own power, refusing any assistance from officials. This marked the start of Austin's run as the company's top babyface, a run that would carry the company to unparalleled heights in the coming years.
