Why Bret Hart Vs Stone Cold Steve Austin Transformed The Wrestling Business

9. The Grandest Stage

Bret Hart Stone Cold Steve Austin
WWE Network

With a lousy buyrate, a tepid undercard and a poor main event, WrestleMania 13 was by no means a banner event. Stone Cold Steve Austin and Bret Hart didn't just steal the show, they completely saved it.

And it wasn't just that edition of the show they rescued, either. For years during WWE's commercial nadir, WrestleMania had become the biggest reflection of the company's financial and creative depths.

WrestleMania XIIs shallow undercard was hidden by an only-okay hour-long main event, WrestleMania X was salvaged by four wrestlers and the Madison Square Garden setting, and WrestleMania XI is a jumped-up house show littered with celebrities presented from the confines of WWE's nearest and cheapest location.

The Hart/Austin match was not only impactful live, but even more transcendent in repeat viewings, allowing the company to re-establish the tired narrative of WrestleMania's stature and pageantry in the industry.

A year later, and again on Austin's shoulders, the message had bled through. Perception had become reality at one of the most crucial times in the company's war with WCW. Gaining huge mainstream interest thanks to the involvement of Mike Tyson, and exhibiting a sense of danger and excitement throughout the broadcast, WrestleMania XIV was promoted as the destination for wrestling fans.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett