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

8. The Best Seat In The House

Bret Hart Stone Cold Steve Austin
WWE Network

Though matches had occasionally spilled out into the crowd in the past, fighting amongst fans was a rarity in WWE until Austin and 'The Hitman' made fantastic use of the trope.

Brawling up into the stands early, the two re-aligned a drab-sounding 'Submission Match' stipulation by highlighting the no holds barred element that suited their heated rivalry far more than a chase for holds and tap-outs.

The energetic brawl (well-manned by guest referee Ken Shamrock, who gamely followed them throughout) gained rapturous support from those they strolled past during the battle, and added an energy to the contest that didn't subside until both men had walked back through the curtain.

It was used again to great effect later in the year, with Bret tussling with Michaels amongst his partisan Montreal faithful during their notorious Montreal clash, and would become a staple of main events as a masking agent for Austin's growing injury problems.

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