WWE: 10 Wrestlers Who Broke Out As Major Stars At WrestleMania

6. Stone Cold Steve Austin

Perhaps the greatest breakout performance in WrestleMania history came on March 23, 1997 when Steve Austin squared off with Bret Hart in a submission match at the event's thirteenth installment. Austin had been riding a wave of momentum since his first match with Hart in November of 1996 at the Survivor Series. That bout was a five-star classic and cemented Austin as one of the best wrestlers on the planet. His foul mouth and take-no-prisoners attitude endeared him to a portion of the audience who was in their teen and young-adult years and had, quite frankly, grown bored with the traditional smiling babyface. So when Austin entered the Rosemont Horizon for his match against Hart at WrestleMania 13, he had already garnered a great deal of support from the audience. Austin and Hart tore the house down in Chicago as they delivered one of the greatest matches, and stories, in WWE history. It was a violent, vicious brawl that saw each competitor attempting to force a submission out of their opponent. At one point, Hart sent Austin face-first into the steel guardrail, busting him open in the process. With blood pouring from a laceration on his forehead, Austin continued to dish out punishment to his hated rival but Hart was able to take control and lock in the Sharpshooter. The camera panned in for a closeup of Austin's face, blood spilling over his eyes, down his cheeks and into his mouth as he screamed in pain. Summoning all of his remaining energy, Austin tried to break the hold but Hart held on and sat down deeper on the lower back of his opponent. With nothing left, Austin passed out and special referee Ken Shamrock called for the bell. The fans in Chicago booed Hart, who continued his attack after the bell, and cheered as Austin struggled to his feet, refusing help. As Stone Cold limped to the back, wiping blood from his eyes, it became clear that his performance, coupled with the response of the audience, had created a major star. Few could have imagined just how major a star Austin would become. By the following year's event, Austin would be the top babyface in the industry and the leader of an era that would result in the greatest financial success WWE ever experienced.