#1.) vs ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin – WrestleMania 13
This may be one of the most important matches in WWE history. Had this not happened the way it did, it’s unlikely that Steve Austin would be the star that he would end up becoming. Hart and Austin had faced in 1996 in what was also an instant classic. However, their WrestleMania 13 matches is regarded as one of the greatest of all time, across any era.
Their submission match had no titles on the line, and it was the frustrated babyface Bret Hart vs the up-and-coming nasty heel Steve Austin. The match was bloody, it was brutal and the two would go on for a very long time. The finish saw one of the most iconic moments in WWE history. Austin was a bloody mess and he was locked in a sharpshooter. Absolutely refusing to give up, the crowd began to see the guts and heart of Austin, and they began to cheer for him.
This would be the most famous double turn in wrestling history. Austin would pass out and Hart would attack him after the match, receiving a chorus of boos. He walked into the match as a babyface but walked out a heel. Austin would gain momentum despite the loss and the following year, he would cement his place as the face of the WWF. The rest, as they say, is history. The WWF would never be the same again.
