The 'Best Wrestlemania Match of All Time' Was Between Steve Austin and Bret Hart
When wrestling fans debate the absolute pinnacle of sports entertainment, the conversation always circles back to March 23, 1997. According to a retrospective by The Ringer, the submission match between Bret "The Hitman" Hart and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13 hasn't just been named the best WrestleMania match of all time, it's credited with saving the entire company.
At the time, World Championship Wrestling (WCW) was completely dominating the Monday Night Wars. They had the corporate cash, the hotter storylines, and a 70-30 edge to leave the WWF in the dust. But on one spring night in Chicago, Hart and Austin went out and delivered a masterclass in storytelling that single-handedly turned the tide of the war.
Wrestlemania 13 Double-Turn
What makes this match the holy grail for wrestling historians is the flawless execution of the rare "double-turn." Austin entered the arena as a foul-mouthed, ruthless villain, while Hart was the long-established hero of the company.
By the time the final bell rang, their roles had completely flipped.
As The Ringer points out, Hart didn't turn heel because he became evil; he turned because his self-righteous goodness was unappreciated by a changing, edgier crowd. He wrestled in a sullen, vicious funk. Austin, meanwhile, showed an agonizing level of grit that earned the ultimate respect of the audience. Hart technically won the match, but never has a loser of a contest walked out as such a massive winner.
Freestyled Warfare and Unscripted Blood
The match was a brutal, arena-wide brawl guest-refereed by UFC legend Ken Shamrock to bring a legitimate, gritty vibe. The two icons traded blows through the crowd, with Austin slamming sodas at Hart and brawling up the steps. It was also the very first time Hart unleashed his iconic figure-four leglock around the ring post.
But it's the climax of the match that remains an indelible piece of pop-culture history. After Austin was launched into the ringside barricade, his head was viciously cut open. Interestingly enough, WWE executives had strictly forbidden the wrestlers from bleeding. Trusting their instincts, Hart and Austin broke the rules anyway without telling management or even Shamrock.
To avoid massive fines after the show, Hart recently revealed on The Masked Man Show that he and Austin actually staged a fake, heated argument backstage to convince officials the bleeding was an accident.
The Iconic Visual
The match concluded with a crimson-masked Austin trapped in Hart's legendary Sharpshooter submission. Instead of tapping out, Austin screamed in agony, his face covered in blood, trying to push himself off the mat until he finally passed out from the pain. Shamrock stopped the match, awarding Hart the victory, but the visual of Austin's absolute refusal to quit launched the "Stone Cold" phenomenon into the stratosphere.
Twenty-eight years after that historic night, WWE recently honored the bout with its inaugural Immortal Moment Award at the 2026 Hall of Fame ceremony.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 16, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published May 16, 2026 at 12:00 AM.