During an interview on The Ariel Helwani Show, WWE Hall of Famer Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart provided deep insight into the legendary WrestleMania 13 submission match against ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, breaking down the unique storytelling and psychological layers that he believes cement its status as a WWE “Immortal Moment.”
Hart described the match as a “gem” and an “experiment,” revealing crucial context unknown to fans at the time. “I knew, and Steve found out that day that I was going to turn heel the following night on Raw,” Hart explained. “We were the only two that knew that.” This knowledge informed the match’s structure. Hart sensed Austin was also on the verge of a character shift: “My instincts told me that Steve was also going to turn… I kind of knew it was a heel turn and a babyface turn all in the same match.”
The brilliance, according to Hart, lay in executing this complex dynamic within the match itself, dramatically shifting audience perception in real-time. “The psychology of that… I always think about when I walked out to the ring, I got a pretty hearty cheer from everybody. I was the good guy… and when I walked back through the same crowd at the end of it, I was definitely the bad guy,” he recalled. “So what happened in 30 minutes or 35 minutes changed all that. That’s the storytelling.”
It is this masterful narrative execution, Hart believes, that justifies the match’s esteemed recognition. “I think that’s the reason I think that match was as great as they’re saying it is today,” he concluded.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Ariel Helwani with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
