Was Bret " Hitman " Hart v " Stone Cold " Steve Austin .The Best Mania match of all time from a wrestling view point of view?

[Carter]

Before I start I know Rock v Hogan will be considered the best but im talking in terms of wrestling not Rock carrying one of the best of all time in hogan who was in his 50s.

This match was a submission match and this is where he genius of Vince back then comment into effect he said Steve if you're not gonna quit we need color ( blood ) bret agreed. Austin knowing bret was one of the safest workers in the business was like ok, I've been here a year vince if this what you want I'll do it, It had everything in it old style wrestling , catch wrestling, just a straight up great match.

Nobody carries one another they both went for it hammer and tong,tbh I think Vince seen this in Austin and knew he was going to make good business and a ton of money ( I hate talking about that shite ) against the best worker in WWF at the time in Bret, I think it was the reason rec Vince put Austin as top babyface after the Shawn and bret b.s. That match in my eyes made Austin the top guy in the industry without that great match would we of got " Stone cold " ?? Who knows but thats why vinces said to Steve it will work trust me, knowing what we know what went to become the most successful period Wrestling known fondly as the attitude Era.

Would it of happened without This match first, nobody knows, I'm just grateful it did as I got to witness my favourite all time wrestler becoming in my eyes the GOAT and I'd like to say on this occasion thank you Vince for all the great memories that came after this match.

This was the visual that I fondly remember

 

[Chris]

My favorite Austin match of all time, potentially Bret too honestly....Shamrock as well fuck it.

Had it on an Austin VHS as a little kid and watched this bloodbath way too much

 

[Carter]

My favorite Austin match of all time, potentially Bret too honestly....Shamrock as well fuck it.

Had it on an Austin VHS as a little kid and watched this bloodbath way too much

Chris thanks for the reply same am 36 bu the blood was gory, reading into it, vince suggested the color ( blood) Austin said ok and he knew bret was good in the ring amd wouldn't mess it up.

 

[Cwalker]

The best match of Austin's WWE tenure and arguably his entire career. Everyone did their job perfectly. Austin was on the rise but this is the match that made him.

I think I'd still take Taker/Shawn from Wrestlemania 25 over this though

 

[Deezy]

I'm a biased Bret fan.......but Austin/Rock 17 was better.

 

[CakeWalker]

My favorite Austin match of all time, potentially Bret too honestly....Shamrock as well fuck it.

Had it on an Austin VHS as a little kid and watched this bloodbath way too much

Interesting OP Chris - I mean personally the Wrestlemania XX main-event was one of my favourite matches of all time at mania for the Dub. But saying that I was more of a WCW fan in the 90s - so my views might be slightly bias.

 

[Carter]

Glad most of you guys thought the same, the way Austin just wouldn't give in back then we didn't know about kayfabe as kids if u did then good on you but I sure as hell didn't, my favourite wrestler was gonna die as the blood wouldn't stop, what a match. Then he passes out without tapping bravo to Vince for this idea.

 

[Requiredderiuqer]

Interesting question.

It is said to be a perfect mix of brawling and technical wrestling, but i think there's also kind of pressure to consider this to be the greatest WM match ever (let alone WWE) , just like there's a pressure, e.g. to consider Russo an idiot. Same people who endlessly have been praising AE are ones who 've been saying that Russo is an idiot... 'cause "everyone says so". Same people.

To me, that submission match is overrated.

From both "wrestling" and story-telling perspective it's an overrated match, cause it was just a melee. Bret Hart was a gifted athlete, but there's no psychology in his matches. And Austin wasn't a brawler on a level of a Brody or Hansen.

 

[Carter]

Interesting question.

It is said to be a perfect mix of brawling and technical wrestling, but i think there's also kind of pressure to consider this to be the greatest WM match ever (let alone WWE) , just like there's a pressure, e.g. to consider Russo an idiot. Same people who endlessly have been praising AE are ones who 've been saying that Russo is an idiot... 'cause "everyone says so". Same people.

To me, that submission match is overrated.

From both "wrestling" and story-telling perspective it's an overrated match, cause it was just a melee. Bret Hart was a gifted athlete, but there's no psychology in his matches. And Austin wasn't a brawler on a level of a Brody or Hansen.

Why we all have our own opinions and i can respect you're opinion too.

 

[Swamps]

Interesting question.

It is said to be a perfect mix of brawling and technical wrestling, but i think there's also kind of pressure to consider this to be the greatest WM match ever (let alone WWE) , just like there's a pressure, e.g. to consider Russo an idiot. Same people who endlessly have been praising AE are ones who 've been saying that Russo is an idiot... 'cause "everyone says so". Same people.

To me, that submission match is overrated.

From both "wrestling" and story-telling perspective it's an overrated match, cause it was just a melee. Bret Hart was a gifted athlete, but there's no psychology in his matches. And Austin wasn't a brawler on a level of a Brody or Hansen.

I wouldn't say this match is overrated. This match set the course for a lot of things to come. The epic double turn was great and led to the Birth of Austin's run. A lot of folks think it was the King of the Ring, but forget that WWF didn't do anything with SCSA for a while.

You are right. Austin wasn't the Brawler that Brody and Hansen were because people they would legit beat the hell outta people in the ring. However, if you ever watch Stunning Steve Austin's matches in WCW, you will see he was a great mat technician.

However, is it the greatest? That is debatable. Its all opinionated. Hogan vs Andre at WM 3 told a great story too and got a lot of attention.