Stone Cold Steve Austin and Bret “The Hitman” Hart’s celebrated wrestling match at WrestleMania 13 is set to grace the WWE Hall of Fame this year.
A recent announcement made waves in the wrestling world as the thrilling bout was revealed to be the pioneering “Immortal Moment” to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame at the impending WrestleMania 41.
During an autograph signing event, “American Icon Autographs,” Austin was confronted with questions about the upcoming induction from his fans.
There were some notable moments from this interaction, as outlined below:
Reflecting on the significance of the induction, Austin had a nuanced perspective. He acknowledged his sentiments, saying, “Yes and no. Sure, it was one hell of a match and we recognized it then. I think its occurrence in Chicago, which is somewhat of a bastion for me, amplified its impact, but it would’ve ignited interests anywhere, chiefly because it was against Bret The Hitman Hart. There are certain backstage tales related to this that I prefer not to discuss, but unquestionably, it was a remarkable match. It’s humbling that it’s still fondly recollected nearly three decades later, and if it were not for the fans, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Hence, the continued relevance of that match and its initiation into the 2025 Hall Of Fame not only signals a significant achievement but is also quite remarkable.”
When quizzed about another match that he would have preferred to be inducted first, he said, “Mate, my bout with Steamboat was an absolute thriller, it was a 30-minute spectacle at the LA Forum a century ago, but unfortunately, no one filmed it, since it was merely a house show. However, I have to say, it was indeed a spectacular match. I also loved my match with Rock at the 17th WrestleMania in Houston at the Astrodome, as that was a night when every player was on fire, making it one of the most memorable WrestleManias ever. But, ultimately, the show’s success is a collective effort, and everyone tried their best to put on the greatest match possible. Apart from these, my pre-accident match with Owen Hart was also quite something. However, there were also occasions when, well, let’s just say we didn’t exactly hit our marks.”