Original subtitles

Oh, look at these legions of Brett Hitman Hart fans.

I'm like the star quarterback on the high school team, and then this new kid

comes to the school.

He's bald -headed, and he's got an attitude, and he's a badass.

I'd like to issue a challenge against one Brett Hitman Hart. What? They

both had this incredible energy, but they were two completely different.

characters. If you put the letter S in front of Hitman, you've had my exact

opinion of Bret Hart.

The way this is being presented, it would really piss me off.

He had to rise to that occasion.

We'll see who kicks whose ass.

If you like Holyfield and Tyson, you're gonna love this.

Do I know a whole lot of wrestling hoes? Hell no, I don't. But I'll beat the

hell out of you till you do say I quit.

This is about athleticism a hell of a fight.

I'm talking about two guys that could make really small things mean an awful

lot. Austin will not surrender.

This guy's going to die in his home. He ain't going to give up. He ain't going

to give up.

And that's where you make Steve Austin.

Without Brett, I don't think we got Stone Cold.

When two legends collide,

their rivalry stays pinned in our minds.

This is where we break down the legendary stories behind the greatest

of all time.

I'm Freddie Prinze Jr., and this is WWE Rivals.

Today, we're going to discuss two men at very different points in their careers,

and that is Stone Cold Steve Austin and Bret Hitman Hart.

I feel like Bret Hart at that time was a pure good guy.

Especially as a Canadian. I mean, Bret Hart is like, let's give him the wall of

fame. Let's make this man our prime minister. Like, he is it. You want to

about, like, the most famous man in the world? I mean, I feel like when you look

at especially Canadian athletes growing up, it was like it was Bret Hart.

Thank you, Bret!

Since he was born, he's been wrestling.

I mean, he knows it all. He really, really does.

He never had a bad match.

I used to watch him every night. We used to watch him marvel about how great a

wrestler he was.

Man, in the mid -90s, Brett was huge.

And I think people liked him because he was almost like an everyman.

You know, he wasn't over -the -top gigantic, but he had this confident

You know, he was just a cool guy.

Unbelievable technical wrestler, but also had credibility.

I earned being an Intercontinental Champion.

I earned being a World Wrestling Federation Champion.

Bret Hart was the man. He was the best guy in the WWE at the time.

Bret took an enormous amount of pride in his performance.

That was who Bret Hart was.

I'm the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be.

Bret, the Hitman Hart.

Rhett Hart stepped up to be the perfect face of the company.

I'm sure a pro wrestler such as yourself will appreciate all the closet space,

Hitman.

In a lot of ways, I was in my prime, just full of fire, and just wanted to

really prove myself every day.

I looked up to the guy, and he was lobbying for me to come to WWE way back

the day.

Stunning Steve Austin, United States Heavyweight Champion.

I remember watching Steve Austin on TV.

I remember going, he's actually a really good wrestler. I would like to wrestle

that guy.

But of course he was with WCW.

I was a very big WWE guy when I was younger, but I'd watched all wrestling,

then I got to see Steve in WCW, what an incredible in -ring wrestler he was.

Pick him up, what's he going to do? Whoa!

I was like, oh my goodness, this guy's just not a good wrestler. He's a

phenomenal wrestler.

I hope he gets more opportunities to show that.

I actually mentioned it to Vince. I said, why don't you try to get Steve

from WCW?

And it was like somebody, maybe Vince or somebody, he did the call or it all

might have been a coincidence, but they called him and he showed up. I remember

I was like, he's in the dressing room. I go, there you are.

I'm going to prove how good the ringmaster is.

Brought in as a ringmaster.

They never had any plans for me to be a star.

The ringmaster was something that just didn't fit.

It was good for someone who was good, but it wasn't good for someone who had

greatness written all over him.

I think he started to realize that the ringmaster wasn't the future for him.

I've been held back for years and years and years, and this is the chance of a

lifetime, man.

If you think I'm going to drop the ball, you've got another thing coming.

Well, that's cold. No, man.

That's stone cold.

Steve transformed himself within literally a couple months to Stone Cold

Austin. Black boots, black tights, shaved the head, goatee, steely blue

and just talking trash. I thought, damn it, this guy's pretty freaking cool.

You're a piece of garbage.

You don't deserve to be in the same ring with Stone Cold.

He was the baddest mug around.

He had a certain, like, swagger about him. Like, he commanded the presence.

He walked inside an arena.

You could just tell he had that magnetism, and it was a good vibe you

getting. Like, he was a guy you could easily really hate as a bad guy. You

there was nothing going to hold Steve Austin back.

Steve Austin is on a roll. Look at the eyes of this guy.

After I came up with the Stone Cold Steve Austin thing, things started

You're looking at the next king of the ring, Stone Cold.

Stone Cold Steve Austin was this badass walking to the ring.

Austin is cold, calculating, and very, very focused.

King of the Ring at the time was an annual WWE tradition that was a single

elimination tournament that would see one superstar, usually

a breakout star, have the honor of wearing the crown in the WWE.

King of the Ring, Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Talk about yourselves, talk about John 316.

Austin 316 says I just whipped your ass.

The Austin 316 promo, that was the shot in the arm.

A light switching moment for Steve, like, boom, this is the character.

And that's the bottom line, because Stone Cold said so.

Stone Cold had just won King of the Ring and had the famous Austin 316 quote.

The entire business changed that day in Milwaukee. When he said that Austin 316

line, the next day we come out, there's Austin 316 signs everywhere.

I feel like the Austin 316 shirt was like the most popular shirt in the

Like overnight, it felt like. As soon as they released that shirt, that shirt

just sold out like that. So as a kid during that time period, of course

going to get swept up in the whole excitement.

So post -King of the Ring, Austin's on fire.

David's safe to say that Stone Cold.

Is red hot right now?

But he's not quite there yet. He needs to get to the next level. And in order

do that, he has to wrestle someone who is already at that level.

So what does Stone Cold do?

I'd like to use this chance to issue a challenge against one Bret the Hitman

Hart. What?

He calls out Bret Hart.

To beat a man, you got to beat the man.

Bret Hart was the man.

He felt like he wanted to test his will. You know, like, I feel like I'm the man

right now. And who's been calling himself the man? That's what I'm going

I'm the best there is.

I'm the best there was.

And I'm the best there ever will be.

We're talking about Bret Hart.

The Hitman, one of the greatest legends of all time. I know exactly who I'm

talking about, son.

Yeah, we want Brett.

I took time off after the Ironman match with Sean.

I've never seen two more determined individuals.

Just kind of training and preparing and thinking about whether or not I want to

come back, and I'm sure I will. I think it's somewhere down the line.

And all that time is when Steve's transformed from the ringmaster and all

to Stone Cold.

Stone Cold Steve Austin started calling out Bret Hart every single chance that

he got.

I spit on the life, the career, and the family of Bret the Hitman Hart.

As soon as Steve started cutting those promos, our fans started using their

imaginations about just how good this rivalry could be.

Let me make myself clear.

If you put the letter S in front of Hitman, you've had my exact opinion of

Hart.

On the night I cut that promo on Bret where I said, if you put the letter S in

front of Hitman, you have my exact opinion of Bret Hart.

That was something that I thought of probably before I went out there, but I

didn't buzz it by anybody because I knew it wasn't going to fly if I pitched it

to Vince.

So that was something I came up with because it sounded cool and it worked.

It resonated because it was so disrespectful because everybody's doing

in their head. He just said a really bad thing about a really great guy.

Man, that's pretty cool. Wish I wasn't saying that about Brett.

Brett, if you ever do come back, and I hope you do, son, somebody's going to

their ass whipped.

You know, Brett, you know that I'm better than you.

The fact that he was saying all these things about me, the way this is being

presented, it would really piss me off.

And mark my word, if Bret Hart does come back, I'll kick the hell out of him.

When I said the things that I said, it pissed the fans off. That's what made

and it became personal.

No one had gotten that personal with Bret before. Like, he had to rise to

occasion.

Bret's been out of the game for a while, and everyone wants to know if Bret's

going to accept this match.

Please tell us, what's in the future for Brett the Hitman Hart? And by the way,

welcome back. The one thing that's been missing in the World Wrestling

Federation for about the last five or six months has been me.

No doubt about it.

Which is why I've decided to accept the challenge.

And in the Survivor Series, I will face...

Stone Cold Steve Austin.

He's like this brash and up a newcomer. And it's like, OK, let me show you what

a man is, though.

We'll see who kicks whose ass.

Everybody,

are you

ready for the Survivor Series tonight?

My first high -profile match was Survivor Series 1996, Madison Square

with Bret the Hitman Hart.

Everybody talks about the best there is, the best there was, all the other crap.

The excellence of execution.

Bret, cliches are cliches, and an ass -whipping is an ass -whipping, and

exactly what you're going to get tonight at the hands of Stone Cold Steve

Austin, and that's the bottom line.

I was feeling really good and really confident because I had a lot of steam

me. I was getting over as a heel, and I felt good about where I was.

This man soon told Steve Austin to spoil the comeback attempt up front to hit

man hard.

I do remember thinking, oh, no, this is a genuine threat to Brett.

It's a real funny feeling that comes over you because when they hit that

shred as his music starts, it all of a sudden chills down your spine and gives

you goosebumps.

I remember sitting in Madison Square Garden waiting for that match.

Not only was it Bret Hart's return to the WWE, but it was the biggest match

Stone Cold Steve Austin had ever found himself in.

Stone Cold has an opportunity to make himself a real big name.

I liked Bret growing up. I'm going to say liked. I liked Bret. I respected

Bret's ability.

But I also respected Stone Cold's ability.

I automatically sided with Austin because already I was a huge Steve

I was not a Bret Hart fan, believe it or not.

Steve Austin will say anything to you. You can imagine the worst thing anyone

could say to you.

That's probably what Stone Cold is doing to Bret Hart.

They both had this incredible energy, but they were two completely different

characters.

If you like Holyfield and Tyson, you're going to love this.

It was just one of those classic type wrestling matches, old school style

and ripped it up.

I'd take it six months off.

That was a hard thing for me to pull off.

How much ring rust does Bret Hart possess?

How long will it take for Bret to get in that groove?

The point of the elbow driven into the throat of Bret Hart.

Bret had been gone so long, and I was really primed up because I'd been on the

road. It kind of blew him up in that match, and that was something I was

of. He blew me up because I very rarely ever blew up, but he came pretty close.

I was getting a little parched at the end of it, and that didn't happen very

often.

I can't believe Bret Hart's on his feet.

You just count on your passion and everything you've learned to carry you

through. When all else fails, just hit the other guy hard.

It was on, and Brett had to get on his horse and perform, and he did, as he

always does.

And look at this! Awesome!

Both men are fatigued! Both men are hurt! This is a war!

Ends up with me going for my old finish as a ringmaster, the Million Dollar

Dream.

Wait a minute! There's the Million Dollar Dream!

He goes to the turnbuckle kicks.

Over we go, roll up.

Didn't beat me by physicality. He beat me by outsmarting me.

Look at Austin.

He's not taking his eyes off of Bret Hart.

This rivalry between Bret Hart and Stone Cold is far, far from over.

That particular match really elevated Stone Cold. This puts Stone Cold Steve

Austin right on the same level as Bret the Hitman Hart.

That was good for Steve, and I think that gave him some credibility.

Guys like Brett, myself, and you are now considered a main player in that, and

so it's rewarding in that respect.

It was a terrific match, but for Steve to get to that next level, he had to

that rite of passage and walk through hell against some great champion, and

was Brett Hart. I didn't have a foot in either camp. I was a Brett guy because I

love Brett's work, but I also respected someone called Steve Austin.

For some reason, when that match happened, I switched and I went and I

Mom, do you have like a black vest or like a gold chain I can put on? Because

for some reason, something about that match made me go all in on Stone Cold.

I think that was its purpose in itself was to legitimize Stone Cold Steve

Austin. Renee, was this moment from Stone Cold enough to break your loyalty?

from the wonderful bret hart or are you still bret hart all day long listen i'm

not going to say that it broke my loyalty to bret hart i love bret hart

and through but it did sort of pique this interest of like okay at madison

square garden it was the luckiest day of your life making a comeback it was just

a fluke that you happened to beat me son because i was every bit better than you

and you know it things ain't over between us by a long sight

Wait just a minute! They're Steve Austin!

Oh, Austin!

It seemed like every time I turned around, I was getting jumped by Steve.

It happened!

Bret Hart is hurt!

The tension between Bret and Austin, it felt realistic.

Look at that! That's Steve Austin!

Bret Hart just got knocked out with that steel chair!

The physicality just got that much more intense.

It was so real, you had to believe it.

This is going to take us to the Royal Rumble.

Remember the object, to throw your opponent over the top rope and both feet

hit the floor.

Stone Cold is beating up everybody. He's clearing the ring.

Stone Cold Steve Austin is picking them off.

He sits on the turnbuckle.

He's actually awaiting for the next individual to come out.

Checks his watch and says, who's next?

He wants to play us on the top rope, listen to his watch.

I'm waiting.

I'm letting you know I'm waiting.

Uh -oh.

Yeah!

You have that priceless facial expression.

Steve was throwing everybody out of the rumble when that night came in.

One of the most priceless reactions.

that any wrestler has ever had in the Royal Rumble.

Others have tried since then. None have matched this moment.

Now it's serious.

He's relatively had an easy time up until that point, and now when he hears

music, he knows he's in trouble.

Boy, this is hellfire and brimstone when these two get together.

The 1997 Royal Rumble heating up six competitors in the ring.

The only way to get eliminated from a Royal Rumble match.

is to get thrown over the top rope and have your feet touch the floor.

During the match, Bret Hart eliminated Steve Austin, but the referee

didn't see it happen.

But Steve, being the ultimate rule breaker, snuck back in the ring.

And while the referee was looking, he threw Bret Hart.

Over the top rope. This was the first instance of Bret Hart starting to feel

cheated. I've been screwed by Stone Cold Steve Austin.

The rumble really did turn that up a dial and really cranked up the heat

me and Steve.

You want people to believe. We made people believe.

Look at Austin and Bret Hart fighting again.

Every time you turned around, Stone Cold was right there doing something.

Wait a minute. There's Steve Austin. Steve Austin has absolutely become

with Bret Hart.

I wish Bret was the one attacking Steve, but it was such exciting TV.

The tensions between me and Steve were built up masterfully.

Bret Hart went through this period where no matter what he did, Stone Cold Steve

Austin was right there on top of him, antagonizing him, interfering in his

matches.

And the more it happened,

Bret Hart started vocalizing the fact that he felt he was being cheated.

But I think I'm about had it up to here with the lack of justice.

The cool thing about this is I find a lot of people say I was here and it

brought me over to here.

All of a sudden, Bret Hart isn't saying the hero character things.

He's starting to say things that make him sound entitled.

Frustrated into the damn word for it.

This is bullshit.

Kind of started pissing, moaning a little bit in his promos.

All you want to do any time you go on the ring is cry like a baby.

Bret Hart did uncharacteristically become a whiner.

And as much as we love Bret, no one loves a whiner.

Everybody in that damn dressing room knows that I'm the best there is, the

there was, and the best there ever will be.

If you don't like it, toss it.

A bad guy that's becoming such a cool, badass bad guy that people are actually

starting to like him. And I've become this hero that's been on the shelf too

long.

Steve Austin goes out there in a black pair of trunks and a black pair of boots

and gets the job done.

I think the young fans especially sort of got into that anti -establishment

mode. And there was nobody more anti -establishment than Stone Cold Steve

Austin. No one can tell me that I can't be here.

Here I come, full head of steam, talking all that trash, because I was so

entertaining, people wanted to like me.

Brett was still very much playing the hero. The horrible things he was saying

the traditional hero were really starting to catch on.

Brett Lord, on his best day, can't lace my boots, and I'm going to prove that to

the world.

Everybody picked up on it, and it made it that much more interesting.

Ever since you came back, you ain't done nothing but cry.

I had a pretty good long run, and it's starting to kind of show that they're

getting tired of me being the hero.

You feel like a draft in the room.

What do you want? Get the hell out of here!

Get that damn thing out of here!

I said get out of here!

At my house in San Antonio, about two weeks before WrestleMania 13, I'm

Raw, and I know that the main event is Undertaker versus Sid Vicious.

And then I hear, and in a submission match.

Bret Hart, who will be in a submission match, ladies and gentlemen, one -on

with Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania.

And I'm like,

that's news to me.

Nobody told me.

A submission match.

I'm not a submission wrestler.

So I was hot.

As far as a submission match, it's a bunch of bull.

A submission match, there's no pinfalls.

And like Steve said, he didn't have any submission holes.

You know, and I had the sharpshooter, but that's about it.

Nobody gets out of the sharpshooter.

So I saw it as a big sort of obstacle to having a great match, not a opportunity

to have a great match.

He won't be able to scream loud enough the words I give in a submission match.

Little did I know that this was going to be one of the greatest matches of all

time. There ain't nobody in wrestling who can make me quit.

And that's the bottom line, because Stone Cold sits down.

He's lost it.

Oh, he just, he just hit Hall of Famer Pat Patterson. In the build -up to

WrestleMania, we are simultaneously losing a little bit of our affection for

Bret Hitman Hart.

God is trying to choke the life out of Stone Cold Steve Austin.

While we are gaining admiration for what Steve Austin is doing, this build

starts to get a little out of control on the way to WrestleMania.

And just to make sure that things are going to be done correctly, they bring

the ultimate referee.

My guest at this time is known in the ultimate fighting world as the most

dangerous man in the world.

Please welcome to the square circle, Ken Shamrock.

I mean, Shamrock's the closest thing to a pure warrior that I've ever seen, the

world has ever seen. The submission match. You will be the special referee

that matchup.

I am going to be a fair referee.

Whether Red Heart likes it or Stone Cold Steve Austin likes it, it doesn't

really matter.

being who he was and how he refereed. He was a big part of that match. He really

was. I just hope that he calls it down the middle, and I just hope he gets nice

and close so he can hear those magic words, I quit.

I was happy to be wrestling Brett, but I was very surprised that they named it a

submission match.

I thought we were going to stink the joint out because of the type of match

was. You're almost setting yourself up for failure.

I think the key to the Steve Austin match was, uh...

I had a lot of school fights in my life where I had to fight somebody after

school. And a lot of times it's just like pro wrestling. It gets promoted all

day. Do not miss out on the pay -per -view extravaganza of the year,

WrestleMania 13.

I'm like the star quarterback on the high school team. And then this new kid

comes to the school.

He's bald head and he's got an attitude and he's a badass. And it's like, you

can just see this.

It's going to happen. These two guys are going to.

And I remember talking to Steve. I said, this is like a school fight.

Welcome, everyone, to WrestleMania 13.

Welcome to a jam -packed, sold -out Rosemount Horizon in Chicago.

Very fortunate to be working in my favorite building to work of all time,

Rosemount Horizon.

And the reason I say that, with all due respect to Madison Square Garden, It's

because of the wood ceiling and rose mount. The acoustics are so good. When

do something, you elicit a response.

And the way that acoustically shoots that response down to you, you hear it.

you step on the gas.

You're making decisions based on that crowd.

You talk about in your face.

That is who Stone Cold Steve Austin is.

And getting quite a positive response from this capacity crowd.

A mixed reaction to a man who unquestionably has a legacy here in the

Wrestling Federation, but as of late, that legacy has somewhat taken a turn.

Bret Hart and Stone Cold Steve Austin spent months building this story that

culminated in a submission match at WrestleMania with Ken Shamrock making

first major WWE appearance as the referee.

Steve Austin at 6 '2", 252, said there's not a human being walking the face of

the earth that can make him say, I quit.

But I think I believe him.

Look out, here we go.

As soon as Brett and I started going, I'm tuned into the crowd.

And so we've got them hooked right from the get -go.

You can't be counted out. You cannot be disqualified.

You've got to quit to end the match.

We took them on a ride. We brawled up.

Oh, up in the stands and some 18 ,197 fans watching.

Oh, my goodness.

They don't care where they take this thing.

We're talking about two guys that could make really small things mean an awful

lot. These two men are battering each other.

If you're ever studying to be a wrestler, this is a match you should

It is like a perfect match.

We've all seen thousands of matches.

You only remember things that are really bad and the things that are really

something special.

You can sense that something extraordinary is taking place.

WrestleMania 13.

It was like the fans started to change.

All of a sudden, something Bret Hart would do. He would get booed.

Bret Hart now, Ripper got hamstring.

And Stone Cold, he's been cheered.

Oh!

Austin said he was going to beat the hell out of Bret Hart. And that's what

doing right now with a helpless and steel.

I remember the monitors backstage being packed.

You were drawn to it, like a moth to a flame.

This is about...

a hell of a fight between two great athletes.

We're all just kind of looking around, wondering amongst each other, how in the

world is this thing going to end?

Stone Cold Steve Austin coming outside now with Bret Hart. Here we go.

The reason this match resonated the way it did was because I was damn good at

what I was doing, Bret was excellent at what he was doing, and the chemistry

just worked.

When we got there, we just had a conversation.

This is about 11 o 'clock in the morning on the day I've wandered out to the

ring, and it's like I remember sitting on the apron of the ring going, what are

we doing?

And Brett says to me, you need to be bleeding.

I said, you think?

He goes, yeah, you do.

In 97, WWE was attempting to go no blood.

Oh, they lean in, right?

Oh, he's busted bad.

It just jumped off the screen because you were not seeing it week to week on

at all.

Right on the injured knee. Brent Hardell is like an animal out of control.

Steve absorbed an incredible amount of punishment, but that was kind of part of

the Stone Cold character. They can keep on ticking.

Steve Austin is one time SOB.

There's a certain magic that comes out from two guys that are just

professionals. I was trying so hard for Steve and myself to do something

incredible.

Brett finally gets me in his submission hole, the

sharpshooter.

When I put it on Steve and cranked it in, it's like everyone knows that's the

end. Nobody ever gets it.

Don't blame Stone Cold if he gave up here.

Stone Cold Steve Austin, you know, the blood pouring down his face. He's

screaming in pain.

The blood pouring from the forehead of Stone Cold.

Ken Shamrock asking him, does he give up?

Continues to resist the pain.

These people are standing. Can you imagine?

I kind of grounded my hands into the mat, and as I pushed up and was

blood just started flowing out of my head, and it ran down my cheek and

my teeth.

Austin, trying to get one more. Rusty McGrindlin. It's not a pretty sight.

And I'm thinking to myself, dang, this feels good.

Oh, come on, Austin. Come on, come on, come on.

It's like blood, crimson mass.

It's, oh, man.

Tipped me over, and I remember I tipped over, and I could feel the crowd just

pop. Like that's what they wanted. They wanted him to win, and I could feel it.

I remember I pushed myself back up, and I'd break their hearts when I put him

back in the hole.

Austin will not surrender.

He will not submit.

And that's where you make Steve Austin.

How in the hell Austin has not given up? I can't understand.

This guy's going to die in his hole.

He ain't going to give up. He ain't going to give up.

Ken Shamrock stopping it, stopping it right now. That's it.

They rang the bell. He passed out. The guy never said, I quit.

Austin never gave up, but he passed out with a pain.

So he didn't quit. He didn't submit. That gives you respect.

Passing out from a submission hold, covered in blood.

That moment and that finish is one of the most iconic images.

Maybe in wrestling. Oh, yeah. To be in that sharpshooter, the blood pouring

his face. I mean, that was just such an iconic moment.

Austin arcing up. And the blood goes on his teeth.

That's the moment right there where he's yelling, the blood's on his teeth. He's

got his blue eyes. It's a perfect moment.

It's a beautiful struggle of a guy fighting with all he's got.

One of the most iconic pictures in the history of professional wrestling.

There is just something about that image.

That has stood the test of time. It symbolizes everything Steve was about.

can beat him, but you can't stop him.

What that did for me, the fact that, hey, man, Stone Cold's is bad, but he

give up. He might be a piece of shit, and I don't like him, but he won't give

up. They knew that I would go through thick and thin through anything and

ever give up. And that's what the blood said at the end of that match.

I've never seen a display of intestinal fortitude like we saw what Stone called

Steve Austin.

That's what touches your heart when you see someone fight that hard and give so

much of himself.

Steve would have been a big star irregardless of that match. But at the

time, that match was just so iconic right from the moment it happened.

Such a beautiful, violent story.

I think it was for sure the best match of my career.

Wait a minute. What's Brett doing?

Come on, Brett.

Enough's enough.

Brett Hart then tries to go after Austin again.

I remember thinking to myself, ooh, this is interesting.

Let's see where this might go.

Stopping it right now. That's it.

This finish shows how tough and amazing Stone Cold is. So Brett goes

crazy and starts beating up the man who passed out from the sharpshooter to the

point where Ken Shamrock has to break it up.

Whoa! Ken Shamrock just cut down the hitman!

And you have this crazy face -off with Ken Shamrock from the UFC, and are they

going to fight?

Yeah, come on, Hitman, let's see how tough you are now!

That moment was a turning point, a major turning point in Bret Hart's career.

Listen to this chorus of boos directed at Bret Hart!

He just turned and walked away like a coward?

Oh, my goodness.

Amazing storytelling to think of how...

When I walked out to the ring, and I'm the hero, and then I beat the crap out

this guy and leave him in a bloody mess in the ring.

These fans are livid at the absence of Bret Hart.

And I'm walking back to the dressing room, and you can see it. Everyone's

me their finger, and it's like everybody was turning on me.

All I did was give this guy what he had coming.

It's kind of like if people feel sorry for the shark in Jaws.

At that point, Bret just seemed like such a bastard.

You know, he kicks the guy while he's down.

He's going to walk out of here on his own.

A man's man, I'll tell you that, whether you like him or not.

Austin as the hero as well, still getting up and walking out of the ring.

think that was like a really pivotal moment as well. He wasn't going to let

anyone help him at all. No one could help him.

The fans are focused on Stone Cold Steve Austin. I get the tingles in the scalp,

which tells me it was effective.

25 years later, it still makes my head tingle.

Because you get to appreciate this guy.

He's a warrior.

He is one of the best to ever do it.

Because of the way the psychology of the match flowed, I went in as the bad guy.

He went in as the good guy.

By the time it was over, he came out the bad guy. I came out somewhat the good

guy. That is a double turn.

That is one of the hardest things to ever do in the business of sports

entertainment.

That night, it was pulled off at perfection at WrestleMania 13.

To take one guy who's this Canadian hero and this total anti -hero and switch

them, make one a babyface and make one a heel, it shows you how good these two

guys were. And we were sitting in the back watching this thing going, man,

is Shakespeare at its finest.

It was a piece of art.

If you talk about great WrestleMania matches through the years, to me, I feel

like Hogan and Andre, Sean and Taker.

And then I think they're Rhett and Steve at Breath of Me at 13.

It goes back to what I keep saying is that it was like a school fight. I

remember a particular school fight where there was one kid that was like a baby

face and another kid that was like a heel.

I remember the guy that was the baby face end up winning the fight. I

in that fight going to school the next day and talking to friends and stuff.

Everybody was on the...

Bad guy side. Everybody liked the bad guy for losing. And the good guy, the

that won, everybody stayed away from him and kind of shunned him a little bit.

When I actually take that lousy, stinking hyena, so -called Steve Austin,

beat him to a bloody pulp, you somehow find it in your hearts to abandon me and

cheer for him.

I remember just thinking, like, wow, it's so much similar.

The psychology of it was just amazing to see it play out.

All you American wrestling fans coast to coast, you don't respect me.

Well, the fact is, I don't respect you.

For Bret, it allowed him to go into some territory he hadn't been in in a while,

allowed him to be a bad guy.

One of these days, I'm going to look down at your grave, and it's going to

here lies Bret the Hitman Hart, the biggest piece of crap that ever walked

face of the earth.

And Steve Austin, it's like, all right, the sky is the limit.

The Austin era has begun.

Stone Cold's eight -year journey has been culminated with WWF gold.

Brett, as his foe, really served as the person who allowed fans to take Steve

Austin to be just as good as he was.

I thought it was sexy the other way.

It's always nice to hear that.

We're actually pretty good friends, and we've always been good friends.

He's a good guy, hands down. I love him.

I've had Steve text me and go, I'm watching our match, WrestleMania 13,

now. Neither individual, I don't believe, will ever be the same after

match. I mean, I don't know how many times I've dug out that tape and that

and put it on and always walked out of the room like I was the king of the

world. Brett's one of the best I've ever worked with. And the biggest thing with

Brett and I is we always trusted each other.

It was a bond and a brotherhood.

From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you for everything that you've

for me in my career.

And I've always looked up to you, admired your work, and it was always a

pleasure to be in the ring with you.

If you like Holyfield and Tyson, you're going to love this.

It was two of the greatest stars of their era at their very best, bringing

the best in each other.

This is a war!

We were very compatible.

Went together like two plunks. It was like perfect.

We brought out the best in each other, and it was reality -based.

If you put the letter S in front of Hitman, you've had my exact opinion of

Hart.

Man, the fans were so into this rivalry.

They loved Bret Hart at the time. They hated Stone Cold at the time. And it

lasted so long that it even switched over at the end.

I don't think anyone else around that time period could have made these the

Bret did.

Renee, did Steve pull you over to the dark side when the story was over?

Hell yeah, he did.

Steve would have always been a big star here regardless of what happened with

me. But I like to think that I held that opened the door for him.

He was of paramount importance to my career.

Without Brett, I don't think you got Stone Cold.

Propose a toast to the best there is, the best there was, and the best there

ever will be. Thank you for coming down to the Broken Skull Sessions. And that's

the bottom line because Stone Cold said so.

Cheers.