Legend credits Bret Hart for the success of iconic WWE match
Bret Hart is widely viewed as one of the greatest WWE wrestlers ever. In a recent podcast episode, Jim Ross praised The Hitman for his No Disqualification Submission match with Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13.
The 1997 match featured a rare double turn. Austin, the heel heading into the show, lost the grueling 22-minute bout after passing out to a Sharpshooter. Hart attacked his bloodied opponent following the match, resulting in the Canadian star turning heel and Austin becoming a babyface.
Ross commentated on the memorable match. On his Grilling JR podcast, the legendary announcer applauded Hart for coming up with creative finishes for his in-ring encounters.
"The concept of it was really special and, at the end of the day, that wasn't even the main event," Ross said. "At the end of the day, that was a ballbuster. Everything fit. And sometimes you get lucky in those deals and sometimes you don't. We got lucky on that one, it worked out real well, and I would credit Bret Hart for a lot of the success of that." [49:53 – 50:16]
Austin had not yet won the WWE Championship at that stage of his career. A year later, he beat Shawn Michaels in the WrestleMania 14 main event to capture the title for the first time.
Why Jim Ross enjoyed Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin so much
Jim Ross has worked as a wrestling announcer since the 1970s. The 73-year-old is arguably best known for being the voice of WWE's popular Attitude Era.
Looking back on his illustrious career, Ross said Bret Hart and Steve Austin's WrestleMania 13 match is one of the best he has witnessed:
"It was just a great piece of art. Grappling art on a different kind of canvas. Really, really amazing. That match was in Chicago. I'll never forget it. It's one of my favorite matches to ever call or to be a part of." [47:02 – 47:19]
Later in the episode, Ross disclosed details about two WWE legends legitimately beating each other up during a match in 1997.
Please credit Grilling JR and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.
