WWE’s 5 Greatest Double Turns
By Tim Sherry
1. Bret Hart and Stone Cold Steve Austin
Was there ever any doubt what was No. 1? The Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin match at Wrestlemania XIII was not only the best double turn in wrestling history, it is not only one of the best matches in wrestling history, it was also the match that set the landscape for the next 6 years in the WWF/WWE. In one single match a baby face star was born and established legend became the biggest villain in the company.
Quick back story. After ditching the failed “Ringmaster” gimmick and running through the competition in a 1996 King of the Ring tournament-winning effort, Stone Cold set his sights on 3-time World champion Hart. After months of promos mercilessly insulting Hart, The Hitman returned from a short hiatus to battle Austin at that year’s Survivor Series. Not as good as their WM 13 encounter, the tilt at Survivor Series was still outstanding and proved that the feud should go on. And that it did, as Austin ramped up his antagonism of Hart while also costing him a win in the 1997 Royal Rumble match and then the WWF title itself to Sycho Sid on RAW.
So by the time the two met at Wrestlemania, the animosity was at an all time high. The two men took it to each other like never before and Austin bled like a sieve. But something funny began happening about halfway through their 22-minute encounter. The sold out crowd at the Rosemont Horizon,, in Illinois started slowly but surely to root for Austin and by the time Hart had Austin in the Sharpshooter which eventually rendered Stone Cold unconscious, almost every fan in the arena was on his side. Hart compounded his new heel ways by continuing the attack on Austin after the bell until stopped by special guest referee, Ken Shamrock.
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Austin walked out of stadium that night and the Attitude Era officially began with the Rattlesnake as it’s spokesman. In just 22 minutes the two hall of famers changed everything about the wrestling business and the best double turn in the company’s history led to the WWF/WWE taking over the wrestling world indefinitely.