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Did WWE Always Plan To Induct Bret Hart-Steve Austin Match In Hall Of Fame?

By John Canton • Published 29th March 2025
Steve Austin Bret Hart

An iconic WWE match between Bret Hart and Steve Austin will be a part of the 2025 Hall of Fame ceremony.

The WWE Hall of Fame class of 2025 will be headlined by Paul “Triple H” Levesque, who will be joined by Lex Luger, Michelle McCool, and the Natural Disasters, along with others yet to be announced.

It was also announced on WWE SmackDown from London that the WrestleMania 13 classic Submission Match between Bret Hart and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin will be honoured as the first Immortal Moment inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Since WWE is calling it an “Immortal Moment” rather than a match, it will likely allow the company to put in other WrestleMania moments in future years instead of just picking matches.

That WrestleMania 13 match between Hart and Austin was a bloody brawl with weapons used while UFC legend Ken Shamrock was the referee. At one point, Hart knocked Austin down with a ring bell, which led to Hart applying the Sharpshooter submission. The bloody Austin had blood pouring into his mouth, which has become an iconic visual, but Austin refused to give up. Shamrock felt he had no choice, so he called for the bell.

After the match, Hart refused to relinquish the hold, so Shamrock pulled him off. When Hart went to apply the Sharpshooter again, Shamrock gave him the belly to back slam, which the fans loved. to a big pop. Hart, who was a babyface going into the match, was booed on his way out of the ring while giving the crowd a “you make me sick” face.

The other part of the story involved Austin, who pulled himself up and hit a Stone Cold Stunner on referee Mike Chioda because Austin didn’t want any help. Austin stumbled out of the ring while the fans in Chicago gave him a standing ovation and chanted “Austin, Austin, Austin.” A very memorable ending to a fantastic match.

While the match itself was exceptional, there was also an incredible story since Austin became a huge babyface in the months that followed while Hart became a top heel. It was one of the best double turns in pro wrestling history. In the video that aired on SmackDown, Austin said he didn’t think he would be as big as he was without the rivalry with Hart.

WWE Always Planned To Pay Tribute To Bret Hart-Steve Austin Match

Bret Hart and Steve Austin are already WWE Hall of Famers, but they will be honored at the WrestleMania 41 Hall of Fame ceremony in Las Vegas as well. It was mentioned during WWE SmackDown that both men will be in attendance at the show. For Austin, it’s his second Hall of Fame induction, while it is Hart’s third since he’s already in as a singles wrestler and as part of The Hart Foundation tag team with the late, great Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart.

It has been reported by Wrestlevotes on X/Twitter that even though ticket sales are considered slow for the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony, the company always planned to induct the Hart/Austin match.

Sources confirm WWE’s decision to induct the iconic Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Bret “Hitman” Hart WrestleMania 13 match into the Hall of Fame was made well before the event’s underwhelming ticket sales. This was always part of the 2025 HOF plan.

The WWE Hall of Fame ceremony takes place on Friday, April 18th in Las Vegas.