Wrestlemania Count-Up – Wrestlemania XIII (2015 Redo): Austin Is Here
Wrestlemania XIII
Date: March 23, 1997
Location: Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, Illinois
Attendance: 18,197
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Vince McMahon
Free For All: Billy Gunn vs. Flash Funk
The announcers ignore the match to talk about Austin vs. Hart and we hit the chinlock. That goes nowhere so Gunn misses a top rope legdrop, allowing Funk to hit a spinwheel kick for two. Funk gets the same off a top rope victory roll but his moonsault hits knees. Billy comes back with a tornado DDT for the pin at 7:05.
Godwinns vs. New Blackjacks vs. Doug Furnas/Phillip LaFon vs. Headbangers
In Your House XIV ad.
Brian Pillman and Sunny tell us to CALL THE HOTLINE!
Intercontinental Title: The Sultan vs. Rocky Maivia
Honky Tonk Man is out on commentary in his quest for a new protege. Rocky is defending (after beating Hunter Hearst Helmsley to win the title a little over a month ago in a big upset) and Sultan is just a Middle Eastern monster played by the future Rikishi and managed by Bob Backlund and the Iron Sheik. Rocky starts fast with some right hands and a dropkick to send Sultan out to the floor.
Post match Sultan, Sheik and Backlund destroy Rocky but his dad Rocky Johnson comes in for the save and house is cleaned.
Ken Shamrock, the former UFC Champion and the guest referee for the submission match, promises to not be intimidated.
Hunter Hearst Helmsley vs. Goldust
Tag Team Titles: Mankind/Vader vs. Owen Hart/British Bulldog
All villains here. Hart and Bulldog are defending and Mankind and Vader have Paul Bearer in their corner after Bearer turned on Undertaker at Summerslam 1996. The champs have been having issues for months and Owen recently said he was smarter than Bulldog, who is also European Champion, having beaten Owen in a tournament final to become the inaugural champion.
This is one of the greatest stories ever told in wrestling as the details (costing Bret the title, the Royal Rumble etc) are all secondary to the underlying theme: Bret being unable to hold on to the past and not accepting this new reality. Austin embodied the rebellious nature and it made for a perfect dynamic with the traditionalist Bret. As great as the stories were, the matches were even better and made the feud one of the best ever.
Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart
Submission match with Ken Shamrock refereeing. Austin has a famous entrance as a wall of glass saying AUSTIN 3:16 breaks and he walks through the broken pieces. The fans are split here but it seems to be more pro-Bret coming in. They slug it out to start and are on the floor very quickly. Austin is sent face first into the post but he crotches Bret across the barricade and clotheslines him into the crowd.
Bret gets whipped into some hockey boards but he fights back and they head deeper into the fans. A backdrop gets Bret out of a piledriver as you can barely see anything at the moment. Back to ringside with Bret in control and the fans completely into something for the first time all night. Austin reverses a whip to send Bret into the steps but Hart grabs a swinging neckbreaker to get a breather back inside.
Rating: A+. Good grief this match is amazing. This is the match that turned Austin into the biggest star of all time and the moment where the WWF had the Monday Night Wars won. It would take time, but Austin was clearly going to be the hottest thing ever and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it.
Nation of Domination vs. Legion of Doom/Ahmed Johnson
JC Ice and Wolfie D. take a double Doomsday Device after the match.
In Your House XIV ad.
Shawn Michaels comes out for commentary, taking his sweet time to soak in all the cheers.
WWF World Title: Sycho Sid vs. Undertaker
Undertaker poses to end the show.
Ratings Comparison
Headbangers vs. Godwinns vs. Doug Furnas/Phillip LaFaon vs. New Blackjacks
Original: D+
2013 Redo: C
2015 Redo: D
Rocky Maivia vs. The Sultan
Original: D
2013 Redo: D+
2015 Redo: D-
Hunter Hearst Helmsley vs. Goldust
Original: D
2013 Redo: C-
2015 Redo: D+
Owen Hart/British Bulldog vs. Vader/Mankind
Original: D+
2013 Redo: B-
2015 Redo: C-
Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin
Original: A+
2013 Redo: A+
2015 Redo: A+
Legion of Doom/Ahmed Johnson vs. Nation of Domination
Original: B+
2013 Redo: B-
2015 Redo: B
Undertaker vs. Sycho Sid
Original: D
2013 Redo: D
2015 Redo: D-
Overall Rating
Original: D
2013 Redo: D+
2015 Redo: D
And the 2013 Redo:
http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2013/03/22/wrestlemania-count-up-wrestlemania-xiii-austins-ascension/
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