WWE HALL OF FAME - Class of 2025

[The Natural]

My review of THAT match:

Spoiler

Here's my Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin WWF WrestleMania 13 review:

We start with the entrances. The camera zooms in to the Austin 3:16 glass panel in the entrance stage which breaks as Steve Austin makes his way to the ring. Our first glance of Bret Hart is his foot as he steps over the broken glass as he enters.

The fist fight opening inside the ring and through the stands felt real, had intensity to it. Inside the ring Austin bends his head and Bret makes him pay with one of the nastiest neckbreakers you'll see. Bret Hart goes to work on Steve Austin's knee with the knee brace. Bret puts Austin's knee on the ropes to squat down his weight on but he moves. Austin gives Bret a Stone Cold Stunner, his biggest offensive weapon to be used defensively to stop Bret but Bret recovers while still selling the SCS.

Bret Hart's viciousness wanting to Pillmanize Steve Austin's ankle in the steel chair from the top rope but Austin gets up to crack Hart across his spine. The subtle blade job, you rarely see bleeding in the WWF then and the violence too with the steel chairs and ring bells. Austin ragdolling Bret into the turnbuckle stomping a mudhole in him while Austin does his signature head taunt.

The finish, that fucking finish. The Sharpshooter is so protected, when applied it's over. Steve Austin so stubborn not to submit per the stipulation of the match starts pressing up with blood pouring down his face, knocking Bret off his feet but he still has the hold on. Austin passes out from the pain and the blood loss. Got goosebumps typing this finish out.

The post match, Bret starts kicking Austin's leg out of his leg to a defenceless Austin. Special guest referee Ken Shamrock waistlocks Bret off Austin. Shamrock wants some of Bret but Bret backs off and leaves to boos while Austin Stone Cold Stunners Mike Chioda and limps out to cheers. The double turn complete.

What the match led to. Bret Hart reuniting the Hart Foundation after years of fighting against each other: Bret vs. Owen, Bret vs. Bulldog and Owen vs. Bulldog. USA vs. Canada and the rest of the world. Bret was booed in the former and loved in the latter. Steve Austin set on the path as one of the biggest stars and draws in wrestling history carrying on his feud with the aforementioned Hart Foundation, to getting his neck broken versus Owen Hart at SummerSlam 1997 and becoming The Man in 1998 winning the WWF Championship at WrestleMania XIV.

As noted at the beginning it's rare I do a thread on a match but have to here. A five star match. To me, this is the 1997 Match of the Year and what a year it was but more. It's not only the best match in WrestleMania history, it's the best match in the history of WWE. Furthermore it's the greatest match in wrestling history, the sport we all love. Thank you, Bret Hart. Thank you, Steve Austin and thank you for reading. Paul.

https://deathvalleydriver.com/forum/index.php?/topic/9724-bret-hart-vs-steve-austin-wwf-wrestlemania-13-25-years-today/

 

[Hamhock]

That’s the hook that gets Austin to attend; now he’s available to Stunner the Rock as a bonus.

[The Natural]

I'm honestly more excited for that match going into the Hall of Fame 2025 than WrestleMania XLI.

[stuntmanc]

Shield/Wyatts and Roman/Sami would be two matches I'd look at very hard for inducting, though Roman/Sami would probably need more time elapsed to be fully appreciated.

[Curt McGirt]

If they are running out of people then why don't they switch to bi-yearly? It doesn't have to be an annual thing. Could help to build it up to be a bigger deal, perhaps.

[The Natural]

https://www.f4wonline.com/news/wwe/bret-hart-on-wrestlemania-13-match-vs-steve-austin-it-was-just-magic/

https://www.f4wonline.com/news/wwe/steve-austin-reacts-to-wm-13-match-being-inducted-into-wwe-hall-of-fame/

Must read.

Edited April 2 by The Natural

[Dolfan in NYC]

The Legacy entrants.  Kamala, Dory Funk, Sr., and Ivan Koloff.

[Dolfan in NYC]

Kamala Outtakes~

And Mean Gene (!) breaking kayfabe:

 

 

[odessasteps]

That’s some WAR 6 man. 

[TheVileOne]

I'm confused why they brought back the Legacy Wing, didn't they discontinue it years ago? 

[The Natural]

Wish we had longer of Bret Hart and Steve Austin. Hart vs. Austin at WrestleMania 13 is the greatest wrestling match of all time.

Michelle McCool went way too long. Never seemed to end.

Triple H was always known for long drawn out promos but I didn't mind most of it, he is the headliner after all.

Time management is always an issue at the WWE HOF.

Edited April 19 by The Natural

[Curt McGirt]

Book didn't take our advice

[just drew]

On 3/29/2025 at 7:57 AM, Hamhock said:

That’s the hook that gets Austin to attend; now he’s available to Stunner the Rock as a bonus.

I'm also of the opinion that it's a way to keep Austin from appearing at a certain stadium show in Dallas. He isn't under wwe contract, and has said very recently that he hadn't heard from anyone in wwe since the TKO merger. If I were TK I'd hand him a blank check to answer Max Caster's open challenge. Broken glass, similar but different enough music to avoid a lawsuit, kick, wham, stunner, two middle fingers. Leave. Pay him like a three million dollars for every minute he's on screen.

[The Natural]

https://www.wwe.com/f/styles/gallery_img_l/public/all/2025/04/HOF_04182025ca_0769--cf32509cc81e4edfb6735d67b15d029e.jpg

https://www.wwe.com/f/styles/gallery_img_l/public/all/2025/04/HOF_04182025ca_0796--1e3a8c8b364ac9db998d52c6763262a6.jpg

https://www.wwe.com/f/styles/gallery_img_l/public/all/2025/04/HOF_04182025ca_0786--aab09679370bd3ea2aa5d211d04de5a5.jpg

Bret Hart, Steve Austin, CM Punk and Stephanie Washington, Bret's wife.