2nd update today! No monologue, lets just get back to the story!! ;-) (Just a warning, this one contains a graphic picture)
Anahiem Pond-Anahiem, CA
March 31, 1996
Wrestlemania made its return to Southern California for its 12th edition. "Wrestlemania XII" would feature another great Wrestlemania match.
WWF Champ Bret "The Hitman" Hart would defend against Shawn Michaels. For Michael's, this would be his second straight trip to the main event at Wrestlemania.
This would not be an ordinary championship match however. Both men would be competing in 60 minute "Iron Man" match. The person with the most falls after 60 minutes would be declared the winner.
The stakes were high in this one and you could feel that something was special was going to happen when the main event arrived. Shawn Michaels made an exciting entrance as he zipped into the arena on a wire.
After a brief rundown of the rules the match would get started and go on until one man won
Both men started with high impact moves and did their best to get the upper hand on the other
At one point the time keeper for the match was knocked out! At the 59 minute mark Hart caught Michaels in his shaprshooter and locked him in. Michaels however would NOT tap out and held on as time expired.
The match ended with neither man getting a pin fall. Bret Hart thought the match was over and decided to walk away with his belt. However, the match was restarted under "sudden death" rules. The first man to score a decision would be the winner. Hart assaulted Michaels as the bell rang and just as he was moving in for the kill, Michaels hit him with a superkick out of nowhere.
Hart staggered to his feet only to be hit again and this time Michaels covered him and scored the victory.
It was an emotional night as Shawn Michaels dream of becoming WWF champion had finally come to fruition.
It was a long and grueling match and the fans seemed to be drained just as much as the competitors themselves, but it will go down in history as one of the greatest matches of all time
Rosemont Horizon-Chicago, IL
March 23, 1997
Just as Wrestlemania XII returned to Southern California, "Wrestlemania 13" would return to Chicago, site of the 2nd Wrestlemania. Around this time, the WWF was begining to change. They were leaving their 80's campy roots and moving towards a more edgier product. This one featured, perhaps the most infamous match in Wrestlemania history and the one that pretty much put the new WWF on the map.
Bret Hart would take on "Stone Cold" Steve Austin in a "I Quit" match. Austin's popularity was begining to sky rocket as he portrayed a beer drinking, trash talking, foul mouthed SOB redneck from Texas. He was an anti-hero and the fans loved him. Hart had been the WWF's top "good guy" for years, but his wholesome image was about to be shoved aside for the more risque "Stone Cold".
The winner of this match would have to make the other person say "I Quit!". Both men prided themselves on never quiting, so this was going to be a fight to the end.
The match got underway and both men preceded to tear the house down. Because there were no rules, they fought in the aisles, on the outside of the ring, in the crowd, up in the rafters.
It was chaos and the fans loved every moment of it.
During the melee Hart busted Stone Cold open and he began to bleed profusely from his head. But he would NOT give up. He continued his assault on Hart and there was no let up from his side either.
Finally, Hart caught Stone Cold in the sharpshooter in the middle of the ring. Austin did all he could to fight out of it, but could not do it. He screamed in agony as blood continued to pour out of his cut.
He tried to break out of the hold one more time, using all his strength and succeeded in knocking Hart off his feet, but he would not release the hold. Hart re applied it and really locked it in. Austin was finished. He continued to fight it but it was no use. As the blood continued to pour from his head, Austin passed out. When he would not respond to the referee's words, the match was declared over and Bret Hart the winner. Austin choose to pass out in a pool of his own blood rather than tap out.
The match was an instant classic and solidified "Stone Cold" Steve Austin as a bad ass. Fans would cheer Stone Cold wherever he went and he soon became the company's number 1 guy.
Lost in all the Austin/Hart saga was the fact that the Undertaker would capture the WWF title in the main event.
The Era of the Deadman had begun and the WWF was about to change for good.
Fleet Center-Boston, MA
March 29, 1998
The WWF was now officially in the "attitude" era. No more good guy vs bad guy matches. Everybody was on equal footing now. The "good guys" didnt always win and it was cool to be bad. ;-)But before the attitude era could get underway, the old guard had to be removed.
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin would take on Shawn Michaels in the main event for Michael's WWF title.
To maintain safety in the main event WWE Championship match between Stone Cold and Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XIV, Mr. McMahon had found a special enforcer – "Iron" Mike Tyson, the self-proclaimed baddest man on the planet.
Despite the fact that it appeared as though Tyson had joined Michaels,in the weeks prior to event, Iron Mike was still allowed to play his part in the match.
In the end, however, Tyson proved to be completely impartial. In fact, when the appointed official was unable to continue due to injury, Mike even counted the three count, ending the match and giving Stone Cold his first WWE Championship.
As Stone Cold celebrated his huge WrestleMania victory, it was clear to all in attendance that the "Attitude" era of World Wrestling Entertainment had officially been ushered in
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