WrestleMania 13 was the thirteenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event from the World Wrestling Federation. The event was held on March 23, 1997, with an attendance of 18,197 in the Rosemont Horizon (now Allstate Arena) in Rosemont, Illinois. The commentators for the event were Vince McMahon, Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler. Shawn Michaels was the guest commentator for the main event.

__NOTOC__

Match results

• Free For All: Billy Gunn vs. Flash Funk (w/Tracy and Nadine)

Gunn pinned Flash Funk following a Tornado DDT. (7.05)

• Four Way Tag Team Elimination Match: The Headbangers (Mosh and Thrasher) vs. The New Blackjacks (Barry Windham & Justin Bradshaw) vs. The Godwinns (Phineas I. Godwinn & Henry O. Godwinn) and Doug Furnas & Phil Lafon

Windham was counted out. (4.46)

Furnas was counted out. (4.50)

Thrasher pinned Phineas with a Cannonball Senton. (10.41)

• For the WWF Intercontinental Championship: Rocky Maivia (c) vs. The Sultan (w/Bob Backlund and The Iron Sheik)

Maivia pinned The Sultan with a Roll-up. Maivia retained the WWF Intercontinental Championship. (9.49)

• Hunter Hearst Helmsley (w/ Chyna) vs. Goldust (w/ Marlena)

Helmsley pinned Goldust following a Pedigree. (14.07)

• For the WWF World Tag Team Championship: Owen Hart and The British Bulldog (c) vs. Mankind and Vader (w/ Paul Bearer)

Both teams are counted out, causing the match to be declared a draw. Hart and Bulldog retained the WWF World Tag Team Championship. (15.53)

• "I Quit" match: Bret Hart vs. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin (w/Ken Shamrock as special guest referee)

Bret Hart rendered Austin unconscious using the Sharpshooter. (22.05)

• Six-Man Chicago Street Fight: The Legion of Doom (Hawk and Animal) and Ahmed Johnson vs. The Nation of Domination (Crush, Faarooq and Savio Vega, w/Wolfie D, J.C. Ice and Clarence Mason)

Animal pinned Crush following a 2x4 blow. (10.49)

• For the WWF World Heavyweight Championship: Sycho Sid (c) vs. The Undertaker

Undertaker pinned Sid following a Tombstone Piledriver to become the new champion. (21.19)

Celebrities

• Ken Shamrock - special guest referee for Submission match between Bret Hart and Steve Austin

Trivia

• The submission match at WrestleMania 13 produced a "double-turn", as Bret Hart turned heel and Stone Cold Steve Austin turned face in the same match. Bret's heel turn ended a nine-year stretch of being a face, which began at WrestleMania IV. The match was widely considered as the match of the night and one of the best of 1997. One of four WWF/E matches to ever get 5 stars by Wrestling Observers Dave Meltzer.
• Bret Hart and Steve Austin would later confess that their match at WrestleMania 13 was their personal favourite. Austin has stated many times that his match with Bret helped make him the great WWE Legend he's perceived to be, in various interviews.
• Steve Austin and Bret Hart entered WrestleMania 13 as in-ring rivals. Ironically, on the eve of WrestleMania 22 at the WWE Hall Of Fame Induction ceremony (which was held in Chicago- the same place WrestleMania 13 was held) Steve Austin inducted Bret Hart into the Hall of Fame. It is said that Austin wanted to induct Bret due to not only the WrestleMania 13 references, but also the of the respect and friendship between both men.
• This is the second WrestleMania to use Arabic numerals.
• WrestleMania 13 would be Bret Hart's final WrestleMania appearance as a wrestler.
• Mick Foley and The Rock both made their WrestleMania debuts at WrestleMania 13.
• This was the last WrestleMania to feature Vince McMahon on play by play.
• There is a long standing rumor that before the finish of the main event (Undertaker's winning Tombstone), Sid defecated himself.
• The British Bulldog and Bret Hart are the only competitors at WrestleMania 13 to have also competed at the part of WrestleMania 2 held at the Rosemont Horizon. There, the Bulldog and The Dynamite Kid beat Brutus Beefcake and Greg Valentine for the World Tag Team Championship. Also, Hart was the last competitor eliminated from a 20 man over-the-top battle royal, won by André the Giant. Bret Hart was given the opportunity to appear at WM22 but turned it down.
• Justin Bradshaw, Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Mankind, and The Undertaker returned to the Chicago area for WrestleMania 22 at the Allstate Arena. Ironically the two not in title matches this time were in title matches that time.
• So far this was the Undertaker's only WrestleMania match where he has won a title. Others he has simply just won in non-title matches.
• The eighth WrestleMania to have a title match end in a count-out or disqualification and the fourth time it happened in a tag title match.
• Continuing a trend started at WrestleMania XII, there were no real guest celebrities at WM 13. Ken Shamrock could be considered a celebrity as he had yet to debut as a wrestler for the WWF and was more known as a UFC fighter. However, he was under WWF contract at the time, and would debut within two months. The celebrities would return at WrestleMania XIV.
• This was the last WrestleMania to use the classic red, white, and blue ring ropes, blue mats on the outside, and plain colored steel barricades surrounding the area.

References

• A Review of the Event

External links

• The Official Website of WrestleMania 13

WrestleMania | 1997 in sports