Guide Note

WrestleMania 13 is the thirteenth installment of WrestleMania - a pay-per-view professional wrestling event held by World Wrestling Entertainment.

Fast Facts

1. Date: March 23, 1997
2. Venue: Rosemont Horizon
3. City: Chicago, IL
4. Attendance: 18,197¹
5. Tagline: "Heat!"²
6. Commentators: Vince McMahon, Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler
7. Last WrestleMania to use red, white, and blue ropes and blue ring area

WrestleMania 13 marked the start of the WWE's "Attitude Era" transition, where faces (good guys) were booed and heels (bad guys) became heroes. This was most evident in the submission match between Bret Hart, a face, and Stone Cold Steve Austin, the heel. Despite being locked in Hart's finsiher "The Sharpshooter" for several minutes, Austin refused to quit and passed out.³

Hart continued to attack him, turning the Chicago crowd against him, thereby becoming a heel and turning Austin face. Austin would later spearhead the "Attitude Era," and has since gone on record to say it was the "most important match" of his career.⁴

In the main event, The Undertaker faced Sycho Sid for the WWE Championship, donning his trademark black tights and gray gloves once more to combat the 7-foot Sid.⁵ The Rock also made his WrestleMania debut here, competing against his cousin Solofa Fatu, who wrestled under "The Sultan" gimmick.

• Undertaker def. Sycho Sid

• Bret Hart def. Austin
• Legion of Doom/Ahmed def. NOD
• Owen/Smith and Mankind/Vader DCO
• Triple H def. Goldust
• Rocky Maivia def. The Sultan
• Headbangers def. New Blackjacks, Godwinns and Furnas & LaFon