During the March 28, 2025 edition of WWE SmackDown, it was officially announced that the iconic Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart Submission Match from WrestleMania 13 will be the first-ever bout inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame under the new “Immortal Moment” category.
The match, considered one of the greatest in WWE history, is being honored not just for its physical intensity and storytelling, but for its lasting impact on pro wrestling. The 1997 bout featured the now-legendary double turn—cementing Austin as a fan-favorite anti-hero and further solidifying Hart’s heel persona.
The induction marks the beginning of a new Hall of Fame tradition, where WWE will celebrate matches and moments that have defined eras and left a lasting legacy beyond titles and accolades.
UFC Fight Wing creator Ant Evans took to Twitter/X to praise WWE’s decision, reflecting on the influence of cross-industry recognition between UFC and WWE:
“I love that WWE will be inducting matches/moments into their WWE Hall of Fame, riffing off the Fight Wing I created for the UFC Hall of Fame.
It’s appropriate that the WWE Hall borrows from the UFC Hall, as I used WWE’s institution as a major reference point when shaping the UFC HoF.
The two awards share similarities and differences:
Different in that the UFC Fight Wing was (supposed to be) a way to recognize fighters like Diego Sanchez, Stephan Bonnar, Alexander Gustafsson—fighters who had legendary matches even if their careers didn’t stack up against the GOATs. Fighters who wouldn’t otherwise appear on a roll call of champions but deserved remembrance.
The WWE version of those fighters would be, say, Marty Jannetty or Steve Lombardi. But WWE’s version of the Fight Wing, I suspect, will feature a who’s who of WWE history.
But similar in that, hopefully, when younger/new WWE fans hear about an ‘Immortal Moment,’ they’ll head to YouTube or wherever, and that match will thrill someone new all over again.
We’re all flies. Everything we do in life will eventually be forgotten. Hall of Fames are a way of slowing that process down to a crawl.
I love this move by WWE and am thrilled that one of my all-time favorite matches is going in first.”
The “Immortal Moment” category joins the WWE Hall of Fame as a unique way to preserve not just performers, but the legendary matches that helped define their careers—and an entire era of wrestling.
I love that WWE will be inducting matches/moments into their WWE Hall of Fame, riffing off the Fight Wing I created for the UFC Hall of Fame.
It’s appropriate that the WWE Hall borrows from the UFC Hall, as I used WWE’s institution as a major reference point when shaping the UFC…
— Ant Evans (@AntEvansMMA) March 28, 2025
