10 Great Wrestlers Whose Careers Were Cut Short
6. Stone Cold Steve Austin
Arguably the biggest star the industry has ever seen, Stone Cold Steve Austin resuscitated WWE during the Monday Night Wars with his surly, beer-guzzling tough guy persona. Austin's slow burn push from late '96 through '97 was almost derailed via a botched piledriver by Owen Hart at Summerslam '97. Chillingly, Austin's injury came via the exact move he'd accidentally hurt Masahiro Chono with several years prior.
Austin returned far quicker than doctors advised and continued his march to the main event of WrestleMania XIV. Throughout his main event run, The Rattlesnake's neck was a source of contention, ultimately causing him to miss almost an entire year of action at the height of his popularity. By the time he returned, his long-suffering knees were also giving out and his body deteriorated rapidly during his controversial 2001 heel run.
By 2002, doctors were demanding Austin hang it up, warning him that even the slightest misstep in the ring could be fatal. At just 38 years of age, Austin bowed at WrestleMania XIX after finally putting The Rock over. The Bionic Redneck has been greeted with monster pops ever since but remains one of the painfully few retired wrestlers to have actually stayed retired. Had it not been for the life-altering setback his neck in particular suffered, he likely would've had another couple of years in him during the biggest run of his career.