10 Horrifying Wrestling Injuries Captured On Camera
6. Steve Austin's Neck
One of the most famous injuries in pro wrestling history was also one of the ugliest. As if to reduce the severity of it when discussing the botched Tombstone, Stone Cold Steve Austin routinely describes getting 'dropped on his head' at SummerSlam 1997. It trivialises a flub from the late Owen Hart that could have left him paralysed.
It was a catastrophe he knew only too well. An identical sequence between Austin and Masahiro Chono in 1992 during a NJPW match saw Chono suffer similar damage after the future 'Rattlesnake' dropped to his *ss instead of his knees.
It ran through his mind shortly before Owen pole-axed his low-hanging head into the canvas. Austin later reflected on asking Owen to go to his knees, but 'The Rocket' felt he had control of the situation. Unfortunately misjudging the placement of his opponent during the set-up, Owen dropped Austin's entire 252lb frame down onto his own neck with a sickening bounce.
It gets no cleaner on multiple replays, particularly with the camera honed in on the forcible compression on Austin's frame.