10 Moments Legendary WWE Careers Almost Died
2. Steve Austin Sees His Own Tombstone
Just 18 months into a legendary WWE stint yet to reach its peak, Stone Cold Steve Austin again almost lost everything before having it all.
En route to concluding an excellent SummerSlam clash with Owen Hart, 'The Rattlesnake's head bouncing off the canvas on the underside of the King of Harts' tombstone threatened to derail an entire company gradually shifting all attention to his rise to the top.
It instead forced creative hands to get even smarter with a white hot gimmick with seemingly clipped wings. Directing Austin's rage towards authority figures for banning him from competing instead of the Hart Foundation members he was destined to compete against, the company didn't have to dilute his fury whilst he made a temporary recovery from a knock that would eventually nobble him for nearly a full year between 1999 and 2000. Perhaps the prior setbacks had made the former 'Stunning' Steve more determined than ever, especially considering the fact that his eventual ascension was too almost lost to near-critical injuries...