10 Weird Secrets To Wrestlers' Success

7. Steve Austin - Breaking His Neck

stone cold steve austin the rock
WWE

What if? scenarios are tedious because there's just no way of knowing, there are too many variables, and in 2021, you can't even use established facts to convince people that they have sh*t for brains, much less a well-reasoned argument.

Steve Austin was going to be a pro wrestling superstar regardless, but the broken neck he suffered at SummerSlam 1997 forced him to modify his style and landed him in a storyline opposite Vince McMahon that transformed the pro wrestling business.

Austin was as cracking a brawler as he was a technician. His performance at In Your House: Canadian Stampede was incredible.

But packed arenas across the U.S. went apesh*t for the broader style he introduced in 1998, around which the WWF built so many iconic and deliriously entertaining main events worked almost directly in front of their screaming faces. Austin was a hard bastard with no frills. The complete lack of pretension made that character. That Austin couldn't take too many bumps further established him as the invincible ass-kicker who always rewarded your support, and his storytelling and timing was so exceptional that his work never once felt trapped by its one dimension.

Wrestling is an inherent, insane paradox - so much so that a serious injury once propelled a great worker to megastardom.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!