10 WWE Disasters That Became Life-Changing Moments
4. Steve Austin’s Broken Neck Blows Up
’Stone Cold’ could be forgiven for thinking his career was over after a reckless piledriver from Owen Hart at SummerSlam 1997, but it actually helped Steve Austin’s character long-term. He took a little time off post-show (a remarkably short sabbatical, all things considered), then returned as a non-wrestling character on TV to maintain interest in his rise.
On 22 September '97, inside the iconic Madison Square Garden on Raw, Austin blasted then-humble commentator Vince McMahon with that first glorious Stunner. Would that have happened had Steve still been healthy and working a full-time schedule? Who knows, but probs not.
The WWF needed ways to keep him on telly, and this was as good as anything. Few could've predicted in late-September that Austin vs. McMahon would create monster business for the company and become one of the most talked about rivalries in the industry.
Austin went from being temporarily paralysed to skyrocketing as an even bigger star.