Droz was never bound for any WWF main event, but make no mistake about it, his crippling 1999 neck injury was a major blow to the company. Tragically for Droz he was taking a running piledriver off D'lo Brown when a slip resulted in the force driving his neck into his body. The resulting fracture of two discs of the neck was enough to paralyse Droz for life. From a company stand point this was firstly an emotional tragedy, but secondly a destabilising PR disaster. The WWF was already being hammered for its profane, violent and sexual broadcasts. The death of Owen Hart had occurred just months before Droz's injury and the mainstream media were still all over wrestling as unsafe and a bad influence on children. Droz's paralysing was just more fuel on that fire. Fears over children copying wrestling and hurting themselves spread, a media moral panic ensued - the WWF was doing hot business and the establishment didn't like it. The injury of Droz forced Vince McMahon to address these concerns, the 'Don't try this at home' campaign went into full force and gradually the WWF ring style was made safer, with one innovation being a much bouncier ring.
