The WORST Wrestling Story Every Year (1989-2025)

2000 - Who Ran Over Stone Cold?

It’s pro wrestling. Stone Cold Steve Austin couldn’t just say he was injured and needed neck surgery. A booker needed to put heat on one of his heels.

But because this was pro wrestling in the Attitude Era - a time defined by false advertising and ridiculous stunts - Austin was written out when he was run over by a car during Survivor Series 1999. This was when the WWF knew Austin was unable to compete, and after they had secured your pay-per-view buy.

Commissioner Mick Foley set about trying to identify the perp during the fall of 2000, which was an indication that Austin was nearing a return. This was good stuff, playing to the mystery-obsessed wrestling audience, but when Austin did return, the mood soured. Chris Kreski’s WWF was weirdly charming. A sense of fun took over the WWE product, which was often less Attitude Era-coded than certain periods of the so-called Ruthless Aggression era.

Austin, the dour character, took to beating up the cast that people had connected with; Austin the man seemed paranoid about his spot, and the WWF’s ability to thrive without him.

The fake reveal was infamously bad, in that a wooden, miscast Rikishi “did it for the Rock”, an “island boy” who had apparently been held down - despite holding the WWF title as Vince McMahon’s chosen Corporation representative literally a full year before the attempt on Austin’s life.

It was then actually revealed to be an evil Triple H scheme, which Austin sought to avenge by trapping Triple H in a car and dropping it 20 feet to the ground from a forklift. This was a worse attack than his own, and he missed almost no time. What a badass.

Stephanie McMahon took over creative here.