Stone Cold Steve Austin's Career-Altering Neck Injury at SummerSlam 1997

Stone Cold Steve Austin's neck injury at SummerSlam 1997 nearly ended his career. On August 3, 1997, Austin suffered a neck injury during a match against Owen Hart at SummerSlam '97. He took an inverted piledriver and landed on the top of his head, causing a neck injury that left him hospitalized.

What happened?

According to Dave Meltzer's review of WWF SummerSlam 1997 in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Austin was scheduled to win the IC title against Owen Hart. However, after taking the piledriver, Austin's arms and legs went numb, and he whispered to Hart that he couldn't move. Hart stalled for as long as he could, trying to get a "USA" chant going, while Austin managed to roll toward him and get his arms up for a weak schoolboy finish.

Why it matters for Stone Cold Steve Austin

Austin's neck injury was a major concern for his career. He was told not to wrestle by multiple doctors, but he continued to wrestle near-full-time until WrestleMania in 2002. The incident highlights the risks and sacrifices that professional wrestlers take to entertain their fans.

What comes next?

Despite the injury, Austin appeared at Raw the next night, clearly not walking well. His activity was limited to doing an interview and interfering in the Dude Love vs. Owen Hart main event by hitting Hart with a Slammy Award.

Key Takeaways:

• Stone Cold Steve Austin suffered a career-altering neck injury at SummerSlam 1997.
• The injury occurred during a match against Owen Hart, where Austin took an inverted piledriver and landed on the top of his head.
• Austin was hospitalized and told not to wrestle by multiple doctors, but he continued to wrestle near-full-time until WrestleMania in 2002.

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