5 real WWE moments that scared fans
It's obvious that WWE and pro wrestling in general walks a fine line between being meta and being really real. But sometimes the real world doesn't care about creative's plans and throws a curveball into everything.
And sometimes those curveballs are scary. As in, 'this wasn't supposed to happen and what did happen was terrifying.'
So we've collected a handful of events in WWE history that, well, weren't supposed to happen. We're not talking worked-shoot angles (which are cool, by the way, but not the subject of this article), but things that happened outside of anyone's control and, though they've since become a part of wrestling lore, were never intended to occur.
A quick note regarding the elephant in the room. While Owen Hart's tragic accident would certainly qualify for this list, out of respect to him and his family, we won't be revisiting it here. Nobody died as a result of any of these incidents. Not yet, anyway. Fingers crossed.
Owen Hart's Belly To Belly Suplex. https://t.co/mOkXcUQu53
So what happened in real life during these scripted matches to freak everyone out? Let's dive into the list.
#5. Owen Hart breaks Steve Austin's neck at WWE SummerSlam
If you ever find yourself wondering why WWE banned the piledriver (except for Undertaker or Kane, of course), this match is the prime example.
In 1997, Stone Cold Steve Austin was on his way to becoming the biggest wrestling star in the world. He was about to walk into that year's SummerSlam as WWE Tag Team Champion with Dude Love as his partner, and was also planning on walking out with the Intercontinental Championship. He just had to go through Owen Hart to get it.
Plus, if he didn't, he would be forced to kiss Hart's butt. Let's not forget that.
Owen lifted Austin and set him up for a Tombstone Piledriver - except that Austin's head was positioned way too low under Hart's legs. The result was a broken neck for Austin, who was even temporarily paralyzed in the ring. Hart would taunt the New Jersey crowd to buy some time, and Austin managed to roll him up for the win and the title.
The injury was severe enough that Austin had to relinquish both his championships. Normally this is a major stumbling block for any pro wrestler. Austin, however, made it work to his advantage. WWE found a way to keep Stone Cold on TV and relevant without him having to physically compete. This also led to the legendary Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Vince McMahon feud that dominated the early years of the Attitude Era.
While we're on the subject of Superstar injuries being blessings in disguise...