Former WWE official on dealing with survivor's guilt after Owen Hart's death
Former WWE referee Jimmy Korderas remembered having survivor's guilt following Owen Hart's tragic death at Over the Edge 1999.
Korderas spent 22 years with WWE from 1987 to 2009. He was supposed to be the referee for Hart's match against The Godfather at Over the Edge. He was in the ring when the accident happened, with Hart's feet grazing him during the 78-foot fall.
In an exclusive interview with WrestlingNews.co, Korderas explained that he had no idea how close he was to being part of the tragedy. Jerry "The King" Lawler had to tell him what really happened, and he felt guilty afterward.
"I didn't find out how close he was to me until I talked to Jerry Lawler," Korderas said. "He told me he saw the last maybe 20 feet of the fall and thought I was gonna be a more unfortunate part of this tragedy. Then I started feeling guilty after King told me that. I felt lucky, but at the same time, here's a family who lost a father, a husband, a son, and I felt guilty thinking that I was lucky that I made it out of this."
Owen Hart was rushed to the hospital after the accident but passed away due to his injuries. WWE controversially continued Over the Edge despite the incident, which was heavily criticized at the time and by some up to this day.
Owen Hart still not in WWE Hall of Fame
Mark Henry made headlines back in 2018 when he pleaded with Owen Hart's widow, Martha Hart, to allow her husband to get inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. However, Martha has always been critical of WWE and the Hall of Fame, and no one should blame her.
It's understandable why Martha doesn't want anything to do with WWE. But it was still surprising for some when she formed a partnership with All Elite Wrestling on September 20, 2021.
AEW introduced the annual Owen Hart Cup Tournament to honor his memory while also producing original merchandise. Hart will also be a playable character in the upcoming video game AEW Fight Forever.
Do you think Martha Hart will ever allow Owen to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.