What if Stone Cold was forced to retire after Summerslam 1997?
In summer 1997, the WWF were lagging behind considerably in the ratings; their flagship show Wrestlemania had done the worst buyrate it had ever done in history; a lowly 237,000 buys.
The company was struggling financially and had pinned its hopes on a man who had connected with the audience in a way very few ever have. That man was Stone Cold Steve Austin.
On August 3rd, 1997, Austin was booked to defeat Intercontinental Champion, Owen Hart and embark on a long reign to set up his inevitable crowning as World Champion in 1998 at Wrestlemania.
However, a huge bump in the road came during this encounter, when Hart, in an uncharacteristic display of recklessness, dropped his entire body weight as well as Austin's down on Austin's head in a botched Tombstone Piledriver spot.
Austin was paralysed for several minutes, unable to move, whilst the referee and Hart bought him time. Eventually, Austin was able to move sufficiently to roll Hart up unconvincingly for the pin.
Stone Cold was injured, badly injured. Immediately after the match, he was told by numerous doctors to retire immediately or risk permanent paralysis.
The WWF, panicked at losing it's hottest act, before he was given the opportunity to reign as the company's figurehead, pulled him from the ring and sent him to as many doctors as possible until they found one who would allow him to eventually return to active competition. Austin would come back, win the World title at Wrestlemania and earn record money and turn the WWF from an organisation losing cash into a worldwide financial juggernaut.
However, if Austin hadn't returned, what would have become of him and the company he worked for?