4 worst Stone Cold Steve Austin injuries that almost ended his career
Stone Cold Steve Austin is regarded as one of the greatest names in the history of pro wrestling. The Texas Rattlesnake was at the top of the tree in WWE during the Attitude Era, arguably the most memorable era in WWE history.
However, he had his fair share of injuries which cut short his WWE career as he retired in 2003 at the age of 39. Let's look at 4 of the worst Stone Cold Steve Austin injuries:
#4. Right elbow injury
At number four on the list of the worst Stone Cold Steve Austin injuries is the one in his right arm.
Austin admitted on a podcast that he can't straighten his right arm. This is because when he tore his tricep on a tour of Japan before his WWE stint, he had screws put in his elbow. Austin said that there has been so much calcium stored in his joint that he can't straighten his arm.
Austin has consulted with two doctors about the injury, both of whom said they can't do much to help him with that injury. But Stone Cold Steve Austin said that he doesn't plan to get surgery on it.
#3. Broken bones in his back
Booker T, on his WWE debut, began a feud with Stone Cold Steve Austin in 2001. But on his arrival, the WWE Hall of Famer unfortunately played a part in what led to one of the worst Stone Cold Steve Austin injuries.
Booker T had to throw Austin onto the announcer's table, but the Texas Rattlesnake slipped off the table and landed on the legs of the announcer's chair.
"What happened was I fractured three of those transverse processors in my back. Those little things that stick out, all three of them snapped over, so my hand was never broken. I broke those three bones in my back and I went to the back and I was like, ‘goddamn!’ It was nothing [Booker] did. It’s the way the bump went. And so [Booker] put me perfect on the table. I just skipped off.” (H/T WrestlingInc)
Booker T was under the impression that Austin had injured his hand, since that's what Bruce Prichard told him.
#2. Knee injury
One important part of Stone Cold Steve Austin's iconic, no-holds-barred gimmick, were his knee braces which added to his renegade character. But the knee braces weren't just to show fans that he meant business. They were added to his ring gear out of necessity.
Austin suffered knee injuries during his days as a football player and it worsened after he got into the wrestling ring. He shared that the first time he wore both knee braces in WWE was in 1999 SummerSlam. Over time, the braces became a standard part of his gear.
Austin had to get surgeries on his ACL and PCL ligaments grafted in his left knee after his WWE career.
#1. One of the worst Stone Cold Steve Austin injuries
Possibly the worst among Stone Cold Steve Austin injuries, and probably even in WWE history, occurred at SummerSlam in 1997 when Austin faced Owen Hart. The match was for the Intercontinental Championship, which Hart held.
When Owen Hart was trying to deliver a Tombstone Piledriver, he mistakenly let Austin's head fall on the mat. The Texas Rattlesnake somehow finished the match and won the Intercontinental title, but he broke his neck and was paralyzed temporarily.
Austin had to get surgery on his neck a few years later and this injury was one of the main reasons why his WWE career was cut short. This was arguably one of the worst Stone Cold Steve Austin injuries.
There are others on the list of the worst Stone Cold Steve Austin injuries. The Texas Rattlesnake had a massive following, and along with The Rock, Triple H and others, took WWE to the next level. It's tragic that such an amazing career to got cut short.