Stone Cold Steve Austin has opened up about being paralyzed for 60 seconds after breaking his neck at WWE SummerSlam 1997 in his infamous match with Owen Hart, an injury that changed the trajectory of his entire career.
Speaking candidly to Chris Van Vliet on Insight, Austin opened up about the terrifying moment that nearly ended his wrestling career permanently.
"When you get paralyzed, which I was for, a transient quadriplegic for a length of time, 60 seconds, it scares you," Austin explained. "And so, you don't want to go back to that place again. And I didn't think I was coming back."
The injury forced Austin to transform his wrestling style from a technical approach to the hard-hitting brawler fans came to know.
"A tragedy or mishap turned into a bonus" for the Stone Cold character, he reflected, though the neurological aftermath would eventually force his retirement.
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Austin also revealed a harrowing story from the night before WrestleMania 19 in 2003. Running ragged from dehydration and excessive caffeine consumption, his heart began racing at 180 beats per minute. "I looked at Liz. I said, 'Liz, I'm in trouble,'" Austin recalled, noting that a doctor never actually cleared him but he wrestled anyway.
After his neck fusion surgery, Vince McMahon called Austin while he was recovering, already planning a comeback. Austin was initially offended given how close he came to permanent paralysis. "But once I got solid again, confidence returned. There's things to be done and I'm not through yet."
Austin also shared a bizarre moment from his recovery, describing how he nearly choked on jalapeño burgers while driving to Sonic with his neck brace on, asking himself, "Godamn, am I fixing to die? Is this how it ends?"