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Stone Cold Steve Austin has been described by WWE Chairman as the most popular superstar of all-time. Austin drew big numbers for WWE during the Attitude Era, and sold record-breaking amounts of merchandise.
The former WWE Champion was someone everybody wanted to see. The hell raiser, beer-swilling, anti-corporate superstar was a trailblazer of his generation. Nobody will compare to The Texas Rattlesnake.
Sadly, due to suffering the effects of a neck injury following a neck break in 1997, Stone Cold Steve Austin had his last match in 2003. Many have said that if Austin hadn't broken his neck, he would likely still be performing at some level today.
So who broke Stone Cold Steve Austin's neck?
Owen Hart broke Stone Cold Steve Austin's neck at the SummerSlam pay-per-view in 1997. Hart gave Austin a piledriver which saw him become temporarily paralyzed in the ring. The move was not executed correctly, which resulted in Austin's head being driven into the ring mat.
Stone Cold Steve Austin described the moments after he received the piledriver from Owen Hart:
"Man, I’m laying there, and now the pain’s starting to set in. I couldn’t use my hands yet, but I could turn over and use my forearms to crawl. It took me a long time to straighten my knees to be able to… [but] there was no way I was gonna lay there and let some ambulance or bunch of paramedics carry me out of that ring. And then finally, I can start using my hands. I hit him with the roll-up… it looks like s--t." Stone Cold Steve Austin said. (h/t Pro Wrestling Stories)
The incident saw Austin take an initial backseat from in-ring competition, but he did continue to figure in storylines. He interfered in matches and still got physical before returning to the ring later that year.
Who did Stone Cold Steve Austin face in his last match?
Stone Cold Steve Austin's last official match was against The Rock at WrestleMania 19 in 2003. It was the trilogy match of an incredible rivalry that also saw the duo headline WrestleMania 15 and WrestleMania 17.
The near-18 minute match saw The Rock finally claim victory over The Texas Rattlesnake on WWE's biggest stage.
It was the culmination of an amazing journey for Austin, as he hung up his wrestling boots for good after this bout.
What do you think of Steve Austin's career in WWE? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
