Steve Austin revisited one of the more frightening moments of his in-ring career, recalling the night he was legitimately knocked unconscious during a high-profile match.
Speaking on a 2016 episode of The Steve Austin Show, the WWE Hall of Famer reflected on his 1998 SummerSlam encounter with The Undertaker, where a mistimed exchange led to Steve Austin being briefly knocked out in the middle of the match.
According to Austin, the moment came during a routine sequence that went wrong in an instant.
“I hit the ropes, Undertaker goes for a backdrop, I kick him in his chest, he’s going to straighten up and no-sell it, and when he does, the back of his big ass head hits me right under the chin,” Austin recalled. “And boom. Knockout blow.”
Despite being briefly unconscious, Austin managed to recover quickly enough to continue the match. Still, the incident left a lasting impression on him, particularly because of how promising the bout had been up to that point.
Looking back, Austin admitted he was frustrated that the injury occurred during what he felt could have been one of their strongest performances together. While he doesn’t remember much of the remainder of the match, one moment stood out: The Undertaker climbing to the top rope and delivering a leg drop, a risky move that Austin still remembers vividly.
When Did Steve Austin Retire From Wrestling?
Steve Austin officially retired from full-time in-ring competition in 2003 following his match against The Rock at WrestleMania 19. The decision came after years of physical wear and tear, most notably stemming from a severe neck injury he suffered in 1997.
While Austin would make occasional in-ring appearances in the years that followed, including his return match at WrestleMania 38 against Kevin Owens in 2022, his 2003 bout marked the end of his full-time regular wrestling career.
