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Prime Time with Sean Mooney

Earl Hebner Details the Controversial Moment That Nearly Ended Steve Austin’s Career at WWE SummerSlam '97

Prime Time with Sean Mooney

Prime Time with Sean Mooney

Sports, Sports News, News, Leisure, Wrestling

4.8761 Ratings

🗓️ 19 June 2025

⏱️ 27 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

For decades, fans have speculated about the real story behind Stone Cold Steve Austin’s career-changing neck injury at WWE SummerSlam 1997. Now, legendary WWE referee Earl Hebner finally sets the record straight.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hey everybody, it's Sean Mooney and welcome back to Primetime with Sean Mooney. On today's edition, we have a special interview brought to you by my co-host, Steve Fall. I hope you enjoy it and don't forget to subscribe to the channel to stay tuned for more great content. What is going on wrestling fans?

0:26.3

It's I see fall.

0:27.2

Welcome to 10 count media on today's edition.

0:29.4

I'm talking to the goat of professional wrestling referees.

0:32.3

It's Earl Hebner.

0:33.2

Earl, how are you doing today?

0:34.6

Hey, man.

0:35.3

I'm doing great, and it's great to be back with you again.

0:38.1

It's great to see you on the whole refing show as I dubbed it in my brain.

0:42.8

But today we're talking about a moment that almost changed professional wrestling forever.

0:48.9

And it actually kind of did when Stone Cold Sea of Austin broke his neck at the 1997 SummerSlam.

0:55.4

Now, last week we talked about the double referee, greatest storyline of all time.

0:59.7

This storyline with Austin breaking his neck, it's an accident.

1:04.0

And out of, in your career, what is the worst wrestling injury that you have seen face to face because we have seen so many

1:13.0

injuries over the years but for you personally while being in the ring what was the worst one

1:17.1

you know the worst thing is truthfully steve was a broken neck that's that that's horrible

1:24.5

and to be involved in it and see it it's a heartbreaking now they're broken

1:31.0

arms and this and that and the other legs and you can overcome that in the period of time but when

1:40.1

you break your neck it's a serious situation and you don't know well you're going to be okay

1:46.5

you're going to be found or you're going to be back or what you never know yeah because like

1:53.1

mankind being tossed off a hell in the cell you know we saw him get up right this moment of

1:59.0

austin being dropped on his head you see him being held up.

...

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