The Undertaker has reflected on whether the 1999 WWE Over The Edge pay-per-view should have continued following Owen Hart’s tragic passing.
The events of WWE Over The Edge 1999 continue to be a poignant and tragic chapter in wrestling history. The night saw the untimely passing of Owen Hart, who tragically lost his life in a stunt gone wrong. Amidst the sombre atmosphere following Owen’s death, the show went on, culminating in The Undertaker’s victory over Steve Austin to claim the WWE Championship in the main event.
On his Six Feet Under podcast, The Undertaker candidly reflected on the harrowing experience of continuing the show after learning of Owen’s passing. He described the profound challenge of grappling with the sudden loss of a colleague and friend, emphasising the immense difficulty of performing under such emotionally taxing circumstances.
Trying to process the information that somebody had just passed away due to the rigging accident, a guy that you spent tons of time with and seen every day for years, and you just lose him. One minute he’s there, the next he’s not, and you have to go out, put the pieces together and try to perform. It was probably one of the most difficult, definitely mentally, one of the toughest days I ever had.
Undertaker expressed that the visible distress on everyone’s faces during the event reflected the deep impact of Owen’s tragic accident. He questioned the decision to proceed with the show, acknowledging the conflict between the obligation to entertain and the overwhelming grief that permeated the event.
If you go back and watch the footage, you can see it on everybody’s face. There is just a huge element to the match and everything that is going on. You can tell that no one really wanted to be out there. It’s still very raw and you’re processing this information, but you’re also trying to entertain these people.
Undertaker soberly recalled the absence of celebration despite his championship win, underscoring the pervasive sense of disbelief and hope that Owen’s passing might somehow be overturned. Furthermore, he empathised with Vince McMahon, acknowledging the weight of the decision to continue the event in the face of such tragedy.
There was no celebrating that night. Although we had already been told, you still didn’t believe it. We were hoping that something miraculous had happened and it wasn’t true. Hindsight being 20/20…you also have an arena full of people. I didn’t envy Vince [McMahon] and having to make that decision. It was a tough call.
Which Move Caused The Undertaker The Most Pain At The End Of His Career?
The Undertaker revealed that his Guillotine Leg Drop caused him so much pain it sent shivers up his spine towards the back end of his career. Undertaker also expressed that the Tombstone Piledriver also caused him pain in his knees as he drew nearer to then end of his career.
H/t to Fightful.com