Owen Hart & Steve Austin's Troubled Relationship, Explained
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The SummerSlam '97 Intercontinental Championship match between "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Owen Hart is one of the most consequential - and infamous - in WWE history, if not all of professional wrestling. By then, from their first one-on-one encounter in the December '96 Middle East Cup Quarterfinal, they'd been on opposite sides of the ring in approximately 40 bouts.
RELATED: Stone Cold Vs. Owen Hart & 9 More WrestleMania Matches Steve Austin Should Have Had
You'd think that two of the greatest ring generals of their generation - albeit with different styles, even then - would be a shoo-in to have nothing but fantastic and injury-free matches every time. However, despite the Hart Family's reputation as safe workers (as Bret has often stated) accidents still happen. Unfortunately, Owen's ill-fated piledriver reversal spot became the landmark event in his and Stone Cold's troubled relationship until the former's tragic May '99 passing.
Owen Hart And Steve Austin Were Great Heels
When the "Ringmaster" debuted in December '95, Austin hadn't worked as anything but a heel during his career thus far. However, his brief stint in ECW before coming to WWE laid the seeds for the character that would catapult him to babyface superstardom two years later.
On the other hand, Owen hadn't officially turned heel until early 1994, when he infamously "kicked (Bret's) leg out of his leg" at the Royal Rumble. Despite this, he was so natural at being a pesky, cantankerous brat that it felt like he'd always been the "King of Harts." And when Austin - who'd gradually shed his former gimmick and manager Ted DiBiase over the past several months - called out the vacationing Hitman in Fall '96, the two rulebreakers had a common enemy.
Austin And Owen Hart Had Little Interaction Through 1996
Despite the momentum Austin was gaining through the end of 1996 with his promos (and eventually his excellent Survivor Series match against Bret Hart), his booking still reflected his mid-card status. Meanwhile, Owen focused on his partnership (and occasional rivalry) with brother-in-law "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith.
Until the aforementioned Survivor Series bout, Austin's most notable encounter with the youngest Hart brother was alongside Brian Pillman for a three-way, in-ring Bret-bashing session at September's In Your House: Mind Games PPV. Along with a Bret vs Owen match on the Raw after Austin vs Bret Part 1 in which Stone Cold interfered, this was about the extent of it until 1997, which proved to be a relationship-defining year for the like-minded bad guys.
Austin's WrestleMania 13 Face Turn Led To An Owen Hart Feud
When the Hitman and Stone Cold executed a historic double-turn during their five-star WrestleMania 13 match, its shockwaves reverberated across WWE. However, nobody was affected more, aside from the two initial protagonists, than the rest of the Hart (and Hart-adjacent) wrestling clan. After an emotional April reunion on Raw with Owen and Davey Boy, the entire (New) Hart Foundation - now including Pillman and a returned Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart - was soon feuding with Austin.
RELATED: The 5 Best 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin Storylines (& The 5 Worst)
Over the next several months after 'Mania, Bret was nursing several injuries and simultaneously warring with Shawn Michaels. Meanwhile, Owen acted somewhat as a proxy for his big brother, and from April through July, he and Austin faced each other dozens of times in singles, tag and multi-man matches, both on television and at house shows. Eventually, Stone Cold's vitriol was directed as much at Owen as at Bret.
Owen Hart Serious Injured Steve Austin At SummerSlam 1997
Finally, at SummerSlam '97, Owen and Steve were going to meet for Hart's Intercontinental Championship. Their feud became more personal and less about Bret as Austin first teamed with Michaels to defeat Owen and the Bulldog to end the latter's eight-month reign as tag champs.
Austin and Owen were having a fine bout through the first ten minutes of their semi-main event (Bret vs. The Undertaker for the WWE Championship was the only match with higher billing). However, a planned sit-down inverse piledriver-reversal spot changed all that. Hart failed to protect his opponent, as Austin's head protruded from about six inches below Owen's legs, leading to a severe "stinger" that left him temporarily paralyzed. As Owen stalled, knowing that Austin was supposed to win the match and title, Stone Cold powered his way to one of the most obviously-phony roll-up finishes of all time.
Austin And Hart's Friendship Ended Over The Injury
When Austin returned to quickly thrash Owen for the IC title at Survivor Series, his character was hotter than ever. Multiple reports since have confirmed that Stone Cold was upset with Owen, not only for the injury (apparently Austin had expressed his trepidation at the spot beforehand, but Hart reassured him) but for what he perceived as a lack of concern displayed by Owen following the match.
Despite a small handful of house show matches in which Austin and Owen coexisted on multi-man teams, as well as a memorable July '98 Tag Title defense by Stone Cold and The Undertaker against Owen and an emerging Rock, Austin generally refused to work with him again. Of course, as the Blue Blazer, Owen - whose career was floundering at the time - tragically passed the following May, and Austin was conspicuous by his absence at Hart's funeral.
Since that tumultuous period and its aftermath, several folks - including Stone Cold, Bret, Jim Ross and others - have spoken about the relationship between Austin and Owen. Bret has said that Owen only reached out to Steve once, directly following the botched spot, because he was deeply ashamed of his mistake. Austin has also admitted that he held a grudge against Owen, but with time and his continued respect and admiration for the Hitman, has let bygones be just that.
