WWE HOFer Steve Austin Recalls Hospital Visit The Night Before His 2003 Retirement
In 2003, a year after his walk-out and return, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin famously retired from in-ring competition, wrestling what would be his last match for more than 20 years at WWE WrestleMania 19. It was his third and final WrestleMania bout against Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and The Rock would walk away victorious. Speaking on "Insight with Chris Van Vliet," Austin reflected on the match, as well as a frightening trip to a hospital the night before.
"It was just a thing where I was running hard," Austin said. "Dehydrated and drinking a lot of caffeine. I remember my legs were kind of shaking at the gym that day, and it was just kind of a precursor for what was to come."
The WWE star remembers feeling unusual while at the gym with fellow wrestler Kevin Nash. He then made it back to his hotel in Seattle, Washington, when suddenly his condition took a turn for the worse.
"God dang, my heart just started beating out [of] my chest," Austin shared. "Like 180 beats a minute. That sounds crazy but that's what it was."
'Stone Cold' gets a diagosis the night before WWE WrestleMania 19
Thankfully for Austin, a WWE office employee also staying at the hotel was nearby, and she called 911 on behalf of the wrestler. Austin was transported to a local hospital and doctors began running a variety of tests to find out what was wrong.
"Turns out, man, I was just running ragged," he continued. "Doctor never really cleared me. ... [I] went to the ring the next day and put over The Rock and took care of business. I wish we could've done – the match was okay, the match was okay. But that was just a product of running too hard, too fast, too long."
Austin also confirmed that he knew it would be the last match of his career heading into it, but only a few others knew, including Johnson. Despite being relatively young, Austin was dealing with neurological issues that informed his decision to hang up his boots.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Insight" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.