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WWE’s Over The Edge pay-per-view event on May 23, 1999, will always be remembered for the unfortunate passing of Owen Hart. Hart passed away when the equipment lowering him from the rafters malfunctioned, causing him to fall into the ring.
Despite the horrific accident and the confirmation of Owen’s death, Vince McMahon made the decision to continue the show, a choice that has been heavily criticized over the years and Jim Ross also stating that Vince never regretted the way he handled the situation.
Vince McMahon explained his rationale in the Netflix docuseries Mr. McMahon, stating that the audience, thankfully, did not witness the fall due to the lights being dimmed at the time. The former WWE Chairman felt that since the crowd had not directly seen the accident, they had come to see a show, and as a businessman, his instinct was to carry on. McMahon also expressed that if the roles had been reversed, and if he or even his son had been in Owen’s position, he would have wanted the show to continue.
“Owen was to fly, so to speak, as we’ve done before, from the rafters of the building. Thank god, for the audience, that we were in a blackout, so they didn’t really see it. Thank god. When the lights came up, they saw Owen in the ring, and medical personnel were working on him. We wondered whether or not, ‘Could Owen be alive? Truly he could be’.The decision that basically I had to make (after finding out Owen had been pronounced dead) was whether or not the show goes on. The live audience didn’t really see what happened. Had they seen, there’s no question about it, you have to shut the show down. Those people came to see a show. They didn’t come to see somebody die. And me as a businessman, it’s like, ‘Okay, let’s continue on. Let’s continue the show’.”
Furthermore, Vince McMahon acknowledged the backlash, particularly from Owen’s brother Bret Hart, but stood by his decision, saying he would want the show to go on even if it had been him in Owen’s place. McMahon also addressed the legal settlement with Owen’s widow, Martha Hart, noting that it was later revealed the equipment used during the stunt was defective, which led WWE to pursue legal action against the manufacturer.
“There were a lot of negative comments actually as to whether or not the show should have continued. “Naturally, Bret’s gonna feel like a brother should. He had every right to say anything negative about our company. Had it been me, not just my son, had it been me who was ‘splattered on the mat’ as Bret said, I would want the show to go on. ‘Get me out of there, and let the show go on’. I’d do it with me. To this day I would. In terms of Owen, we settled a lawsuit basically with his wife. And then we find out, which we thought all along, it wasn’t our fault. Unfortunately, the apparatus they were using was defective, and the manufacturer knew it was defective, and then we sued the manufacturer.”
This incident remains one of the most heartbreaking and controversial moments in professional wrestling history. However, Owen Hart’s legacy continues to live through his family in wrestling, and the impact he left on the fans felt to this day.
What are your thoughts on Vince McMahon handling the Owen Hart situation the way he did back in the day? Do you think he made the right decision to let the show continue after Owen’s death? Sound off in the comments!
September 25, 2024 2:44 pm
