The broken neck sustained by 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin in 1997 is one of most pivotal moments in 'The Texas Rattlesnake's career. A sit-out tombstone piledriver by Owen Hart at the 1997 SummerSlam dropped Austin on the top of his head, breaking his neck, putting him out of action for months, and altering his future. Strangely, the freak accident was also eerily reminiscent of a night five years prior.
During his time as 'Stunning' Steve Austin in WCW, he had been one of the Americans sent to Japan to compete for their international partner, NJPW. During one of these tours, Austin would find himself in a similar situation to the SummerSlam bout, but with the roles reversed as one of the biggest NJPW stars of all time, Masahiro Chono, was unfortunately on the receiving end.
Steve Austin In New Japan Pro Wrestling
By the time Steve Austin made his debut in Japan, he was a solid member of the WCW roster. As a member of the famed Dangerous Alliance, Austin had already held the WCW World Television Championship twice, looking destined for great things. Even for a proven singles champion, Austin's first appearance in New Japan still had him being thrown into the deep end, as he was entered in the 1992 G1 Climax. The 1992 edition of the tournament took on a single elimination format, being only the second G1 Climax in history, with the winner receiving the vacant NWA World Heavyweight Champion. The belt had been vacated with Ric Flair leaving WCW for WWE, appearing with the 'Big Gold Belt' and proclaiming himself as the 'real world champion' on WWE television.
The first round saw Austin collide with fellow Dangerous Alliance member, Arn Anderson. Though he would best 'The Enforcer,' Austin was then eliminated in the second round by crowd favorite Keiji Mutoh, a first time meeting between two icons of the wrestling industry. Though knocked out of the tournament, Austin would soon receive a championship match with the eventual winner, Masahiro Chono.
Steve Austin Challenges Masahiro Chono For The NWA World Championship
Masahiro Chono had ascended through the tournament, beating several American competitors that had made the trip. Coming out on top over Tony Halme (best known as Ludvig Borga), Scott Norton, Keiji Mutoh, and finally Rick Rude, Chono added his name to the illustrious list of NWA World Heavyweight Champions. As one of The Three Musketeers, along with Mutoh and Shinya Hashimoto, Chono was one of the biggest names in Japan, an excellent choice to claim the vacant belt and build the WCW/NJPW relationship.
Austin was his first challenger, with the bout taking place in the Yokohama Arena on September 23, 1992. As two deeply skilled technicians, the bulk of the match was a competitive contest that ended up being cut short. The two did the spot where Chono lifts Austin for a tombstone, only for Austin to shift the position, flipping them around, and Austin holding Chono upside down. Austin sat out, with Chono landing on his head, breaking his neck and compressing the discs within.
The language barrier between Austin, Chono, and the referee appeared to get in the way. Whereas Owen Hart was quick to realize how badly hurt Austin was, getting up and taking time to jeer at the crowd, Austin attempted to bring the Chono back to his feet, only for Chono to quickly trip him and applying his signature STF submission. Austin muscled himself to the ropes, breaking the hold, only for Chono to apply it again and win via tapout. Chono did manage to get to his feet and leave under his own power, but he was very clearly in a great deal of pain from the piledriver.
Chono's Neck Injury Alters His Career
Like Austin's injury in 1997, the damage done to Chono's neck would catch up with him. Unlike Austin, however, Chono decided to keep wrestling, despite the injury. Chono carried the NWA World Heavyweight Championship until January 4, 1993, defending it on WCW pay-per-view twice before losing it to The Great Muta in the Tokyo Dome. Chono's schedule remained as intensive as ever, but to help preserve himself, Chono gradually adapted his technical style towards a more brawling style, just like Austin would. Having been the clean-cut babyface for much of his career, Chono morphed into a devious villain. He took on a character reminiscent of a crime boss, with dark sunglasses and black gear, later heading up the Japanese branch of the nWo.
Chono would go on to win the G1 Climax three more times (his five total wins is the current record), numerous IWGP Tag Team Titles, and finally claiming the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in 1998. But Chono couldn't enjoy it for long, having to vacate the belt before he could make a single defense due to how bad his neck had gotten. Though the initial break in 1992 didn't take time off of his career right away, the snowball effect it started ended up depriving Chono of the prize he had chased for much of his NJPW career.