[1997-08-03-WWF-Summerslam] Steve Austin vs Owen Hart

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

This match is fantastic before the spot gone wrong. I love Owen biting Austin's middle finger and the work on Austin's hand, but this really has one great crowd pleasing spot after another and lots of intensity. That spot is frightening, especially because Austin isn't moving at all and you can tell Owen is scared. This limps to a finish, and it's amazing that Austin was still able to go on and have the run he had after taking that move.

[Kevin Ridge]

Ross made remarks during match about Austin's previous necks issues as Owen was working on it throughout the match. It really is amazing that Austin was able to somehow get the pinfall. This match was even better than I remembered. Real strong performance by Owen. Hart was really disturbed by Austin's condition trying to stall for time when he could but visibly concerned for Steve. I wonder how this would have finished if not for Austin's injury.

[Childs]

It's really a shame that this match ended the way it did, because they had great chemistry and I would love to have seen some rematches with both guys healthy. Owen looked so good on offense that the botch felt like particularly sad irony. I wonder if the coming Austin storm would have been any different if he'd been fully healthy? Obviously, it couldn't have gone much better business-wise, but I assume we would've gotten more excellent matches in '98 and '99.

[soup23]

This match was pretty great in the way it built up. Shame with the botch as a hot ending stretch may have made it my #2 WWF MOTY for the year. The work on the hand and finger by Owen added an extra bit of viciousness and played into Austin's comeback. Owen overall was very good at conveying hatred instead of just busting out his athletic spots which he did sprinkle in here. Austin is feeling like the man by this point and I look forward to his time out with this injury and his continued rise.

[PeteF3]

This match deserves to be remembered for more than the closing spot, because it's high-energy, terrific, and full of great offense from Owen in particular. He goes all Aja Kong on Austin's hand and we get the rare middle-finger-based psychology for a bit, while then switching focus to Austin's neck, which in a way is serendipitious with what's to come. Lots of twists and turns and momentum shifts, and even the restholds are used effectively and with different variations. Then the sick tombstone spot and scary aftermath...watching Austin attempting to crawl around barely able to move is still frightening. I still don't know to this day what Owen was thinking--the kneel-down version of the tombstone was a semi-regular move of his.

[DMJ]

Just watched this in full for the first time in many years, maybe even since it happened.

 

Wow, such a sad, sad match to watch because, before the accident, this match was definitely headed to 4-star territory and maybe even higher because you can really tell that audience was going to friggin' explode when they saw the Stunner.

 

As others wrote, Owen is fantastic here and their chemistry is remarkable. I like how, with Bret, in his feud with Austin, you still had a guy that wanted to win cleanly because he was all about personal pride over anything - it was generally Austin who made Bret "go vicious." Owen, on the other hand, is "naturally" a cheating, despicable heel so he actually seems to enjoy trying to break Austin's hand and has no qualms about, at one point, trying to walk away from the match when the going gets rough. It's a dynamic that, frankly, Austin really hadn't worked with much on PPV that year (or ever beforehand?) as, if you look at his 97', he was generally feuding with babyfaces and tweeners and none of whom were willingly to play a cowardly role like Owen did (Bret, Shawn, And Taker being his singles PPV opponents that year, plus the Final Four and Stampede match).

 

Obviously, Austin's health was the biggest victim of the accident, but one also has to feel a bit bad for Owen too and how this match and, based on what I've heard, an inability for him and Austin to ever really talk it out and discuss it must have affected his career. Owen was never going to be a longterm main eventer, but there was no doubt a natural, organic rematch that could've happened between the two. In fact, as a house show opponent for Austin post-WM14, he may have even been the ideal. I don't think there was enough trust for that to happen and Owen was relegated to not just midcard duty, but almost lower midcard duty for quite awhile afterwards, first being used to put over HHH and then eventually in the tag scene with another guy that was rumored to not be someone Austin liked, Jeff Jarrett.

[JKWebb]

This starts off with tons of intensity. Austin is throwing out rapid fire punches. It's awesome. Yeah, the work on the finger is sick, and then on to the neck. The accident is really unfortunate, and I agree that the match is great. It does deserve to be remembered for more than that. I loved Owen's offense. He hits a really sweet German Suplex on Austin, along with tons of other great offensive maneuvers noted above.

 

#416 - placetobenation.com/countdown-top-500-matches-of-the-90s-450-401/2/

[raul]

fuck. this match was really good before the piledriver, super depressing. it was awful to see austin just laying there and the lull before the broken roll-up.

[Superstar Sleeze]

WWF Intercontinental Champion Owen Hart vs Steve Austin - WWF Summerslam 1997

 

Austin says he will kiss Owen's ass if he loses. Great energy right out of the gate from Austin. The Thesz Press was super hot here. Loved Owen Hart trying to destroy Austin's middle finger slamming into steps, stomping and biting it. Best part of the match for me. Austin makes comeback, but neckbreaker starts neck work. Really great throws from Owen here as they are doing a good job bringing the energy up and coming back down into holds. The Piledriver spot was actually a cutoff spot for an Austin hope spot. Scary moment for sure. Because this happened well before the comeback, I consider this incomplete and impossible to rate. I am surprised it made the Top 500 given its incompleteness.

[Exposer]

This match is fantastic before the injury. It's a shame to be honest. If that piledriver doesn't go bad we could be talking about a really great match here. They cut a tremendous pace & East Rutherford is hot as hell for it. Several Austin chants throughout the match. Brilliant work from both guys. I loved the finger manipulation spots from Owen. Really nasty work from him there. The work over the neck is great & there's several good cut offs in this. Owen & Austin both do stuff they rarely ever do. It's really a great match. The piledriver is just brutal. Austin lands 180 degrees on his head. The crowd knew something was up too. Owen does a good job of trying to get heat & keep the crowd interested as Hebner tries to figure out what's wrong with Austin. The finish is pitiful but understandable. It got a huge pop but the fans went back to concern when Austin couldn't even walk out on his own. Pretty scary stuff. This injury not only nearly ended Austin's career, which is most important of course, but it really affected WWF in the aftermath & had them sputtering a little bit in the Fall. I've always wondered if Austin doesn't get hurt here & he stays healthy & is a part of TV every week in a physical capacity, that they wouldn't have beaten Nitro in the ratings by January or February of 98.