The sound of glass shattering and the sight of beer cans flying is synonymous with only one man in WWE, Stone Cold Steve Austin. The wrestling legend was without question one of The Attitude Era’s finest wrestlers. From crushing limos to drinking beers to giving the boss and his stooges a beer bath, Austin represented the ‘Attitude Era’ through and through. However, some of his bad habits once gave him a major health scare in real-life.

In case you didn’t know, Austin spent the night before WrestleMania 19 in a hospital. Yes, that’s right! WrestleMania 19 was The Texas Rattlesnake’s retirement match. And it was against The Great One, The Rock. Although the match was nothing short of spectacular, Stone Cold wasn’t even sure the match would even materialize a day before.

Stone Cold Steve Austin regrets not taking care of his body ahead of his retirement match

It is paramount for pro wrestlers to take care of their bodies. After all, they use it to tell stories in the ring. On the day before WrestleMania 19, Stone Cold Steve Austin started feeling the effects of a bad diet and dehydration. In his book, ‘The Stone Cold Truth’, Austin detailed his hapless experience.

Austin recalled waking up with a strange pain in the chest. However, he perhaps did not think much of it and made his way from his hotel to the gym to work out. While working out with Kevin Nash, the Hall of Famer noticed that his foot was twitching involuntarily. Even Nash was shocked when he noticed it.

But when Austin made his way back to the hotel, he noticed that his heart was pounding unusually faster. After trying to settle down by taking deep breaths, Austin was convinced that he was having a heart attack. WWE officials and doctors arrived at Austin’s room after he alerted the front desk. Subsequently, Stone Cold was rushed to a hospital.

Recalling the experience, Austin holds himself culpable for putting too much “cr*p” in his body. He revealed that he barely drank any water and that he was binging on energy drinks and coffee for months, leading to his severe dehydration.

“I was nervous and hurting my neck or back, plus there was all that c**p I was putting in my body, and I had been doing this stuff for months on end. Looking back, I think I was wearing myself down,” stated Austin.

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At one point, he wasn’t sure if he would even be alive let alone wrestle at the Grandest Stage. Thankfully, Stone Cold Steve Austin sought help and got back on his feet the next day. Vince McMahon saw to it that Austin received all the care he needed from the doctor. The boss spent the night at the hospital out of his concern for the Hall of Famer.

Stone Cold and The Rock went on to deliver an emotional match at WrestleMania XIX.

The Rock reveals what he whispered to Stone Cold Steve Austin after their iconic match

WrestleMania XIX marked the end of an era. Although Austin returned to wrestling after decades, he capped off his active in-ring career in his match against The Rock. Fans were on the edge of their seats as Stone Cold took on The Rock in their trilogy match. Despite emerging victorious, The Rock’s victory didn’t come easy.

Ultimately, It took three Rock Bottoms for The Rock to emerge victorious. With Steve Austin lying down defeated in the middle of the ring, The Rock was seen whispering something to him.

In a WWE documentary, DJ revealed what his exact words were. He said, “I whispered to him, ‘Thank you so much for everything that you’ve done for me.’ And I said, ‘I love you.’ He said, ‘I love you too.’ I hit him on the chest, and I left him in the ring.”

Thankfully, Stone Cold Steve Austin sought help and got back on his feet the next day.

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Stone Cold and The Rock, in their own right, are two of the best performers from the Attitude Era. The duo was instrumental in the success of the company due to their massive contribution. And coincidentally, both wrestling legends were in the home stretch of their in-ring careers at the time.

What was your favorite match out of the trilogy WrestleMania matches? Comment below!