May 23rd, 1999 - 22 years ago today, the 'Over The Edge' PPV was held
On May 23, 1999, Owen Hart tragically passed away after a stunt at a pay-per-view event in Kansas City went horribly wrong. Hart was one of the most beloved wrestlers in the industry and was known for being quite the prankster and practical joker.
Portraying The Blue Blazer, a comedy superhero character who was a bit of a buffoon, Owen was booked in an Intercontinental Championship match with The Godfather. An elaborate entrance was planned as he was set to be lowered from the rafters via a harness. The plan was for him to be lowered just a few feet above the ring, at which point he would release himself, falling to the squared circle to get a few chuckles. But the stunt did not go as planned and Owen Hart fell some 80 feet, crashing into the ring below. He died a short time later due to internal bleeding from blunt force trauma. He was just 34 years old
The television camera had cut away to a
promo video so the stunt was not shown on the broadcast and WWE announcer Jim Ross had to explain to the television viewers what had happened, and later announce his death
In a highly controversial move, Vince McMahon decided to continue the show