Steve Austin Reveals the Health Scare That Defined His Final WrestleMania Match

Steve Austin entered WrestleMania 19 knowing he was approaching the end of the road, but few fans realized just how close he came to not making it to the ring at all. In the days leading up to his final match against The Rock, Austin pushed himself physically despite years of accumulated wear and tear. What was meant to be routine preparation quickly turned into a serious health scare, one that unfolded less than 24 hours before one of the most important nights of his career.

Austin later explained that his body was already sending warning signs earlier in the day, recalling that he had been “running hard… dehydrated and drinking a lot of caffeine.” While training, he noticed something felt off, but it wasn’t until he returned to his hotel that the situation escalated. “My heart just started beating out of my chest… like 180 beats a minute,” Austin said, describing the moment that forced an emergency call and a late-night trip to the hospital. Doctors ran tests and determined there was no structural damage, but the message was clear: his body had been pushed beyond its limits.

Despite never receiving full medical clearance, Austin made the decision to wrestle anyway, determined to finish his career on his own terms. He went through with the match, put The Rock over, and quietly closed the book on his in-ring run while battling lingering neurological issues. Looking back, Austin admitted the bout itself was affected by everything surrounding it, noting that the experience was “just a product of running too hard, too fast, too long.” More than two decades later, that night stands as both the end of an era and a reminder of the physical cost that came with being “Stone Cold.”