5 real WWE moments that scared fans

It's obvious that WWE and pro wrestling in general walks a fine line between being meta and being really real. But sometimes the real world doesn't care about creative's plans and throws a curveball into everything.

And sometimes those curveballs are scary. As in, 'this wasn't supposed to happen and what did happen was terrifying.'

So we've collected a handful of events in WWE history that, well, weren't supposed to happen. We're not talking worked-shoot angles (which are cool, by the way, but not the subject of this article), but things that happened outside of anyone's control and, though they've since become a part of wrestling lore, were never intended to occur.

A quick note regarding the elephant in the room. While Owen Hart's tragic accident would certainly qualify for this list, out of respect to him and his family, we won't be revisiting it here. Nobody died as a result of any of these incidents. Not yet, anyway. Fingers crossed.

So what happened in real life during these scripted matches to freak everyone out? Let's dive into the list.

---

#5. Owen Hart breaks Steve Austin's neck at WWE SummerSlam

Steve Austin sits backstage after being injured

If you ever find yourself wondering why WWE banned the piledriver (except for Undertaker or Kane, of course), this match is the prime example.

In 1997, Stone Cold Steve Austin was on his way to becoming the biggest wrestling star in the world. He was about to walk into that year's SummerSlam as WWE Tag Team Champion with Dude Love as his partner, and was also planning on walking out with the Intercontinental Championship. He just had to go through Owen Hart to get it.

Plus, if he didn't, he would be forced to kiss Hart's butt. Let's not forget that.

Owen lifted Austin and set him up for a Tombstone Piledriver - except that Austin's head was positioned way too low under Hart's legs. The result was a broken neck for Austin, who was even temporarily paralyzed in the ring. Hart would taunt the New Jersey crowd to buy some time, and Austin managed to roll him up for the win and the title.

The injury was severe enough that Austin had to relinquish both his championships. Normally this is a major stumbling block for any pro wrestler. Austin, however, made it work to his advantage. WWE found a way to keep Stone Cold on TV and relevant without him having to physically compete. This also led to the legendary Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Vince McMahon feud that dominated the early years of the Attitude Era.

While we're on the subject of Superstar injuries being blessings in disguise...

#4. Becky Lynch breaks her nose, becomes WWE legend

By the time the build-up to WWE Survivor Series 2018 began, current Raw Women's Champion Becky Lynch was already one of the most popular stars on the roster. She had dubbed herself "The Man" following that year's Summerslam, and was about to go into Survivor Series as SmackDown Women's Champion while also getting ready for a match against RAW Women's Champion Ronda Rousey.

WWE's new tradition in Survivor Series is promoting a feud between the red and blue brands - a feud we interestingly don't hear much about before or after the annual event. On the November 12 episode of Raw, Becky led a coalition of her fellow SmackDown stars in an attack on the wrestlers of the opposing brand. While the assault started backstage, it eventually made its way into the ring.

It was in the ring, close to the end of the episode, that Lynch got into a scuffle with Nia Jax, who she'd already had issues with in the past. Jax apparently mistimed a strike and legitimately punched Becky in the face - breaking her nose and giving the SmackDown Women's Champion a concussion.

The Man, however, was unphased.

While the injury prevented Becky from participating in her long-awaited match against Rousey, the image of her posing in the stands, bloody and defiant, is one of the most iconic in WWE history. During an episode of Steve Austin's Broken Skull Sessions, Lynch famously described how the moment actually helped her career. During a talk with GiveMeSport, she added:

"I think that in retrospect, I need to buy Nia Jax a bouquet of flowers because I think... without that image, you know, myself covered in blood on top of the stands with my arms out... my career... may not have gotten to the place that it’s gotten now. So yeah, 100% it was a blessing in disguise. I don’t know what would have happened otherwise... Who knows what would have happened? It’s so hard to tell, but I am very grateful for everything that happened along the way," Lynch said. (H/T GiveMeSport)

These days, Lynch has traded out The Man moniker for "Big Time Becks", and provided she gets past the challenge of #1 contender Liv Morgan, will likely defend her Raw Women's Championship at this year's WrestleMania.

#3. Jerry Lawler suffers a heart attack on WWE Raw

Jerry "The King" Lawler addressing the WWE Universe

WWE Hall of Famer Jerry "The King" Lawler is a legend both in the ring and behind the announcers' desk. He and current AEW announcer Jim Ross are considered one of the most iconic announcer duos in wrestling history.

On the September 10th, 2012 episode of WWE RAW, we nearly lost him. And though he pulled through, we also got to see a different side of this then-broadcast partner Michael Cole.

Let's go over what happened.

On that episode of Raw, Cole - while speaking to the Busted Open Radio Show back in 2013 - recalled Lawler "snoring" during a match, recounting:

"In the middle of this match I heard Jerry snoring and I thought he was doing like I used to do when I was a heel... I thought he was making fun of the match in the ring and... snoring because the match was boring. So I chuckled because I thought that's what he was doing and then I looked over to Jerry.. [and he] was laying down on the table.. head was down... literally snoring. At that point I thought this obviously isn't good, he looked blue," said Cole. (H/T Bleacher Report)

Cole realized what was happening, hit the mute button on his microphone, and called for WWE's medical team. Michael Cole would go on to explain that muting the announce team's mics was to prevent Lawler's family from hearing what was happening and keep them from panicking. The King was taken to the back, then rushed to a local hospital.

Meanwhile, Cole kept the viewing audience up to date with Lawler's health status, and was even informed that he might have to "prepare for the worst" - meaning announcing the death of The King. Thankfully, that wasn't necessary, as Cole was able to end the episode with the announcement that Lawler had pulled through.

Amazingly, just weeks later, Cole was able to interview Jerry via satellite and let the world know The King was going to be okay.

In the end, Lawler made a full recovery and eventually returned to ringside and the Raw announce team. What it did kill, however, was the weird heel turn that WWE had been forcing on Michael Cole. The veteran announcer showed such poise and vulnerability during this broadcast that it would have been impossible to keep his smarmy act up any longer.

#2. Brock Lesnar lands on his head at WWE WrestleMania XIX

The Beast Incarnate seconds before a near-catastrophe

Brock Lesnar is, without question, WWE's gruff, lumberjack-looking, MMA-fighting Mayor of Suplex City - and one of the biggest draws in WWE's history. He's got his ring style down pat, knows exactly what he's doing, and is efficient and destructive when he goes to work.

Lesnar has headlined plenty of WrestleManias, but during his very first - WrestleMania XIX - he was a completely different wrestler. Make no mistake, he was still awesome - you don't get to headline WrestleMania if you're not awesome or Lawrence Taylor. But this was early in his career and Lesnar was still trying to figure out his style.

At WrestleMania XIX, Lesnar faced then-WWE Champion Kurt Angle in the main event. It was a great match from start to finish, but at one point near the end, Lesnar decided to head to the top rope and attempt a Shooting Star Press.

You can probably guess by the title of this entry how that turned out. (Warning: the following video will probably make you flinch.)

Thankfully, this is Brock Lesnar we're talking about, and the Beast didn't suffer any serious damage from the mistimed landing. It was still a pretty scary moment, though - just look back at the previously mentioned Steve Austin incident.

Brock would go on to defeat Angle and win his second WWE Championship.

Lesnar would leave WWE a year later and go on to have a historic career in UFC. He would draw upon that experience upon his return seven years later with a more grounded, less risky style.

#1. WWE Hall of Famer Mankind falls through Hell in a Cell

When it comes to WWE's deep lore, the Undertaker/Mankind Hell in a Cell match at King of the Ring 1998 is revisited almost as often as the Montreal Screwjob. It was a pivotal moment of the Attitude Era and cemented Mick Foley a legend almost overnight.

As many of us remember, the two men started the match on top of the Cell. The action didn't stay up there for long, however. Less than two minutes into the bout, the Undertaker grabbed Mankind by his shirt and tights and tossed him to the floor.

Now, the Deadman didn't just suddenly decide that the Hardcore Legend needed a one-way ticket to Ground Town. This was planned well in advance, as the two men were bound and determined to make this match something memorable. However, when you have this much controlled chaos in one place, some of that chaos is bound to end up... uncontrolled.

Following his free fall into wrestling lore, Mankind was carted off on a stretcher towards the back. But with a demented grin that loudly screamed "Nah, I ain't goin' out like that," Foley clambered off the gurney and made his way back to the Cell... and back on top of it. The two combatants resumed their struggle, but after that kind of spectacle, the stakes seemed so much higher.

Taker proceeded to lift Mankind up into the air and dropped him with a chokeslam. The chain link fence underneath them was supposed to hold. The chain link fence had other ideas.

Foley landed onto the mat below so hard that one of his front teeth was knocked out and somehow came to rest in his nostril. Crew members, referees, backstage officials and even Foley's friend Terry Funk ran to the ring to check on him. At the time, Funk was performing under a mask as Chainsaw Charlie, and seeing him come to the ring out of costume was a dead giveaway that something had gone terribly wrong.

Miraculously, Mankind was still able to get back to his feet and finish the match. In fact, he was also able to recover and interfere in the Steve Austin/Kane First Blood match for the WWE Championship later that night.

Can you think of any other scary unplanned moments in WWE history? Share them down in the comments below.