5 WWE career-ending injuries caught on camera

1: 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin

Austin was forced to retire after neck injuries caught up with him.

Steve Austin had his retirement match 16 years ago, and true to his word, the Rattlesnake hasn't wrestled since.

And though he came up short against The Rock at WrestleMania 19, it was an injury from six years earlier that would eventually force the legendary star to hang up his boots.

Facing off against Owen Hart for the Intercontinental Championship, Austin got hit with a nasty piledriver by the Rocket, which broke Austin's neck.

Ever-resilient, Austin finished the match, quickly rolling up the Canadian for the win, though the damage had been done.

As his neck continued to worsen, Austin had no choice but to take a year off, being written off of TV by being run down.

Though he returned to TV in 2000, Austin competed much more rarely and hung up his boots due to his neck in 2003.