One of the biggest tragedies in professional wrestling history occurred in May 1999 at WWF’s Over the Edge pay-per-view when Owen Hart, as his Blue Blazer gimmick, plummeted to his death while he was being lowered from the rafters by harness and grapple line into the ring. In WCW during the same era, Sting was also being lowered from the rafters for dramatic effect during his entrance and various other segments.
On an episode of “Kliq This,” Sting’s fellow former WCW star Kevin Nash was asked by a fan if Sting ever felt nervous using the harness following Hart’s untimely passing. Nash was unsure if WCW continued to use the harness after the tragedy, but did explain how it differed between companies.
“I think we still did it a couple of times. I might be wrong. We might have, out of respect for Owen, not done it again,” Nash explained. “Different rigger. You couldn’t do to our apparatus what they did with [what] Owen had happened to his… There was a quick release, we didn’t have a quick release. You could not release the harness if your feet weren’t on the ground.”
The Over the Edge pay-per-view audience did not witness the accident on their television screens, but those in the live crowd did. Hart was taken to a hospital in Kansas City, where attempts were made to save him, but he died due to his injuries. Commentator Jim Ross announced Hart’s passing while the show was still live on the air to fans at home. Hart was only 34-years-old when he died.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit “Kliq This” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
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