Vince McMahon Addresses Not Stopping WWE Over The Edge Following Owen Hart's Passing

Within the new Mr. McMahon docuseries on Netflix, Vince McMahon addressed his decision to continue with WWE's Over The Edge pay-per-view despite Owen Hart's tragic passing. Hart died after falling 78 ft from the rafters and hitting the top rope. Hart's cause of death was listed as internal bleeding from blunt force trauma.

Owen Hart's fall occurred while the arena was blacked out and McMahon claimed in Mr. McMahon that played into his decision to continue with the show. That is despite Hart's body being wheeled passed wrestlers backstage.

"The decision that basically I had to make was whether or not the show goes on. The live audience didn't really see what happened. Had they seen, there was no question about it, you have to shut the show down...Those people came to see a show. They didn't come to see somebody die. And me as a businessman, it's like, 'Okay, let's continue on. Let's continue the show,'" McMahon stated.

"There were a lot of negative comments actually as to whether or not the show should have continued. Naturally, Bret's gonna feel like, you know, like a brother should. He had every right to say anything negative about our company. Had it been me, not just my son, had it been me who was 'splatted on the mat' as Bret said, I would want the show to go on. So get me out of there, you know, and let the show go on. I'd do it with me and to this day I would."

Bret Hart on the docuseries admitted that he initially questioned if WWE had murdered Owen as a way to get back at him over his acrimonious exit from the company in 1997. After receiving a call from the Kansas City Police Department who said it was a horrible accident, though, Bret went on to forgive McMahon.

Owen Hart continues to be celebrated in pro wrestling today and All Elite Wrestling have held annual Owen Hart Foundation tournaments since 2022.

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