Former WWE Writer Looks Back At Filming Steve Austin Hit-And-Run For Survivor Series 1999

Former WWE writer Tommy Blacha recently recalled the filming of the infamous Steve Austin hit-and-run segment from Survivor Series 1999. Austin was taken out with by a hit-and-run driver before he was able to compete in the WWE Championship match alongside The Rock and Triple H at the show, which led to Big Show entering the match and winning the title. Blacha was a writer at the time and spoke on Talk is Jericho about how the segment, which was used to write off Austin due to injury, came about.

“We got a call Saturday,” Blacha recalled (per Fightful). “‘Austin hurt his neck.’ It could have been me, it could have been Gewirtz, someone says, ‘How about Austin gets hit by a car.’ Great. Austin gets hit by a car, and we’ll do the show. Some stunt man is coming in. I used to work at Joe Louis Arena as a kid, running hot dogs. ‘We should do it down here.’ ‘They’re doing construction. There is a chainlink fence.’ This is what’s great about wrestling. ‘Have them tear all that down.’”

He continued, “There is so much money and relationships with the arenas that you can do anything. The manager of the arena is there, ‘Do whatever the fuck he wants and they’ll pay for it.’ There is a stuntman, and they’re shaving his head. He came from California. We gotta get this early and then run the tape to the truck to play it like it’s real. ‘We need this long shot.’ This guy is like, ‘I need pads. I can’t do this like this.’ Vince was there, and I said, ‘If you don’t do it, I’m going to get a flannel shirt on and put padding on. I’ll do it.’ Vince goes, ‘It’s settled. He’ll do it!’ ‘Did I just talk myself into getting hit by a car?’ I guess I would do it, I don’t know. The guy did it, and it worked out great.”

Rikishi was eventually revealed as the driver of the care, having done it “for The Rock” and “for the People.”