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Do you think Over the Limit 1999 should have continued after Owen Harts death.

  • Yes

    Votes: 6 28.6%
  • No

    Votes: 15 71.4%

Over the Edge 1999

4K views 20 replies 13 participants last post by  Rick Sanchez 
#1 ·
I want to ask did any of you guys watch the Over the Edge ppv, back in 1999?

And to those who were watching wrestling at that time, did you think WWE was wrong for continuing the ppv after Owen Hart's death?

If you were running the WWE at that time, would you have continued the PPV?

Though I did not watch that PPV, I can't help but think it was wrong for WWE to continue the PPV. I mean for the wrestlers to have go out there and wrestle, after losing a close friend, just feels wrong to me. But that' just my opinion.

And I just want to know your guys opinions on that PPV, and what went down that night.

(Sorry if Be the Booker isn't the right place for this question)
 
#2 ·
Re: Over the Limt 1999

I've always thought the wrong decision was made that night. End the show, issue refunds, whatever. It's a small financial loss in comparison to the monumental loss of Owen Hart.

However, as I've gotten older, I've tried considering it from Vince's perspective. What the hell was happening in his mind? I can't even imagine. Maybe he panicked and in that moment felt that continuing the show was best for the fans. I don't know. I can't blame him now as that has to be the most fucked up mental cluster imaginable in wrestling.
 
#3 ·
Re: Over the Limt 1999

I've always thought the wrong decision was made that night. End the show, issue refunds, whatever. It's a small financial loss in comparison to the monumental loss of Owen Hart.

However, as I've gotten older, I've tried considering it from Vince's perspective. What the hell was happening in his mind? I can't even imagine. Maybe he panicked and in that moment felt that continuing the show was best for the fans. I don't know. I can't blame him now as that has to be the most fucked up mental cluster imaginable in wrestling.
I never really thought of it from Vince's angle honestly. I guess he didn't want the audience to know and send them into a frenzy, or something. But from the stories I've read, Owen Hart seemed to be one of the most loved wrestlers in the locker room, so I just can't imagine the pain having to go out there and perform after that. I wonder if they had a choice.
 
#7 ·
Re: Over the Limit 1999

The right decision was made.

Owen Hart dying, letting the live fans know, and the PPV being cancelled? It would've been nuts.
Sure there would have been a few morons in the crowd but the majority of them would have understood and left the place calmly if they were addressed properly and refunded.
 
#6 ·
Re: Over the Limit 1999

It should have ended. WWF should have respected Owen's family and not continued the show to make a profit. A man died on Vince's watch and the WWF have to be held responsible for hiring a cheap rigging crew lacking the ability to pull off a stunt like that.

Owen was brain dead on the spot and everybody knew that. A decent human being would have stopped the show, informed Owen's family, and addressed the fans in the arena. I am sure majority of them even though were rabid attitude era fans, would have understood why they are stopping the show and not complained if Vince had refunded. Unfortunately Vince not only handled that poorly, he was rude to the entire Hart family, tried to divide them. Got upset cause Bret spoke his mind in the Larry King interview, became paranoid that Bret was after him, and resorted to cheap tactics such as going back on his word and bringing more hurt to Owen's family. In Vince's defense though, if Shane/Stephanie had died that night, he would have still gone with the show.. guess Bret said it the best...Vince will do anything for a dollar.
 
#8 ·
Re: Over the Limit 1999

The right decision was made. As much as I liked Owen, can you imagine what would have happened had they cancelled the show and the frenzy that would have ensued. They don't cancel auto races after a driver dies and no one kicks up about it.
 
#9 ·
Re: Over the Limit 1999

Yes the show should have continued.

The circumstance of death doesn't determine anything. A death is a death. I would wager if he had died of a heart attack backstage nobody would be arguing them continuing the show, even though in their own words "a man died".
 
#10 ·
Re: Over the Limit 1999

Yes the show should have continued.

The circumstance of death doesn't determine anything. A death is a death. I would wager if he had died of a heart attack backstage nobody would be arguing them continuing the show, even though in their own words "a man died".
Hmmm....You mean there is no difference between a guy dying naturally and him dying because of a company's negligence ?
 
#11 ·
Re: Over the Limit 1999

Right decision was made. Wrestlers had the option of going out there and finishing their matches. All of them did. People paid to see these matches, and guys in this business owe fans everything. I would've done the exact same thing.
 
#12 ·
Re: Over the Limit 1999

Right decision was made. Wrestlers had the option of going out there and finishing their matches. All of them did. People paid to see these matches, and guys in this business owe fans everything. I would've done the exact same thing.
The only reason why guys like Rock, Jarrett, Venis, and Road Dogg even went out to wrestle was because of Vince's anal mindset. Do you think any of those guys even continued had Vince genuinely asked them to be with their friend who was literally dead ?

It wasn't the right call due to the circumstances in which Owen died. Had it been any other way- drug overdose, death while wrestling the match, it would make a fair argument. The guy died because of gross negligence from WWF's end and hell no they shouldn't have gone out to make a profit after that incident.
 
#13 ·
Re: Over the Limit 1999

I personally don't think it should've continued.

Some things are more important than wrestling, and giving fans "their money's worth". I know if I was one of the wrestlers who had to go out and perform after the incident occurred, it would've been the last thing on my mind.
 
#14 ·
Re: Over the Limit 1999

Yeah, it should have stopped. No one wanted to be there after that and it was obvious from the matches and commentary, and who could blame them? But I don't necessarily think the company was negligent. Owen had tried the rigging out earlier in the day and said he was happy with it, and the same company had done it loads of times with Sting and nothing had gone wrong. The way they handled the aftermath, however, is another matter entirely.
 
#17 ·
Re: Over the Limit 1999

Yeah, it should have stopped. No one wanted to be there after that and it was obvious from the matches and commentary, and who could blame them? But I don't necessarily think the company was negligent. Owen had tried the rigging out earlier in the day and said he was happy with it, and the same company had done it loads of times with Sting and nothing had gone wrong. The way they handled the aftermath, however, is another matter entirely.
Harley Race says Owen wasn't too comfortable with the new equipment (lacked safety measures) and Dustin Rhodes says something similar.

The company that did Sting's and Shawn's entrance didn't do this. It was a cheap ass rigging crew who were willing to help with the stunt for a fraction of the cost quoted by Sting's crew.

I agree with the rest of your assessment.
 
#15 ·
Re: Over the Limit 1999

It would have been better if they canceled after Owen died, because respecting his memory would at least show that Vince has a heart since Owen died after all.
 
#18 ·
I don't agree with continuing with the show, but I understand why WWE did it. When they got confirmation of his death, there was 2-3 matches left and if they cancelled it, they'd have to give refunds not only to the people in the arena but also to those who ordered the PPV. Even if the show only had 200 000 buys, they'd have to payout 6 million dollars (PPV's were $30 back then) in refunds to just the PPV audience.

It's horrible way of thinking, but if I was in their position I'd do the same thing.
 
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