In a recent episode of the “Grilling JR” podcast, wrestling commentator Jim Ross opened up about the nighmarish event that took place during a WWE SmackDown filming on October 5, 1999, when Darren Drozdov (Droz) came head to head with D’Lo Brown.
The event that shocked the WWE universe was when Brown performed a powerbomb on Droz, leading to a horrifying mishap. The accident led to Droz suffering from a significant neck injury, fracturing two of his neck vertebrae, which tragically resulted in quadriplegia.
Despite the devastating injury, Droz succeeded in regaining mobility in his upper body and arms later.
Here are some notable excerpts from the podcast:
Discussing whether he saw the incident involving Droz unfold, Ross elaborated “I wasn’t present. At that time, I was in Michigan, at a deer hunting preserve, filming vignettes with Stone Cold. We received a phone call. I can’t recall who exactly informed me, it’s been quite a while. Someone from our office relayed the distressing news about Droz, who was a well-respected and genuinely nice person. It personally affected me as it was a fate he certainly didn’t deserve.
“It was one of those unfortunate mishaps inherent to a profession where stunts are performed by large, athletic individuals. It was a shocking event for us, holding on to hopes that Droz would recover. On a couple of occasions, I visited him at his residence, tried to uplift his spirits, to show that we cared and were concerned. He sadly passed away this year.”
Reflecting on the incident itself, Ross stated, “It was a heart-wrenching moment seeing such a good soul go through that. Everyone adored Droz, and he was deserving of so much more. So hearing the news, Steve and I were shocked. It was unpredictable, and it was profoundly distressing. It was an emotional moment, even visiting Droz was challenging, maintaining composure while seeing him helpless yet maintaining a positive attitude. It was astounding witnessing his positivity and laughter despite the dreadful circumstances. It was truly unfortunate.”
Below you can find the embedded podcast of “Grilling JR: Worst Week Ever”.