Earl Hebner Recalls Suffering Brain Aneurysm Before WWE WrestleMania 14

With nearly 45 years under his belt as a referee, TNA Hall of Famer Earl Hebner is best remembered for serving as an official for almost every major US promotion, including WWE, TNA, and Jim Crockett Promotions, and for his role in the infamous Montreal Screwjob. But what many forget is that, only four months after Montreal, Hebner found himself in a life-threatening situation, one that had then-WWE Champion Shawn Michaels publicly paying tribute to Hebner during his entrance for a championship match against Steve Austin.

In an interview with "WrestlingNewsCo," Hebner recalled the situation, and how he received help from a future WWE Hall of Famer that he was with at the time.

"In 1998, I was in Boston, Massachusetts and I had a brain aneurysm the day before WrestleMania," Hebner said. "That night, I was drinking beer with The Undertaker, and I had a big pain in my head, and I said 'Something ain't right.' Anyway...He took me to the New England Medical Center, and those people saved my life."

Twenty-five years later, Hebner remains grateful to the medical personnel who attended to him that evening and credits them for the reason that he remains alive today.

"I owe Boston everything," Hebner said. "I never made WrestleMania that year, but when we went back down the road, I went there and must've taken 50 people in the ICU to the show. They helped me, they stayed with me, and took good care of me, so I could make it. That was awesome."

If you use quotes in this article, please credit "WrestlingNewsCo" and provide an h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription