Top 10 worst WWE injuries

We will take a look at some of the worst wwe injuries. Wrestling is without a doubt one of the most brutal sports in today’s world. Even though most of the wrestling happens under expert guidance and by professionals who have thoroughly perfected the moves, but sometimes even a slight margin of error can lead to a disastrous outcome, maybe even a fatal one. When you are Choke-slammed through a table, or Tombstoned, things can go awry some-times very quickly. Here we take a look at some of the worst injuries suffered by WWE superstars throughout their years, and how they played through those injuries to prove the age old adage “The Show Must Go On”.

#10 Hardcore Holly's 15-inch Gash

Bob Holly had his name changed from “Spark Plug” to “Hardcore Holly” for a reason. The reason being a very good one, as he has participated in a host of Hardcore matches throughout his career and has suffered numerous injuries. He even got his neck-fractured at the hands of Brock Lesnar, keeping him out of action for about a year.

In an Extreme Rules match against another hardcore wrestler Rob Van Dam, as RVD was superplexed by Holly outside the ring through a table. Even though RVD took the higher fall, Holly took most of the damage, as he landed wrong and as the table broke some part of it sliced Holly open. A deep 14” or 15” gash was visible on Holly’s back, but he fought for nearly 10 more minutes. While also taking a suplex to a steel chair, as blood continued to ooze down his back. The trainers rushed to the aide of Holly as soon as the match was over, and it took 24 stitches to seal the wound that he had sustained.

#9 Brock Lesnar's near death

At WrestleMania XIX Brock Lesnar wrestled his 1st WrestleMania match against Kurt Angle, and he wanted to have his own WrestleMania moment, and he wanted to make it big. After delivering his trademark finishing move the F5 on Angle, he ascended to the top turnbuckle to do the Shooting Star Press, something nobody had seen him do previously.

A move suitable for the lightweight and not one of Brock’s frame it had to go wrong, as Brock landed awkwardly and nearly broke his neck. Brock slammed his head and neck into the canvas and the results could have been fatal or he could have paralyzed himself.

But Brock stood up to finish the match while also delivering a F5 to finish the match. The impact had left Lesnar glassy-eyed and red faced, when he left the ring.

#8 Triple H's torn Quadricep

HHH in his time has suffered an awful lot of injuries, including a tore quadriceps. Although a normal person or even a wrestler would have been down in agony after the injury but Triple H went on.

During a match with Stone Cold Steve Austin against Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit for the Tag Team Titles, Triple H help break the Walls of Jericho on Austin and fell to the ground. He then rolled down the ring, to remove the monitors from the announce table, before receiving a Walls of Jericho on the same table.

He again got up under unbearable pain to finish the match as it was planned, as he accidentally sledgehammered Stone Cold. He had to be helped away from the ring, and Triple H had even feared that it would end his wrestling career. However, Hunter returned after a year’s absence.

#7 The Undertaker's broken orbital bone and concussion

During his illustrious career, The Undertaker has overcome some of the best and most dynamic of superstars, while also suffering a string of injuries. He was set on fire by his Pyrotechnic display at the Elimination Chamber in 2010, he had his cheekbone broken by Mabel while also suffering from many hip and back injuries.

But, during a SmackDown match against Rey Mysterio, battling for a place in a Fatal 4 Way match for a shot at the title, the Phenom broke his orbital bone. In the match when Mysterio performed one of his signature moves, jumping from the ropes straight on Undertaker’s face, he landed a bit too hard, as the Undertaker’s face had to take the blow.

The Undertaker was slow to get up, as blood started gushing through his nose but still went on to complete the match by winning it. Taker had a broken orbital bone along with suffering from sever effects of a concussion. Although, Undertaker did not participate in the Fatal 4 Way match due to injury.

#6 John Cena's torn pectoral muscle

Over the years, John Cena has suffered numerous injuries including an injury to his hip flexor coupled with several surgeries to his elbow and a herniated disc in his neck. But, the worst of the lot was when he tore his pectoral muscle from the bone.

In a routine RAW episode against Mr. Kennedy, immediately after the start Cena arm dragged Mr. Kennedy while tearing his pectoral muscle. Cena had to face Orton after six days to defend his title, but due to the severity of the injury, he had to surrender the title.

It was the longest WWE title reign in almost two decades and if not for the injury, who knows what it could have been. Cena was out for months, before making his surprise return at Royal Rumble that year, sooner than anticipated.

#5 Mick Foley's I Quit Match

To this date only 15 “I Quit” matches has taken place in WWE history. Mick Foley fought one of the most brutal matches out of them. Throughout his career Foley had performed outrageous stunts, stunts that others don’t even think about.

But, at the Royal Rumble of 1999 The Rock put Foley to his worst beating. In today’s world chair shots are almost banned but in the rare occasion that they do happen, the wrestler put their hands up to absorb the pressure.

Foley had both of his hands handcuffed behind his back and was defenceless to the onslaught by the Rock. Foley took 11 chair shots to the head, and that too in front of his wife and children. Foley was then electrocuted but he didn’t quit even then. A pre-recorded tape of him saying “I Quit” had to be played, which eventually meant that he lost.

#4 Bruno Sammartino's neck-break

Bruno Sammartino lost one of his few matches in his illustrious career on 26th April 1976. And it was not the fracture in his neck that made him loose the match, but he was undone by the loss of blood that was actually planned.

One of the biggest star in the industry in the 1970’s, he was the company’s highest ticket-seller and he had to defend his title against Stan Hansen, both of them had a reputation of being brutal. After a somewhat sloppy bodyslam Sammartino fractured a vertebrae in his neck, ab injury which could have finished his career.

But, instead of staying down he composed himself for a short while before getting up to fight for another 15 mins, so that he could complete the planned angle of him loosing due to blood loss.

Following the match, he refused to go to the hospital so that his parents don’t worry about him and instead boarded and airplane. Instead of spending time to recuperate properly, he was urgently required by Vince McMahon Sr. to wrestle at a match to be held at Shea Stadium due to advance ticket sales. He had a re-match against Hansen only two months after sustaining his injury.

#3 Stone Cold Steve Austin's neck-break

Stone Cold Steve Austin’s career was effectively shortened due to a great match that he wrestled with Owen Heari in the SummerSlam of 1997. Owen performed a piledriver, a move he had done previously innumerable times, but on this occasion Austin’s head was inadvertently exposed beneath the legs of Hart and it crashed straight into the match.

Following the move, Austin was immobile as he was temporarily paralyzed. The replays confirmed the brutality of the fall and the match had to be finished, but it being a “Kiss My Ass Match” which Austin would never have done, but the match concluded.

Even in pain, Austin miraculously with slight help walked out of the ring. Austin was ruled out for several months, before finally returning as he set the stage on fire. Ironically, it was the same piledriver that Austin had performed by Masahiro Chono which resulted in his neck break.

#2 Shawn Michael's back-break

Mr. WrestleMania suffered a career ending injury in the 1998 Royal Rumble clash against The Undertaker. An injury that forced the Show-stopper to spend 4 years of his career on the side-lines.

In 1998, Shawn Michaels was the biggest name in the business and was at the top of his game. Not only was he the WWF Champion but also the best in-ring worker at that time. Michaels and The Undertaker faced each other in a Casket match for the title.

Michaels has always been considered one of the best flat-back jumpers and it had taken its toll on his body as he had a history of back injuries. The Phenom gave Michaels a back-body drop to the outside of the ring, and Michaels failed to make the proper clearance as it was a long fall and a part of his back hit the edge of the casket.

This resulted in two herniated discs in his back while also crushing another one completely. Michaels carrying the potential career ending injury continued for another 15 minutes and put up one of the best matches. Michaels only fought one more match against Stone Cold Steve Austin at the WrestleMania XIV under excruciating pain.He effectively retired at that time, before eventually returning 4 years later.

#1 Mick Foley's Hell in a Cell match

Mick Foley features again and which was the more brutal match or in which match he received worse beating is for you to determine.

In the iconic match at the King of Ring of 1998 against The Undertaker which was to settle the long-standing feud of the two in a “Hell in a Cell” match. The 3rd “Hell in a Cell” match out of a total of 28 matches till date is considered one of the best ever.

With the start of the match, Foley climbed up the cage and dared the Undertaker to join him. The two fought at the top of the cage after Undertaker accepted the challenge. When Foley reached the edge of the case, The Undertaker grabbed him and tossed him.

Foley crashed through the Spanish announce table from a height of 16 feet, but the match was not yet over. Foley continued to fight, while he was being stretchered off he got up and climbed the cage again. He was then choke-slammed through the cage which was a worse fall than the first one. Foley again got up, with a tooth lodged up his nose and there was nothing probably that could keep him down.

He was also slammed on Thumbtacks a number of times, before a Tombstone Piledriver finally put Foley out of his misery. Doley left a performance for the ages while performing the biggest daredevil in wrestling history.

The best way to sum up this legendary match in the words of Jim Ross: “As God as my witness, he is broken in half!”