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Stepping into a WWE ring isn't as simple as what fans see when they watch it on TV. WWE Superstars put in hours and hours of work, and they put their bodies on the line each and every week.
Sadly, at times, things don't go according to plan, and matches have to be halted. Mainly, these stoppages are due to a serious injury suffered by one of the competitors. They are always heartbreaking to see, but most of the time, they are unavoidable because the risks are real.
That being said, let's take a look at five WWE matches that were prematurely stopped due to injury.
#5 Neville vs. Chris Jericho on WWE Monday Night RAW
Back in March 2016, Chris Jericho squared off against Neville on WWE RAW. This clash was somewhat of a dream match, as both stars were well-travelled before they arrived in WWE.
Midway through the match, when Neville slid through Jericho's legs after bouncing off the ropes, he suffered an injury. He awkwardly rolled his ankle during this motion, and while he tried to continue the match, he struggled to remain on his feet.
Jericho, using his experience, improvised and rolled Neville up, hoping to pick up the impromptu win. But the WWE referee for the match, Charles Robinson, only counted two, so the match continued.
This decision seemingly frustrated Jericho, as he seemed legitimately angry when he shoved Robinson. The official then rang the bell to end the match by disqualification. Jericho continued to get in Robinson's after the match had concluded.
Chris Jericho discussed the incident with Charles Robinson on his Talk Is Jericho podcast:
"I get up and I’m like ‘this is really going south,'" said Jericho. "Because now people are going to start sniffing that something is wrong, so I push you… I’m thinking if I push you, you’ll DQ me. Because at least we’ll get a DQ."
"Because I”m thinking we have to get the spotlight off of Neville because I don’t want this to be an really awkward moment where there’s a guy down in the ring and the thing just kind of ends," Jericho continued. "I’m thinking ‘If I push Charles, and he DQs me… then I can still kept this rolling.’" (h/t Goliath)
In the end, this outcome was astute acting on Jericho and Robinson's behalf. Neville was out of action for four months before he returned to RAW in July that year.
#4 Droz vs. D'Lo Brown on WWE SmackDown
During WWE's Attitude Era in 1999, the company was as popular as it had ever been. They introduced a second weekly episodic show, SmackDown, which was taped every Tuesday. On October 5th, WWE SmackDown arrived in Long Island, New York, and Droz vs. D'Lo Brown was scheduled for the show.
Things seemed to be going to plan, until Brown went for his signature running powerbomb. Unfortunately, Brown was unable to gain a proper grip on Droz, so the latter landed on his head and neck during the powerbomb attempt. The match was immediately stopped because Droz was unable to move.
He was immediately rushed to a local medical facility, where he underwent hours of surgery. Still, Droz was left paralyzed from the neck down. Eventually, he regained movement in his upper body and arms, but he remains wheelchair-bound for the rest of his life.
Both men shared their side of the story following the incident. They agreed that it was an accident, and they made it clear that there's no bad blood between them. The match never aired on SmackDown, and the footage has never been released to the public.
#3 Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton on WWE Monday Night RAW
On an episode of WWE Monday Night RAW in June 2013, Daniel Bryan faced Randy Orton in a No Disqualification Match. This bout was one of Bryan's biggest matches, prior to the nine-month story arc with The Authority that culminated at WrestleMania 30.
During the match, Bryan suffered a stinger, which incapacitated him to a point where he could not feel his arms. The leader of the "YES!" Movement suffered the injury when he delivered a drop-kick from the top rope.
Outside of the ring, a WWE doctor assessed Bryan and told him that the match should be stopped. Orton didn't follow this order, as he proceeded to continue with the bout.The former World Heavyweight Champion threw Bryan back outside the ring, but the match was quickly stopped.
Backstage, WWE officials made the call to end the bout. Triple H ordered the announcer to declare that Orton was the winner. An already irate Bryan looked visibly angry while Orton helped him up and patted him.
Thankfully, Bryan was fine, and he competed on the following night's SmackDown taping. Though it was a scary moment from WWE's perspective, it's fair to say they made all the right calls to ensure Bryan's safety.
#2 Tegan Nox vs. Rhea Ripley - WWE Mae Young Classic
The quarterfinals of the WWE Mae Young Classic in 2018 saw Rhea Ripley and Tegan Nox square off.
The Welsh superstar with the shiniest wizard started the match off by diving onto Ripley outside the ring. But when Nox got up, she was visibly limping, and it looked like she suffered an injury. She tried her hardest to continue the bout, but the pain was too much to bear, so the referee ultimately stopped the match.
As a result, Nox began to get emotional, and she was in excruciating pain. This injury was a huge blow to the young star, who was attempting to make her name in one of the biggest tournaments WWE had produced. She was carried out of the arena to applause from the fans in attendance, and Triple H greeted her backstage to offer his comfort.
It was later revealed that Nox had a torn ACL, MCL, lateral collateral ligament, meniscus, and patellar dislocation. For Nox, this marked the second time she had torn her ACL, so she had to endure an extensive rehabilitation once again. Nox eventually made her return in June 2019 at an NXT house show, and she now competes on WWE SmackDown.
#1 The Undertaker vs. Mankind - WWE King of the Ring 1998
King of the Ring 1998 featured one of the most iconic matches in WWE history. In an unforgettable Hell in a Cell Match, The Undertaker and Mankind put everything on the line to make sure their bout went down in history.
In fact, the contest was stopped prematurely multiple times because Mankind took some crazy bumps that legitimately concerned WWE officials. The most unforgettable moment came when The Undertaker threw Mankind off the top of the cell structure.
Even after that concerning fall, Mankind wanted to continue. At one point, WWE doctors had him strapped to a stretcher, ready to wheel him out, but the former WWE Champion refused to stop. The hardcore legend rallied on until he had nothing left to give.
Even his close friend Terry Funk checked to see if he was okay after he went through the top of the cell in an unplanned spot later in the match. The match eventually ended, as The Undertaker picked up the victory after 17 minutes of brutal action.
Mankind ultimately sustained multiple injuries, but he received plaudits and respect from wrestling fans around the world. The image of Mankind smiling with a loose tooth hanging beneath his nose remains a legendary image, an appropriate snapshot of the sacrifices he made during this match.
Do you remember any more matches that were stopped prematurely? Let us know in the comments below!
