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Winning a championship with WWE is a great feeling for a Superstar. Every aspiring wrestler dreams to one day hold the world title at a top promotion. When that dream comes true, their happiness is unmeasurable. However, what seems like a dream can very quickly turn into their worst nightmare, being forced to relinquish the championship.
Throughout the years, there have been several instances where WWE Superstars have been forced to relinquish their titles due to a real-life injury. One can imagine how disheartening it could be for a Superstar to see their opportunity taken away from them in that manner.
On Wednesday, Former NXT Champion Karrion Kross was forced to vacate his title due to a separated shoulder he suffered during his title match at NXT TakeOver: XXX. Let's take a look at five more similar instances in WWE history.
#5 Finn Balor - WWE Universal Championship
Finn Balor had a dream main roster debut in 2016 when he was picked by RAW in the first round of the 2016 WWE Draft. In addition, Balor went on to headline SummerSlam 2016 as "The Demon King" alongside Seth Rollins and became the inaugural Universal Champion.
What looked to be the beginning of a monster push came to an abrupt halt as Finn Balor suffered a nasty shoulder injury during his match against Rollins. While he was able to finish the match, his injury turned out to be more serious which forced him to relinquish his title the next night on RAW.
WWE fans still wonder how amazing Balor's title reign as the Universal Champion would have been. Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to get his hands on the title since. He moved back to NXT last year in 2019 and it's unclear when he will return to the main roster.
#4 Daniel Bryan - WWE Championship
WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan's journey is one of the most heartbreaking storylines, which later turned inspirational. The movement around him in 2013-2014 raged on as fans pretty much forced WWE to add Bryan to the main event of WrestleMania XXX.
At the pay-per-view, Daniel Bryan defeated Randy Orton and Batista to win the world title but his neck injuries came back to haunt him not long after. When the medical team didn't clear him to compete, Bryan was forced to relinquish his title.
Unfortunately, this wasn't the only time. A year later, Daniel Bryan won the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 31. A similar situation happened again as he was forced to vacate the title later. All of his neck injuries ultimately led him to announce his retirement from WWE in 2016.
Two years later, WWE finally cleared Daniel Bryan to compete as he made his return to the ring. On the SmackDown Live before Survivor Series 2018, he turned heel and won the WWE Championship, defeating AJ Styles. Recently, he has been part of the SmackDown roster, enjoying his time as a WWE Superstar while helping young talents as well.
#3 Seth Rollins - WWE Championship
Many fans consider WWE Superstar, Seth Rollins, one of the best wrestlers in the world right now. He made his main roster debut as part of The Shield in 2012. The faction dominated WWE for over a year before Rollins turned on his brothers joined the Authority in 2014, and became Mr. Money in the Bank.
In what is famously known as "The Heist of the Century," Seth Rollins cashed in his contract in the main event of WrestleMania 31 and walked out as the world champion. Unfortunately, Rollins injured his knee in a match against Kane during a live event in Ireland in November of 2015. The injury required surgery. Thus, Rollins was forced to relinquish his title.
Seth Rollins returned from injury at WWE Extreme Rules 2016 and attacked the WWE Champion, Roman Reigns. He challenged him for the title at Money in the Bank. Rollins won but Dean Ambrose cashed in his Money in the Bank contract and win the title from him.
#2 Edge - WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Edge has been a WWE Superstar who never hesitated to put his body on the line for the entertainment of fans. When you do this continuously for several years, it takes a toll on the body. With his increasing spinal issues, Edge was forced into early retirement in 2011.
At that time, he was WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Edge defended his title against Alberto Del Rio a week before his retirement at WrestleMania 27. However, he later addressed the WWE Universe on RAW and revealed that the doctors have told him that he can't wrestle anymore because one bad bump could worsen his condition, possibly leading to death. It was one of the most emotional segments in WWE history.
Nine years down the line, "The Rated-R Superstar" shocked everyone when he returned in the 2020 Royal Rumble match, reaching the last three before Roman Reigns eliminated him. Edge then got into a heated rivalry against Randy Orton, leading to his victory in a Last Man Standing Match at WrestleMania 36.
Unfortunately, Edge got injured again in his last match at WWE Backlash against Randy Orton. He is expected to be back in time for WrestleMania 37 next year.
#1 John Cena - WWE Championship
"The Poster Boy of WWE" John Cena is one of the greatest Superstars in the history of WWE. The 16-time world champion has had to overcome several setbacks throughout his career including injuries.
In October of 2007, John Cena suffered a pectoral tear during one of his reigns as WWE Champion on an episode of RAW. The injury forced Cena to take a leave for several months and relinquish the title.
While he was expected to be out for six to eight months, "Super Cena" made his surprise return at the Royal Rumble 2008 as entrant no. 30. He was met with a thunderous reaction from the crowd on his return as he went on to win his first Royal Rumble match when he eliminated Triple H. This is considered by many to be one of the greatest returns in WWE history.
In the last few years, John Cena has focused on his Hollywood career, becoming a part-timer for WWE. He last appeared at WrestleMania 36 in the Firefly Funhouse match with Bray Wyatt.
