5 WWE superstars who are wrestling on borrowed time

One of the biggest misconceptions that people have about wrestling is the physical toll that it takes on performers. While many assume that predetermined outcomes mean that they don't take much damage, the opposite is true.

The fact of the matter is that the bumps they take have a major toll on their bodies, both short-term and long term. While there's absolutely no doubt that WWE has done a much better job in terms of taking care of their performers medically over the last few years, we've seen multiple cases such as Edge, where they knew for a fact that their time in the ring was limited.

Unfortunately, there are a series of WWE superstars even now who continue to work through injuries. While not everyone on this list is wrestling with potential career-ending injuries, we have different reasons for stating why they're on borrowed time. Here are five such superstars. Some of them may surprise you.

#5. Sheamus

Sheamus has been around for a decade now and it's hard to believe that he's a veteran with such tenure. However, the years on the road have taken a severe toll on his body, and according to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Sheamus suffers from spinal stenosis, the very same injury that ended the careers of Edge and 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin. He said

He’s got spinal stenosis but a lot of guys have that. It’s not a good thing to have and it will affect him most-likely when he gets older in not so great ways.

This is likely the reason why he's been put in a tag team with Cesaro. It's meant to limit his time in the ring. The craziest part is that he doesn't show any signs of it, especially in his Celtic Warrior Workouts video series, where he constantly features other WWE superstars.

#4. AJ Styles

Before any of you reading this get a mini-heart attack - No, AJ Styles does not have a career-threatening injury of any sorts. Sure, he's worked a lot through the past few years with niggling injuries, but other than that, he's pretty healthy.

The main issue with AJ Styles is his age. He's already crossed 40 and in 2019 he turns 42. In WWE years, that's quite a lot. Sure, there are superstars who have wrestled in their 40s, and some who still do so, such as Brock Lesnar, John Cena, Triple H, etc. but what many people don't realize is that AJ Styles' run in WWE is essentially for his retirement fund.

He's been open about the fact that his time with the company is limited and after nearly two decades of putting his body through all sorts of pain, he deserves to slow down. AJ Styles has had an exceptional run in WWE, but don't expect it to last very long.

#3. Daniel Bryan

This may or may not come as a surprise to you, depending on how you perceive it. Daniel Bryan was cleared to return to in-ring competition around early 2018. It came as the best news ever, and Bryan revealed that he made a deal with WWE - after every match, he would get tested by the doctor.

Naturally, WWE, while sceptical, finally allowed him to do what he loves the most and he has incorporated a much safer style, also having one of his best runs during his time in WWE.

However, the reality is that Bryan, while healthy, is essentially still on a thin string. While we may not know it, Daniel Bryan's career could end as abruptly as it had begun again. All it takes is one major injury for that to happen. It being wrestling, anything can happen.

We don't wish anything but luck to Daniel Bryan, but the reality is hard to deny. He is on borrowed time.

#2. Sasha Banks

The Boss has been open about an early retirement

Sasha Banks, too, doesn't have any career-threatening injury that we know of, but out of everyone in the women's division, it seems as though she has the shortest shelf-life. Apart from just her style of wrestling, it actually has more to do with Sasha Banks wanting to retire relatively young.

Banks has openly said that she doesn't want to be the kind of wrestler who sticks around far more than she should. Perhaps it's her fear of being called an old-timer past her prime. With that said, Sasha Banks is still very young and at just 27 years of age, she has quite a few years left on her career if she wants to.

She's been on the main roster for a good part of four years and will always go down as one of the biggest pioneers of WWE's Women's Evolution. Hopefully, her time will see her win more women's championships.

#1. Tommaso Ciampa

Tommaso Ciampa, the most recent addition to this list

This one is tragic because it could be an extremely premature end to an incredible career. Tommaso Ciampa's run in NXT has been one of the greatest in the brand's history and many people consider Ciampa to be the greatest NXT Champion of all time.

Ciampa suffered a brutal knee injury in 2017 that kept him out all the way until early 2018. He was having an incredible run, but in early 2019, it was revealed that he had a major nagging neck injury that he was working through.

In May of 2017 they told me that no one has ever had 3 surgeries in a 12 week span and returned at a competitive level. I returned to the most successful run of my career. This week I should be preparing to walk into the main event of Takeover New York on Wrestlemania weekend as the NXT champion. That match meant more to me than anyone will ever understand. The opportunity was taken away from me. In March of 2019 they told me that if I return then I will be on borrowed time. To be continued

It's hard to imagine Ciampa as a babyface, but with the videos emerging of him in the hospital, it's hard not to root for him. We wish Ciampa all the luck in the world and are sure that he'll make best use of his limited time in the ring/