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AEW and WWE have had to contend with a number of major injuries to their wrestlers in recent months. With the likes of Randy Orton, Becky Lynch, and Big E in Stamford-based company, Adam Cole, Kyle O'Reilly, and until recently, Hangman Adam Page, being on the shelf has been a big blow to their respective rosters.
Wrestlers sustaining injuries are inevitable, given the rigorous physicality that is involved in pro wrestling. Whether it's botched moves or bad landings, it's never a good thing to see our favorite stars get hurt doing what they love.
In 2022 alone, a few wrestlers from both companies suffered career-threatening injuries. Here are five WWE and AEW stars whose wrestling futures are up in the air due to their debilitating injuries in 2022.
#5. AEW wrestler Hangman Page - Concussion
The latest AEW star to join the injury list is "Hangman" Adam Page. The Anxious Millennial Cowboy suffered a legitimate concussion during his AEW World Title match against Jon Moxley during the main event of AEW Dynamite in Cincinnati, Ohio.
In the final stretch of the bout, Page took a devastating King Kong Lariat from Mox which caused him to tumble inside out and land sickeningly on his head. The match was immediately stopped as officials, and medical personnel tended to the fallen wrestler.
The cameras didn't film the unfolding drama in the ring as the former Elite member was stretchered out of the Heritage Bank Arena.
It was a scary moment for AEW fans as the broadcast team, Mox and MJF, had to improvise and scramble through the show's final segment. The company issued a statement shortly afterwards informing fans of Page's health status.
It turned out that he was taken to a nearby trauma center and diagnosed with a concussion. Although he was later discharged, Hangman will remain in AEW's concussion protocol. While there is no timeline on The Cowboy's return, we wish Hangman a speedy recovery.
#4. WWE Superstar Rick Boogs - Torn quad and patella tendon
In the first half of 2022, Rick Boogs and Shinsuke Nakamura were among the most popular acts on SmackDown. Boogs regularly performed an electric guitar solo before introducing the King of Strong Style to the ring with his signature scream. It enhanced Nakamura's entrance while also endearing Boogs to the WWE Universe.
The duo even competed for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship against The Usos at WrestleMania 38. However, the former NXT star suffered a torn quad and patella tendon during the course of the match when he tried to pick up both of his opponents. It is a major injury that could take between six to twelve months to heal.
While Boogs hasn't been mentioned on television since his injury, he recently posted an update on social media. He could be seen training in the gym once again, so that is good news for the guitar-wielding star.
A surprise return at next year's Royal Rumble would be the perfect opportunity to reintroduce the star back on television.
#3. Former WWE Superstar Kyle O'Reilly - Neck Injury
Kyle O'Reilly recently revealed on Instagram that he’s undergone neck fusion surgery. With the former NXT Tag Team Champion out of action since early June, it ended any hopes of the Undisputed Elite member returning to AEW programming any time soon.
O'Reilly had a ton of momentum when he first joined AEW late last year. He quickly reunited with former faction mates Adam Cole and Bobby Fish before joining forces with the Young Bucks later on.
The supergroup threatened to run roughshod over the entire division before injuries to various members put an end to that.
Speaking on This is VANCOLOUR, O'Reilly admitted that he doesn't know the full extent of his injuries:
"So this is something that I’ve been dealing with. It’s a nagging thing that I’ve been dealing with, specifically, pretty bad for the last five years. And the last few weeks of wrestling for me on AEW, I’ve been really banged up and just didn’t know the extent of it until now. And I still don’t know all the information so I don’t want to disclose exactly what’s happening with me," O'Reilly said. [H/T WrestleZone]
It is such a shame because The Undisputed Elite would have been the perfect choice to become the inaugural AEW Trios Champions. Now that O'Reilly has gone through major surgery, his recovery time could take over eight months, similar to Trent Beretta, who has undergone the same procedure.
With Bobby Fish gone from the company and Adam Cole out injured as well, it remains to be seen if O'Reilly can recapture his early successes in All Elite Wrestling.
#2. AEW star Adam Cole - Torn labrum and concussion
Former NXT Champion Adam Cole debuted in All Elite Wrestling at All Out 2021 and was on a roll early on in his AEW career. He even challenged for the World Championship in a losing effort to Hangman Page at Revolution 2022.
While he was putting on banger matches, Cole worked through a torn labrum throughout the year's first half. It helped that he was regularly featured in multi-man matches alongside the Undisputed Elite. However, it was only a matter of time before his injuries caught up to him.
He then sustained a concussion during his NJPW World Heavyweight Championship match at the Forbidden Door pay-per-view in June, which put him on the sidelines indefinitely.
Cole only made one brief appearance in August, where he, Kyle O'Reilly, and Bobby Fish betrayed The Young Bucks. While there was no tangible payoff to the feud, Fish has since left the company, O'Reilly is also out injured while The Young Bucks are currently suspended.
The Panama City Playboy has his work cut out for him upon his return to regain his lost momentum. Whether he will be able to return before the end of 2022 is anyone's guess.
#1. WWE Superstar Big E - Fractured cervical vertebrae
The scariest injury that occurred this year was undoubtedly Big E's broken neck, which he suffered on a March episode of WWE SmackDown. The New Day member landed directly on his head after a suplex from Ridge Holland.
Doctors later diagnosed that he had fractured two cervical vertebrae, C1 and C6. It was terrible timing as Big E was in the midst of the biggest push of his career, winning the WWE Championship late last year. There were concerns that Big E would no longer be able to wrestle, but thankfully that has been debunked.
In a recent interview with Ryan Satin on Out of Character, Big E gave an update regarding his recovery:
"For right now, I’m cleared to live a normal life and I do live a normal life. But, I’m not cleared to be taking off and hitting suicide spears and be to be taking back bumps. The nature of what we do is very physical, it involves your neck and your spine, and I’d like to keep that as in tact as possible."
The former WWE Champion continued:
"So we’re talking about March 2023 to see whats doing. We might also along the way, at the six and nine month mark, look it again. But, the upside is that right now, I have no nerve issues, there’s no tingling, no weakness." [H/T SEScoops]
It's great to hear that Big E has a tentative timeline set for his return and that he has remained positive as always amidst his rehabilitation.
The fact that he had opted out of major surgery shows that the injury, potentially career-threatening, could be healed naturally. Here's hoping the Power of Positivity will return to the WWE Universe sooner rather than later.
