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A big blowThe art of professional wrestling is not perfect. There are flaws and the performers tend to get hurt no matter how safely they perform their moves. The frequency of such unfortunate incidents saw a big rise in 2015.Injuries left some gaping holes in the WWE roster throughout the year and WWE was on recovery mode for most of the time. After coping with all these, Vince McMahon will indeed be praying for an injury-free 2016. However, before we head into the New Year, here is a look back at the major WWE injuries that happened in 2015.
#10 Tyson Kidd
The tag team division was on the rise during the early part of 2015. WWE had some excellent teams at their disposal and the alliance of Tyson Kidd and Cesaro was one among them. The team had a solid run and went on to win the WWE tag team championships as well.
After a successful face turn and a reign that lasted nine weeks, The Brass Ring Club dropped the tag titles to New Day. They were still in the title picture after the loss but things turned upside down in June.
Tyson Kidd picked up a neck injury during a dark match against Samoa Joe and this forced WWE to keep Kidd away from the ring. Kidd is still on the sidelines but he could make a return in 2016.
#9 Hideo Itami
Hideo Itami came to WWE with hopes of making it big. After learning the WWE style, he soon made his debut in NXT. Itami also got himself into the Andre the Giant Battle Royal at WrestleMania 31 and seemed destined to be in the main roster soon.
However, luck ran out for him as he picked up a shoulder injury before NXT Takeover. The injury sidelined Itami for six to eight months and he is yet to make his return. Hideo’s absence did force WWE to change their plans for NXT and we missed out some potential classics involving the Japanese star.
#8 Jey Uso
Another major blow that the Tag team division suffered this year was the injury of Jey Uso. Jimmy and Jey had momentum on their side ahead of WrestleMania. They even competed in the WrestleMania pre-show tag team bout but Jey dislocated his shoulder during the match.
WWE soon announced that Jey would be out of action for six months. This injury kept Jimmy on the sideline as well. Jimmy soon took up part-time commentary and singles wrestling in Main Events while his brother was recovering.
The Usos returned to action in November and look all set to have a memorable 2016.
#7 Goldust
Goldust is a seasoned veteran and has the ability to make his opponents look good. In fact, the experience of Goldust is something WWE could use at any point. He started 2015 brightly and seemed destined to have a major angle with Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania.
WWE, however, watered down the concept and had the brother vs. brother showdown at Fast Lane. This relegated Goldust to the Andre the Giant Battle Royal at Mania.
Just a month after the pay-per-view, WWE announced that Goldust was going to have shoulder surgery that will keep him out of action for four months. His absence left a huge void in the midcard and WWE struggled to fill the same.
#6 Sting
The WWE debut of Sting was one of the major marketing mantras of WrestleMania 31. It was a moment that the fans wanted to see for ages and when it finally arrived, WWE delivered the goods.
Sting eventually lost the match against Hunter but this did not appease the fans. They wanted to see Sting compete again and finally, WWE booked him against Seth Rollins at Night of Champions.
Rollins and Sting had a memorable match but the Icon took some heavy punishment. This ruled Sting out of action for rest of 2015 and it is likely to keep him away from WrestleMania 32 as well.
#5 Sami Zayn
Sami Zayn was supposed to be the break out star of 2015. He had some memorable matches in NXT and looked all set to break into the main roster. Zayn had a five-star match with John Cena on Raw but it took a big toll on his body. He picked up a shoulder injury during the match, which in turn kept him out of action for a few months.
Zayn did compete in a match against Kevin Owens after sustaining the injury and earned more respect from the fans. He recently returned to action in the NXT London tour and we could probably see him in the main roster in 2016.
#4 Randy Orton
A major portion of 2015 was uneventful for Randy Orton. He had some solid bouts with Seth Rollins during the early months, but failed to find a real purpose after that. It looked promising when Orton kicked off a feud with the Wyatt Family.
A Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt program showed a lot of potential until Orton suffered a shoulder injury. He picked up the injury during a house show and recently, it was announced that he might need a surgery as well.
The chances of Orton returning in time for WrestleMania 32 are low and his injury came at the worst possible time for WWE.
#3 Daniel Bryan
Daniel Bryan’s rollercoaster career took some memorable twists and turns in 2015. After a long injury lay-off that kept him out for most part of 2014, Bryan made a major appearance at the 2015 Royal Rumble.
Bryan’s inclusion in the Rumble was not a success story as it screwed up things for Roman Reigns big time. Bryan then had a memorable match with Reigns at Fast Lane before he went to WrestleMania. At Mania, Bryan walked out with the Intercontinental Championship and everything looked good.
However, before his reign took off, Bryan was out of action once again due to injury. His career is still filled with uncertainty and he will hopefully take the right decision when the time arrives.
#2 Cesaro
The Swiss Superman was unlucky throughout 2015. He had a solid start to the year alongside Tyson Kidd, but once Kidd picked up that injury, Cesaro was lost.
The WWE creative team gave him an inconsistent booking afterwards but Cesaro kept delivering quality matches. He had the fans on his side and 2015 saw the birth of the Cesaro Section. After losing out to Roman Reigns in the WWE championship tournament, Cesaro was ruled out of action for six months.
He suffered a torn shoulder that needed surgery. Cesaro is likely to return alongside Tyson Kidd when the time is right.
#1 Seth Rollins
The Injury of Seth Rollins was easily the biggest blow that WWE received in 2015. Rollins was on a lengthy Championship reign and he seemed like he was going to break CM Punk’s record.
Apart from these, the quality of his matches was top notch. He competed against Kane in a live show at Dublin and this match proved to be a turning point in his career. Rollins tore his ACL, MCL and meniscus, eventually ruling him out for nine months. WWE will have to cope without Rollins at WrestleMania and that, ladies and gentlemen, is a big blow.
Did we miss out on anyone? Let us know in the comments section.
