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Superstars sustaining injuries has become a common occurrence in WWE. Although professional wrestling is scripted, it is a sport that requires rigorous physical and mental exertion. This increases the chances of competitors getting hurt, particularly due to botched moves and bad spots.
Some injuries can be mild while others are gruesome and career-threatening. At SummerSlam, SmackDown superstar Bayley returned from injury after a over-a-year-long hiatus. Meanwhile, the RAW roster witnessed Becky Lynch missing out on a storyline due to an injury sustained at the same event.
In this list, we will look at the 10 worst injuries in recent WWE history.
#10. Carmella - head injury
Saturday's Live Event in South Carolina featured a number of exciting matches, including a triple-threat match between Bianca Belair, Asuka and Carmella for the RAW Women's Championship. The action went smoothly until Carmella walked out midway through the match.
She later revealed a head injury on social media. It was apparently inflicted when Bianca attempted a backflip, unintentionally smacking 'Mella with her tailbone. The severity of the wound is unclear, yet the picture indicates it was quite a blow to the head.
#9. Ilja Dragunov - ankle injury
The former NXT UK Champion had to relinquish his title in July this year after reigning for 318 days. He was reportedly afflicted with an ankle injury, which was first hinted at when he appeared with one of his feet in a protective boot.
Later on August 4, Dragunov used crutches to make his way to the ring. He recalled how Wolfgang chucked him into the corner during his previous title defense, thereby causing the aforementioned injury.
More details regarding Ilja's condition are yet to be known, although The Invincible has sworn destruction on the new NXT UK Champion.
#8. MVP - torn meniscus
In February 2021, MVP was the special guest announcer for the match between Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander against the Lucha House Party. The members of the Hurt Business retained their RAW Tag Team Championships, earning praise from The Ballin' Superstar.
However, during an appearance on WWE RAW Talk, MVP was seen walking with the help of crutches. It was revealed that he had a knee injury for some time, describing it as a torn meniscus. While these can heal on their own, leaving them untreated can be career-threatening. Luckily for MVP, he didn’t take any chances and got it healed through proper medications.
He returned to in-ring action in July, teaming with Bobby Lashley in a losing effort against The New Day.
#7. Rick Boogs - Torn quadriceps
The WrestleMania debut of Rick Boogs might not have been memorable. He tore his quad and patella tendon during the tag-team match against The Usos in April this year.
A quadriceps tear can take up to six to twelve months to heal. The guitar-wielder is now providing positive updates regarding his injury on social media. He is back training in the gym and waiting to regain form before joining the WWE Performance Center.
#6. Rhea Ripley - 'brain and teeth' injury
In one of the most poorly timed incidents, Rhea Ripley suffered an injury after she earned the No.1 Contender spot for the RAW Women’s Championship. She was declared medically unfit to compete against Bianca Belair at Money in the Bank 2022.
The Eradicator's knee rebounded off the bottom rope and collided with her jaw after a double-team by Liv & Bliss on RAW. The impact made her require dental surgery and she also suffered a concussion. Ripley was seen supporting braces and a heart monitor in pictures on her social media profile.
The Judgment Day member returned to the RAW before SummerSlam this year following a months hiatus.
#5. Bayley - Torn ACL
Similar to Rhea Ripley, Bayley lost the opportunity to face Bianca Belair at Money in the Bank. The Role Model was out of action for an entire year after she suffered a torn ACL in July 2021.
She apparently picked up the injury while training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando. However, The Role Model blamed Bianca Belair for her troubles and is back to feuding with her after making her grand return at SummerSlam 2022.
#4. Randy Orton - Spine injury
A spine injury has sidelined Randy Orton for the whole of 2022 according to Fightful. The Apex Predator last competed in the WWE Tag Team Championship Unification match in May, where RK-Bro lost to the Usos.
The injury probably occurred when The Bloodline ambushed The Viper and The Original Bro after the bout. Randy Orton has undergone surgery and is currently recuperating at home. The latest positive update by Riddle is that his partner is showing good signs of recovery.
#3. Becky Lynch - separated shoulder
Bianca Belair and Becky Lynch put out an awesome show at this year's edition of The Biggest Party of the Summer for the RAW Women’s Championship. The latter’s efforts were commended by fans and superstars alike as she completed the fight despite a dislocated shoulder. You can view the graphic image of the injury here.
An attack from Bayley’s stable on RAW has written Big Time Becks off of TV to allow her to recover. WWE has confirmed that she will be out of action for “several months” due to her legitimate injury. Becky is still hitting the gym, preparing for an epic comeback.
Becky could have possibly been involved in the Bianca Belair and Bayley storyline. Her injury has forced the company to change its plans, using other crowd-favorites such as Asuka and Alexa Bliss to join The EST of WWE.
#2. Cody Rhodes - Torn pectoral
In the week leading up to WWE Hell in a Cell, Cody Rhodes partially tore his right pectoral during a brawl with Seth Rollins on the May 30 edition of RAW. The injury worsened and completely tore off the bone while he trained for the upcoming Premium Live Event match just days prior.
However, The American Nightmare still bravely participated in Hell in a Cell and won the match against Seth Rollins. The Visionary ambushed Rhodes on RAW after the event and officially put him on the shelf. Initially, the doctors believed the pectoral would take 3-5 months to heal but came to realize it was more severe. It could take several months to heal following his successful surgery.
During an interview with ComicBook.com, Cody Rhodes revealed more about his slow physical therapy. WWE does not want a top babyface to do anything rash and extend his return date any further.
#1. Big E - Broke his neck on WWE SmackDown
Big E suffered fractures to his C1 and C6 vertebrae during a tag team match on the March 11 episode of SmackDown. Ridge Holland attempted an overhead belly-to-belly suplex but the move went wrong, causing Big E to land awkwardly on his neck.
The former WWE Champion is yet to make a comeback. According to reports by ESPN, Big E will be evaluated at the six-month and nine-month mark. Doctors "do not believe they will have a "clear answer" on how long he'll be out until the March 2023 scans. However, he is recovering rather quickly at home in Tampa and didn’t require surgery.
Neck injuries are usually career-threatening. Former and current superstars like Paige and Edge were forced into early retirement due to similar injuries. The latter, however, made his miraculous return to the ring in 2020, giving fans hope for superstars like Paige and Big E to be able to do the same one day.
Speaking of retirement, Big E stated that he would be content with hanging up his boots, but fans would want the New Day member to reunite with his pals, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods.
