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The infamous ‘X’ sign is a curse for WWE Superstars. The hand gesture indicates a potential injury during matches and leads to an immediate stoppage for officials to evaluate the affected performer(s).
Injuries can happen at any time because of the grueling nature of the profession that is pro wrestling. Some of the toughest wrestlers have unfortunately suffered the worst injuries in this business.
Let’s take a look at three times a referee was forced to stop a WWE match using the ‘X’ sign:
#1. R-Truth vs Grayson Waller ended in referee stoppage
R-Truth is a veteran of the business. The real-life Ron Killings has been active in the industry since 1997. Truth joined the former World Wrestling Federation during the Attitude Era. He left the company in 2001 only to return in 2008.
Truth suffered a quad injury during his match against Grayson Waller on the November 1, 2022, episode of NXT. The former WWE 24/7 Champion attempted a suicide dive to the outside but ended up injuring himself in the process.
His injury caused the referee to throw the ‘X’ sign and stop the match immediately. Truth was forced to stay out of in-ring action for a whole year. He made his epic return at Survivor Series: WarGames 2023. He’s currently involved in a storyline with The Judgment Day.
#2. Giovanni Vinci got injured on WWE RAW: Day 1
Giovanni Vinci rejoined Imperium at Clash at the Castle 2022. The same premium live event saw Gunther retain his Intercontinental Championship against Sheamus in a five-star classic. Imperium was drafted to RAW as part of the 2023 WWE Draft.
Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser teamed up to take on Kofi Kingston and Jey Uso on the New Year’s Edition of RAW. During the match, Kingston hit Vinci with a dropkick that connected with his face, causing him to collapse.
The referee threw the X sign and stopped the match. Michael Cole revealed last week on RAW that Vinci would be out of action for several weeks. Ludwig Kaiser avenged Vinci by taking out Kofi Kingston this past week on RAW.
#1. Carmelo Hayes & Austin Theory suffered face contusions on SmackDown
The most recent instance of match stoppage came on WWE SmackDown last night. Carmelo Hayes and Austin Theory collided in singles competition on the show.
Apparently, miscommunication between Theory and Melo led to a botched Spanish Fly from the second turnbuckle. The referee drew the X sign and called for the bell.
The sports entertainment giant issued an update after the show, noting that the two men suffered face contusions from the spot and that both should be fine. Here’s hoping both men appear on SmackDown next Friday in some capacity.
