4 Times WWE Superstars Fooled Fans by Faking an Injury

Seth Rollins pulled off the 'Ruse of the Century' at WWE SummerSlam 2025. The Visionary seemingly suffered an "injury" at Saturday Night's Main Event XL during a singles match against LA Knight. However, it all turned out to be a master plan by Rollins to catch everyone off guard, and it worked.

The 39-year-old walked out of The Biggest Party of The Summer with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship after cashing in his Money in the Bank contract on CM Punk, who had just won the title after a hard-hitting bout against Gunther.

However, this wasn't the first time someone in WWE faked an injury to gain a competitive edge over their opponent. In this listicle, we will look at four instances when WWE Superstars shocked fans by faking an injury:

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#4. Becky Lynch at WWE Elimination Chamber 2019

Seth Rollins is not the only one in his household who can deceive his opponents, as Becky Lynch pulled off something similar leading up to WrestleMania 35. Royal Rumble 2019 was an important night for The Man, as she pulled a double duty at the event. Becky unsuccessfully challenged Asuka for the SmackDown Women's Championship in the opening bout and then went on to replace Lana and win the Women's Royal Rumble Match later that night.

However, it ended up taking a toll on Becky's body, as she started favoring her knee. At Elimination Chamber 2019, after Ronda Rousey defeated Ruby Riott to retain the RAW Women's Championship, Rousey and Charlotte had a confrontation. It was interrupted by Becky Lynch, who made her way out from the crowd on crutches.

However, soon after, she used the same crutches to launch an attack on both Charlotte and Ronda, revealing that she had recovered, catching her rivals off guard.

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#3. Batista's "career-altering announcement"

In 2009, Batista was involved in a heated rivalry with his former Evolution stablemate, Randy Orton. The Viper, along with Legacy, put The Animal out of commission on the June 8, 2009, episode of RAW, forcing Batista to vacate the WWE Championship. This was done to write Batista off TV for a real-life injury that he had suffered.

The Animal returned with a braced arm three months later and was expected to make a "career-altering announcement," with many expecting that he would be announcing his retirement. The Viper interrupted to gloat and take credit for ending Batista's career. However, in a shocking swerve, The Animal removed his arm brace and attacked Orton, revealing that he had fully healed.

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#2. Randy Orton lures in AJ Styles

Ahead of Royal Rumble 2020, Randy Orton was involved in a brief rivalry with AJ Styles. In December 2019, it was revealed that The Viper had suffered a knee injury while competing at a live event. On the December 30 episode of RAW, Randy came out on crutches and revealed that he could be out "for a long time."

This led to AJ Styles coming out and mocking The Viper. The Phenomenal One kicked one of Orton's crutches, leaving Orton wobbling on one leg. However, this turned out to be a ruse, as The Viper lured Styles in and hit an RKO, revealing that his knee was perfectly fine.

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#1. Seth Rollins shocks Austin Theory

'The Ruse of the Century' wasn't the first time Seth Rollins surprised fans with a 'miraculous' recovery. Throughout The Visionary's career, he has always had an issue with his right knee, and several of his opponents have taken advantage of that. One of them is Austin Theory, who targeted The Visionary's knee to defeat him on the January 2, 2023, episode of WWE RAW.

The following week, Seth Rollins came out limping on crutches to interrupt Theory. While it looked like The Architect was seriously hurt, Rollins shocked the crowd and Theory as he started dancing to his theme song. Corey Graves called it a "miracle" on commentary. The segment ended with Rollins vowing to win the 2023 Men's Royal Rumble Match and leaving the crutches behind as he danced his way out of the ring.