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This past week on WWE SmackDown, Madcap Moss was attacked by Happy Corbin and reportedly suffered a cervical contusion. This storyline injury could keep him off-screen for several weeks.
Much like Charlotte Flair's recent radius injury, there are several stars who are currently sidelined with legitimate injuries. Getting hurt in WWE is just part of the job and surgery is something that is an expected byproduct of the wear and tear that these stars endure.
The following list looks at just five superstars who are currently sidelined and their expected return dates.
#5. Rick Boogs
Rick Boogs tore his quadriceps as part of the opening match of WrestleMania 38 last month. The former NXT Superstar was looking to squat both of The Usos when his knee blew out and Shinsuke Nakamura was forced to finish the match alone.
Boogs has since undergone surgery to repair his injured quad, and his initial return date was set at around four to six months. The star has since taken to YouTube to share an update on his progress and revealed that he is putting in the hours in the gym and is now around a month ahead of schedule.
This means that Boogs could be back in the ring as soon as September, which would allow him to travel to the UK for Clash at the Castle.
#4. Former WWE Champion Big E
Big E was heartbreakingly injured ahead of WrestleMania this year. It was later revealed that the former WWE Champion had suffered a broken neck, often seen as a career-ending injury.
But the New Day member has remained upbeat throughout his recovery and even noted that it should only take 8-12 weeks. He mentioned that he hadn't suffered any spinal or ligament damage as a result of the fall and had only fractured the C1 and C6 vertebrae.
His most recent update was that his C1 wasn't recovering as quickly as desired. This could mean that he has to spend the next 4-6 weeks in a brace before starting his recovery.
Big E has since been seen walking around his neighborhood and given the fact that he didn't require surgery, it's likely that he will be able to make his return before the end of the summer.
Three months would put him at the end of June, but since Big E's neck isn't healing as quickly as expected, he could be looking at a return in the months following SummerSlam.
#3. Former WWE Women's Champion Bayley
Bayley has been sidelined since suffering an ACL injury in the build-up to Money in the Bank last year. Her match against Bianca Belair was then scrapped and she has been rehabbing. The former women's champion has remained active on social media throughout her hiatus.
Bayley has teased returns at The Royal Rumble and WrestleMania in recent months but is yet to officially do so. She was initially thought to spend nine months on the sidelines following the injury, which would have seen her make her return last month.
All reports now suggest that Bayley is waiting in the wings to be handed creative direction and could now return imminently.
#2. Former Champion Shelton Benjamin
Shelton Benjamin shared the news on his Twitter page yesterday that he had suffered a major injury for only the second time in his career. The former Hurt Business member didn't give any details of the injury only that it was enough to put him on the shelf and to be seen as a setback.
Benjamin is 46 years old and one of WWE's oldest full-time performers, his last match was on Main Event back in April when he teamed with Cedric Alexander to take on The Street Profits.
Benjamin hasn't been in a focused storyline on RAW for several months, but it's likely that he will be back on WWE TV before the end of 2022.
#1. Former Tag Team Champion Titus O'Neil
Titus O'Neil has been working as an ambassador for WWE over the past few years, which has limited the amount of time he has spent on-screen. The former Tag Team Champion hasn't wrestled since November 2020 and recently revealed that he was recovering from a knee injury.
As part of a recent interview with Beckles & Recher, O'Neil noted that he wasn't retired but that he had just had a knee procedure.
“I’m not retired. Not even close. Well, I mean, I haven’t wrestled in a minute. I had a procedure done on my knee so I’ve been rehabbing. But a lot of people don’t know that, so they just assumed that I’ve been retired but I’m a global ambassador for the company. I’m in Saudi Arabia and everywhere else so it should show somebody that I’m still with the company,” revealed Titus. (h/t WrestlingInc)
O'Neil hasn't been factored into storylines for more than a year but it seems as though he would like to make his return for one more match before retiring.
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