WWE Superstars: 5 times the X-sign in WWE was used for a real medical emergency

For the uninitiated, the X-sign in WWE is utilized by referees whenever they deem a WWE superstar unable to compete due to a serious or life-threatening injury to signal for immediate medical attention. Needless to say, this hand signal sure is a lifesaver.

Over the years, there have been numerous matches, whether it be on live TV or at a house show, that have been abruptly halted after the referee flashed the signal. Such a stoppage is indeed frustrating for fans who are there to witness their wrestling heroes go through their moves inside the ring. Albeit the letdown, it is still the most logical thing to do given the situation.

Here are just five of the notable times WWE refs raised the X-sign during a match.

#5. Sin Cara vs. Alberto Del Rio

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The high-flying Sin Cara was the recipient of several injuries during his run in WWE. One of the mishaps happened in August 2013 during an episode of RAW.

He was pitted against Alberto Del Rio, who at the time was getting a substantial push in his career. Early on in the match, the luchador would perform a dive directly in Del Rio's path, but broke his finger in the process.

Upon seeing that the masked WWE superstar was in pain, the referee made the X-sign to stop the match. However, the former WWE superstar continued the attack on Sin Cara who faced the ire of folks backstage for not finishing the match.

#4. Street Profits vs. Angel Garza and Andrade at Clash of Champions

This tag team title match should have been an amazing bout between the four WWE superstars. Sadly though, it went completely south when Angel Garza was seriously hurt during the face-off.

Garza attempted to perform a risky Spanish Fly maneuver but ended up with a nasty landing. The officiating referee immediately threw the X-sign, but the match did not stop there.

The other half of Street Profits, Angelo Dawkins continued and pinned Andrade for the 1-2-3 despite the fact that Andrade had beaten the two count while pinned.

The match ended terribly and could be seen on the faces of both Montez Ford and Dawkins. It is believed that the victors didn't have the slightest idea that Garza was seriously injured.

#3. Mercedes Martinez got knocked out cold

In 2021, former NXT Superstar Mercedes Martinez got involved in a mixed tag team match for an episode of NXT. She partnered with superstar Jake Atlas to fight the duo of Boa and Xia Li.

During the match, Li would deliver a spinning back kick upon Martinez that knocked her senseless. The referee quickly flashed the X-sign for the medical team to spring into action and check on the the former NXT superstar. Martinez was later rushed to the nearest hospital for further evaluation.

#2. Enzo Amore’s nasty injury at Payback that got the X-sign

Former WWE Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore's accident at 2016’s Payback was considered to be one of the scariest-looking injuries in the promotion.

Amore teamed up with Cass during the pay-per-view as they battled it out for the WWE Tag Team Championship against The Vaudevillains. During the match, Simon Gotch was supposed to throw Amore out of the ring, but the execution was botched.Unfortunately, his neck bounced off the rope.

The match was immediately stopped after the referee flashed the X-sign. Medics who were on standby sprang into action and Amore was stretchered out of the building.

After further evaluation, it was revealed that he was concussed. This could have gone worse if it weren’t for the referee’s quick thinking.

#1. WWE Superstars D-Generation X vs Rated-RKO

During his career as an in-ring competitor, D-Generation X’s Triple H tore his quads a few times. One of which happened in January 2007, coincidentally being the fifth anniversary of the first time he tore his quad.

It happened in a match between the two wrestling factions at New Year’s Revolution PLE where Triple H performed a spinebuster on Randy Orton. However, this did his quad in, which left the referee with no choice but to raise the X-sign for the medical personnel to rush in.

The remaining WWE superstars – Randy Orton, Edge, and Shawn Michaels got on with the match. This clearly shows the level of professionalism among the wrestlers. It's tough being a WWE performer, isn't it?

About the author

Erwin is a WWE writer at Sportskeeda. He previously worked as a Customer Care Representative for Teletech, APAC, and Steller Global Solutions, and as a writer and contributor at Blasting News, before his lifelong passion for pro wrestling led him to his current role at Sportskeeda in 2021.

Erwin has many favorite wrestlers due to their personalities; he likes Stone Cold Steve Austin because of his edginess; Brock Lesnar for his intimidating aura; Orange Cassidy because he doesn't have a catchphrase; and Darby Allin due to his high-risk maneuvers.

If he could go back to the Attitude Era, Erwin would wish to manage Stone Cold Steve Austin, and to convince the Hall of Famer, he would say, "Now that you got rid of Jake 'The Snake' Roberts, it sure did put the entire locker room on notice, including boss Vince. You, my friend, just ushered in a new era in this company, and I'm here to give you a hand.”

Erwin ensures to thoroughly check information for accuracy before using it in his articles. Apart from watching pro wrestling, Cruz enjoys playing video games and cooking for his family.

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Edited by Siddharth Sikdar