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Not every wrestler who appears in the WWE becomes a legend. The term is reserved for those who give their all in the middle of the ring, and have a special connection with the fans.
The legends of WWE earn their title through hard work, dedication, and determination but sometimes even their commitment isn't enough to keep them safe from the injuries caused by a botched move. This list focuses on the legends of WWE and how their careers were affected by the injuries they suffered in the ring.
Honorable mentions
This section is dedicated to Corey Graves, one of the most gifted commentators to ever don the headsets in WWE history. Corey Graves suffered some of the worst concussions in the WWE during his time in NXT which led to him ultimately retiring.
Graves had the potential to be one of WWE's most celebrated stars and his experiences make him uniquely placed to understand a superstar who gets injured in a botch. He was one of the voices who defended Brie Bella after she kicked Liv Morgan a bit too hard in the head.
5. The Undertaker
The Undertaker is one of the biggest draws that the WWE will ever have, with even people who are not wrestling fans knowing his name. Throughout his long career, the Undertaker has suffered several debilitating injuries but none as bad as the ones he suffered in a match with Rey Mysterio in 2010.
Although the Phenom won the match, he had a bleeding nose as he pinned Rey. The bleeding nose was the least of his worries as he had a concussion, a broken orbital bone as well as a fractured nose. The injuries were caused by Rey messing up a senton not once but twice, and he later added a 619 which probably contributed to the Undertaker's injuries.
The injuries aggravated the Undertaker's previous injuries from 1995 when he had suffered another broken orbital bone. The WWE had to pull Taker from in-ring competition to allow him to heal.
4. Beth Phoenix
When the Women's division was still the Diva's division, one of its biggest stars was Beth Phoenix. Beth was the total package; beautiful, athletic, and more gifted than most women in the division at the time. But before she was a WWE legend, she was a novice fresh from OVW.
Anyone's first match on RAW is a memorable occasion, but Beth Phoenix will remember June 5, 2006, for an entirely different reason. In her debut match against Victoria, Beth suffered a broken jaw but still managed to emerge victorious. The injury was so severe that Beth had to stay on the sidelines for more than a year.
3. Hardcore Holly
For any superstar to earn the title of hardcore, they have to prove themselves tremendously. Holly was one of WWE's most popular hardcore competitors, winning not only the Hardcore Championship but also the WWF Tag Team Championship.
Holly's rising star would come to a grinding halt in 2002 after a match with Brock Lesnar where Holly's neck was broken. Brock is no stranger to botches, and in 2002, his mistake caused Holly to rupture a disk. The injury left Hardcore Holly out of action for close to 13 months.
2. Droz
One of the WWE's most tragic stories is that of Droz: a gifted athlete whose career was cut tragically short during a 1999 edition of SmackDown. The match is one example of how dangerous the wrestling industry is if the moves are not done as carefully as possible.
Droz was facing off against D'Lo Brown who would attempt a powerbomb but terribly botched it. Droz was left as a quadriplegic requiring constant care and medication for the rest of his life.
1. Stone Cold Steve Austin
This list would be incomplete if I failed to mention one of the most devastating botches ever. Owen Hart, like the rest of his family, was one of the most technically gifted wrestlers. However, not even the most talented wrestler is immune from botching a move.
Owen botched a Tombstone Piledriver, proving that management had made a right decision in banning the move. Austin's head was in the wrong position which resulted in his entire weight landing on his head and neck. The move paralyzed Stone Cold Steve Austin for a short time but luckily he managed to get feeling back into his body. Austin had to give up his Intercontinental title and Tag Team title to give his body time to heal.
