5 WWE Superstars who got injured at the worst possible time

Pro wrestling is one of the most intense forms of entertainment, with minimal margin for error and huge risk involved. Every time a wrestler enters the ring, they put their body on the line. Injuries are prevalent in the business, whether they happen in the ring or elsewhere. WWE Superstars have learned that the hard way.

The competitive nature of wrestling, especially in WWE, makes these injuries tougher to swallow. One minute, you are in a prime spot on the card and the next, you are in a treatment room with an impending period away from the ring looming. There is never a good time to suffer an injury of any sort, but some injuries have come at a horrible time for some Superstars.

These WWE Superstars were either on the verge of a major push, or on top of the card with exciting things to follow. But injuries forced them to sit on the sidelines, as those exciting plans for their future went up in smoke. Their luck has been extremely rotten in these situations, with some of them never really reaching the heights they did immediately before their respective injuries.

Here are five WWE Superstars who got injured at the worst possible time.

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#5 Wade Barrett (2012)

Barrett has suffered multiple injuries at inopportune times

Despite a career filled with hope and potential, Wade Barrett has not had the best luck during his time in WWE. He had been on the verge of breaking out multiple times, especially in his role as the leader of the Nexus. But it wasn't to be, as the stable ran into the brick wall known as John Cena.

Barrett seemed to be getting a push in the latter months of 2011, and his momentum was set to soar by WrestleMania in 2012, where he was planned to win Money in the Bank. However, the Englishman dislocated his elbow following a catch gone wrong during a Battle Royale in the lead-up to The Show of Shows.

This injury kept Barrett out for a few months and caused WWE to cancel the Money in the Bank Ladder Match, drastically altering their plans for WrestleMania 28. This was terribly unfortunate, as it seemed to be the moment that Barrett would finally step up and become a main eventer, following the disappointment of the Nexus angle.

The 5-time Intercontinental Champion did not come close to the world title picture after this unfortunate incident. However, bad luck can strike even after winning Money in the Bank.

#4 Mr. Kennedy (2007)

He was set to become World Heavyweight Champion

Some WWE Superstars seem to have the misfortune of pretty awful timing with their injuries. But in this case, along with the timing, the nature of it may have been an even bigger disappointment. That is exactly what happened with Mr. Kennedy, a Superstar earmarked for greatness in the WWE.

After a solid start to his career on SmackDown, Kennedy won the Money in the Bank Ladder Match at WrestleMania 23, and with the Undertaker needing to take some time off to heal a biceps injury, WWE called upon Mr. Money in the Bank to cash in and become the World Heavyweight Champion.

The only problem was that Kennedy suffered an injury of his own and was initially thought to be out for 5 to 7 months. WWE booked him to lose the briefcase to Edge, who went on to SmackDown and won the world title. However, Kennedy's injury was not as severe as first thought, and he only missed a few weeks, making the loss of the briefcase unnecessary.

The former Impact World Champion did get another chance at success in WWE, as Vince McMahon's illegitimate son, but he got suspended for 30 days ahead of the big reveal. A world title victory would have been a career-making moment for Mr. Kennedy, and it is a real shame that it was taken away in such cruel fashion.

#3 Daniel Bryan (2014)

Heartbreaking, to say the least

It is never nice when a WWE Superstar gets injured, but it was genuinely heartbreaking to see Daniel Bryan's run on top in 2014 end with a whimper. A month after fighting his way to the main event of WrestleMania 30 and winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship breathtakingly, Bryan was sidelined with a neck injury.

It's a shame that the 'Leader of the Yes Movement' was unable to have a proper reign with the WWE Title, following his journey towards the victory- a journey that led to possibly the greatest moment in 'Mania history.

Bryan did get to defeat Kane in a violent Extreme Rules Match at the namesake pay-per-view but had to be written off a week later. His reign was set to last until at least SummerSlam, where a main event title match against Brock Lesnar was the original plan. It would have been an excellent match, as their contest at Survivor Series 2018 was.

Anyway, Daniel Bryan getting a neck injury in the middle of a heroic WWE Title reign was extremely sad to see. He has still not had a full-fledged world title run as a babyface in WWE, although his latest one as a heel was excellent.

#2 John Cena (2016)

Cena's injury was a major blow for WrestleMania 32

This injury may not have been detrimental to the career of John Cena, but it did rob us of one of the biggest matches in WrestleMania history. The months before WrestleMania 32 were pretty tricky for WWE, as many Superstars got injured and were ruled out of the largest 'Mania in history.

Names like Randy Orton, Sting, and Seth Rollins were set to miss the show, but the biggest and most panic-inducing injury was Cena's. He was set to face The Undertaker at WrestleMania, a match that would have ensured the stability and magnitude of the card. But along with so many other plans, it was gone in a flash.

The shoulder injury was too much for even the mighty John Cena to overcome in less than three months, as WWE was left scrambling for a replacement for the Deadman's opponent. And that is how Shane McMahon returned to the company. While it made for a massive moment with the Hell in a Cell structure, WrestleMania 32 truly suffered from not having Cena vs. Undertaker on the card.

The 16-time WWE World Champion did appear on the show, helping The Rock take out the Wyatt Family. He did get to face The Undertaker two years later at WrestleMania 34, but their match lasted less than five minutes.

The two biggest Superstars in WWE history facing each other in front of over 100,000 fans at AT&T Stadium would have been absolutely epic.

#1 Finn Balor (2016)

A sad moment for the Balor Club

We have seen WWE Superstars getting injured before winning Money in the Bank, before winning the world title, or even a month after winning it. But the misfortune of getting injured during the match in which you win the world title, and having to vacate it immediately, is unparalleled.

Finn Balor had hardly been on WWE's main roster for a month when he became the first-ever Universal Champion by defeating Seth Rollins at SummerSlam. It was incredible to see WWE strap the title on an NXT call-up and push him to the moon.

However, the 'Demon King' suffered a devastating shoulder injury during the match as a result of a powerbomb into the barricade from Rollins. He soldiered on to victory but was in a great deal of pain. Balor opened the following night's episode of RAW and vacated the big red belt, a day after being it's first Champion.

As far as injuries in WWE go, the timing of this one may be the worst. The current NXT star never truly returned to the main event scene after his injury, save for a one-off match against Brock Lesnar at Royal Rumble 2019.

Who knows how different Finn Balor's WWE career would have gone had he not suffered that injury at SummerSlam 2016? For starters, he would have likely had a lengthy reign as the top Champion of Monday Night RAW.