List of WWE in-ring injuries 

Joey Mercury
Joey Mercury

If there is one thing you should never say to a pro wrestling fan, it's that wrestling is fake. Yes, the winner is decided in advance, the wrestlers give scripted promos and yes, they do not really hit each other as hard as possible.

But this does not mean that these wrestlers aren't world class athletes, who put their bodies on the line week after week just to entertain the fans and for their passion for the pro wrestling business. These are athletes who perform dangerous and potentially fatal moves in front of a live audience week after week.

Even though these wrestlers are well experienced in the ring, sometimes, accidents do happen. These can range from a twisted ankle or sprained ligament to even potentially fatal injuries. Today let's take a look at five instances of the most gruesome in-ring injuries.

(Since we are considering injuries only, I have not included Owen Hart's accidental death, which remains the most horrific accident till date in WWE history).


#7 Cena gets his nose broken

SiriusXM Host Hoda Kotb Talks With John Cena
SiriusXM Host Hoda Kotb Talks With John Cena

Whether you love him or you hate him, you've got to admire the fact that Cena is someone with extraordinary physical prowess. His superhuman strength has been on display in the ring many times and has also appeared in his super fast rehab from various injuries.

One more incident to showcase his high threshold of pain took place on Raw in a match against Seth Rollins for the US Championship in 2015. During their matchup, Rollins attempted to knee Cena in the face and accidentally made hard contact. Cena immediately fell to the floor clutching his face. It was immediately apparent that something was not right and a few moments later we found out what.

As the camera panned to Cena's face, we could clearly see that his nose was brutally disfigured, with blood pouring down his face. A normal human being would probably stop the match at this point but, Cena being Cena, went on to finish the match without stopping.

Seek to 1:03 to watch the accident.

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#6 Mick Foley

WWE SummerSlam 2015
WWE SummerSlam 2015

Mick Foley is called the hardcore legend for a reason. He has been part of some of the most brutal and violent matches in the history of WWE and this has affected his physical well being in more ways than one.

Spoiler: this isn't the last time he features on this list!

First off, the infamous Hell in a Cell match against The Undertaker at King of the Ring in 1998. As most fans know, the spot where Mick Foley was thrown off the cell by The Undertaker and fell on the announce table was planned in advance. What was not planned, however, was what transpired later.

A chokeslam on top of the Cell structure went terribly wrong when the top door gave away and Foley fell almost 20 feet to the ring. To make things worse, a chair which was on top of the cell, fell square on his face.

Even The Undertaker and Terry Funk have commented saying they thought Foley was dead for sure. What Foley did suffer was a severe concussion, a broken tooth which was lodged in his nose and a dislocated jaw along with internal bleeding. And yes, he went on to finish the match.

#5 Mick Foley loses an ear

While on tour for WCW in 1994, Foley was in an on-going feud with Vader. During one of their matches, Foley attempted to perform a dangerous spot known as the Hangman, where a wrestler's neck is entangled between two ropes. But what Foley didn't know is that the ropes had been tightened before the start of the show.

After getting stuck between the ropes, Foley struggled to free himself. Finally, he succeeded and in the process almost completely ripped off his right ear. With his ear dangling on the side of his face, Foley proceeded to exchange some blows with Vader and this resulted in his ear completely falling off.

The referee, not knowing what to do, can be seen picking up the ear and handing it to an announcer at ringside!

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#4 Vader pops an eye

Vader is widely regarded as one of the toughest guys to ever step foot in a pro wrestling ring. Even today at the age of 62, he is only semi-retired, having last wrestled at a Japanese event in 2017. Even after being diagnosed with congenital heart failure, Vader has stated that he will continue to wrestle and would even like to die in the ring! Talk about passion for the business.

In a long list of injuries that Vader has sustained, one stands at the top for being the most gruesome. In an NJPW event back in 1990, Vader was in a match against Stan Hansen. Now both these men are known to be notoriously stiff workers in the ring and, just before the bell rang, Hansen is said to have accidentally broken Vader's nose with a prop. This lead to a few stiff punches being exchanged throughout the match and with one such punch, Hansen caught Vader in the eye which caused it to pop out of its socket.

What Vader did next is why he has a legendary status today. Vader just ripped off his mask, pushed his eyeball back into its socket and proceeded with the match! He would later go on to have surgery on his eye to correct the injury.

#3 Sabu tears his flesh

In 1997, Sabu and Terry Funk were part of a match that was dubbed 'too extreme even for ECW', and that's saying something! The match was a no-rope barb wire match where instead of ropes, the ring was surrounded by barbed wires.

As expected, both men bled profusely, in what is considered one of the most gruesome matches in the history of the business. But the one incident we pick from the match for this list came when Sabu attempted his signature 'Air Sabu' corner splash on Funk. Sabu missed Funk and got entangled in the barbed wire, tearing his bicep completely. A 12-inch gash on his arm saw his flesh hanging out from his body. Inexplicably, Sabu went to just tape his arm up and carried on wrestling the rest of the match as though nothing serious had transpired!

Though Sabu did not get as much mainstream attention as he deserved, he will always be remembered as a legend, especially by the old-school ECW fans.

#2 Joey Mercury's face implodes

Joey Mercury's injury is another classic example of how dangerous pro wrestling can be. At the Armageddon PPV in 2006, Mercury (then a part of MNM) was involved in a 4-way ladder match for the WWE Tag Team Championships.

During the bout, Mercury suffered a legitimate injury when he was accidentally struck square in the face by a ladder. His face looked like it had exploded, leaving him a bloody mess. Turns out, Mercury had fractured his nose and orbital bone severely and had to have 30 stitches.

This incident indirectly became responsible for Mercury losing his momentum and his in-ring career never really took off again. He has since then slowly transitioned into more of a backstage role and worked as a road agent for WWE till he was released in January 2017.

#1 Sycho Sid's leg snaps in half

This incident definitely tops the list of the most gruesome injuries ever inside a pro wrestling ring. At WCW's "Sin" PPV in 2001, Sid was involved in a match for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship when he suffered a terrible injury.

WCW management apparently felt that Sid's move arsenal needed to be expanded and Sid was asked to perform an aerial move despite his unwillingness. To carry out the move, Sid climbed on to the second rope, looking to perform a big boot. But, he landed awkwardly, putting all his bodyweight on his left leg alone, causing it to snap immediately.

Sid fractured both his Tibia and Fibula bones and had to have a 17-inch rod placed inside his leg through surgery.

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