Image via Complex Original
The WWE and various other pro wrestling leagues have long been our country's institutions of showboating and athletic theatrics. As many of us know by now, pro wrestling is faker than fool's gold, as its various heels and faces have been playing pre-scripted roles for decades just for the sake of gaining a wider fanbase and amping up the action. However, some have decided that this layer of fiction makes pro wrestling completely unwatchable. Why watch a sport that isn't actually a competition?
The point is valid, but it doesn't change the fact that the WWE and others need to have pre-scripted parts, if only for the sake of their own safety. Do you really think that any of these guys would still be alive if all of the pile-drivers and powerbombs and suplexes that they pull off were actually spontaneous? There would be a neck broken everyday, and as you'll see from our list of the 25 Most Gruesome Injuries in Pro Wrestling History, there are plenty of those already. As we all know, nothing can always go according to plan. Take a look through the list, and see if you can stomach it. Any notables that we missed? Let us know in the comments section below.
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25, Owen Hart Crushes Stone Cold Steve Austin's Neck
Date: 8/3/1997
Event: Summerslam 1997
In the midst of a feud with Owen Hart, Stone Cold Steve Austin became matched up with Hart in Summerslam '97—a match that would prove formative for Steve Austin's career. Though Austin was supposed to win—and, somehow, ultimately did—it wasn't easy, given the injury that Hart doled out to Austin. After Hart botched a pile-driver, causing Austin to receive the move incorrectly, Austin was left with a broken neck and temporary paralysis. Amazingly, though, Hart stuck to the script, stalling for time so that Austin could move again, and letting Austin sneak in for a roll-up pin to win. However, Austin has been plagued by neck injuries ever since, and had to retire at a relatively early age in 2003 because of the pain.
24. Triple H Tears His Quad
Date: 5/21/2001
Event: Raw
Facing off in a tag team match with Stone Cold versus Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho, the legendary Triple H would struggle to finish the match out in this one, as he ended up completely tearing his quad, and had to limp around for most of the match. The injury occured when Triple H was trying to neutralize Jericho's submission move on Stone Cold, and instead left him hobbled. Triple H wouldn't end up wrestling until months later at the 2002 Royal Rumble event, when he ended up becoming WWE's second-ever undisputed champ.
23. Vader Destroys Joe Thurman
Date: 10/25/1992
Event: Halloween Havoc
With a name like Vader, you're supposed to be a pretty intimidating presence in pro wrestling, but the WCW's Vader took that sentiment a little too far when he broke the back of his opponent Joe Thurman in 1992. When you watch the video, you can't help but pity Thurman and his teammate as they bounce off of the unstoppable girth of Vader. As the match progresses, Vader decides to just put Thurman out of his misery, and throws him down to the ground, breaking Thurman's back with a paralyzing powerbomb. Thurman would end up being alright, but you can be sure that he stayed out of Vader's way for a long time after that.
22. Buff Bagwell Breaks His Back
Date: 4/22/1992
Event: Thunder
It was a diving bulldog gone wrong that did Buff Bagwell in. During his Thunder match with Rick Steiner, Bagwell ended up breaking several vertebrae and suffering from spinal shock syndrome in the aftermath of a risky maneuver. In a strange twist, the interference of Rick Steiner's brother ended up winning Bagwell the match, but that did little to alleviate Bagwell's pain. He would eventually recover and return to wrestling, but Bagwell was confined to a wheelchair for a considerable amount of time following the match.
21. Vince McMahon Injures Himself
Date: 1/30/2005
Event: Royal Rumble
Granted, this isn't terribly gruesome or anything, but it's undeniably hilarious, and it's also Vince McMahon, so we had to include it. Certainly, tearing both of your quadricep muscles like McMahon does here wouldn't be a walk in the park but, to his credit, McMahon plays it off well here, breaking his character for only a moment. The injury occured during a match between Edge, Rey Mysterio, John Cena, and Batista, with the latter two being the remaining competitors at the end. But after a disagreement between the Raw and Smackdown referees determinining who should win the match, McMahon stormed in to play the mediator. After hopping into the ring, McMahon immediately buckles, but quickly adjusts, assuming a seated position and continuing to yell at the refs. And that's how you run an empire, ladies and gentlemen.
20. Randy Orton Breaks His Collarbone
Date: 9/1/2008
Event: One Night Stand
In 2008's One Night Stand, a clash of the titans was taking place, as Randy Orton was going up against Triple H in a battle for WWE supremacy. However, the battle would come to an abrupt end when Triple H, who was countering Orton's patented RKO maneuver, threw Orton over the ropes and onto the unforgiving floor, where he broke his collarbone. Orton would be out for months after the injury, but got his revenge on January 25, 2009, when he successfully eliminated Triple H at the Royal Rumble.
19. Jim Cornette Falls From Scaffold, Tears Knee Ligaments
Date: 11/27/1986
Event: Starrcade 1999
One of the most interesting parts of pro wrestling is how anyone can get involved in the theatrics of it. The ref, the managers, the fans: they're all a part of the spectacle along with the wrestlers. However, one of the most painful instances of this feature was when wrestling manager, Jim Cornette, fell from 20 feet and blew out an entire knee. Hanging from a scaffold, Cornette—who was supposed to fall into the arms of Big Bubba Rogers below—ended up misjudging his position and falling too far from his partner. Cornette would end up needing surgery for the injury, but was otherwise okay, and continues to manage to this day.
18, Jesse Sorensen Fractures His Vertebrae
Date: 2/12/2012
Event: Against All Odds
The scariest part about bad injuries in wrestling is that they often have to do with the neck, and that's never a part of your body that you want to mess around with. Jesse Sorensen learned that the hard way when he was matched up against Ion in TNA's Against All Odds, and he was dealt a legitimate injury to his spinal cord and vertebrae. The match was halted instantly, and Sorensen needed a year to recover from the injuries.
17. Rey Mysterio Jr. Breaks The Undertaker's Face
Date: 5/25/2010
Event: Smackdown
At this point in his life, The Undertaker has to be ready to call it quits. Now 48 years old, and having wrestled since the '80s, Undertaker is either in it because he needs the money or because he's completely bonkers. Hard to say which. In any case, though, he couldn't have been feeling good about either of those things after this blow he suffered in 2009, when he was facing off against Rey Mysterio in a qualifying match for the Fatal 4-Way. As you can see, Mysterio goes up and Undertaker gets nailed straight in the face, fracturing his orbital bone. Though Undertaker would technically win the match, he was unable to compete in the 4-Way, leaving Mysterio to take his place.
16. Hardcore Holly Gets Sliced on the Neck
Date: 9/26/2006
Event: ECW Extreme Rules
Hardcore Holly has always lived up to his name throughout his expansive pro wrestling career, and in this moment in 2006, when Holly was pitted against Robert Van Dam, he once again proved himself to be pretty hardcore. After Holly suplexed RVD through a table, the table left a deep gash in Holly's back, shedding blood all over the place. Of course, that didn't stop Holly, as the wrestler would finish out the match and take the victory, but certainly did look a little dazed by the end.
15. Steve Austin Drops Masahino Chono
Date: 9/23/1992
Event: NWA World Heavyweight Championship
Steve Austin showed us what it looks like to be on the wrong end of a neck injury after Owen Hart drove his head into the mat during Summerslam '97. However, it was Austin who had dealt out that same punishment first, when he basically KO'd Masahiro Chono back in the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in 1992. It's still just as difficult to watch. You can feel the crunch of Chono's head as he hits the mat. Despite its graphic nature, though, Chono would be fine, and continues to wrestle today in Japan.
14. Chris Benoit Breaks Sabu's Neck
Date: 11/5/1994
Event: November to Remember 1994
As Chris Benoit squared off against Sabu in their November to Remember match, the early goings seemed to be moving along according to plan. Benoit was laying the smackdown on Sabu for the most part, and there was no doubt that Benoit had to be feeling pretty good about the match. However, he must've felt sick to his stomach for what would happen next, as he pulled a move on Sabu that would leave the poor guy temporarly paralyzed. With Benoit throwing Sabu down on his head, you can see the point where Sabu's neck hits the mat, and it definitely isn't pretty. Thankfully, Sabu was okay, and continues to wrestle to this day.
13. Bret Hart's Career is Ended
Date: 12/19/1999
Event: Starrcade 1999
It was a mule kick gone wrong that would end up (temporarily) sidelining Bret Hart's career. Taking on Bill Goldberg in Washington D.C. for Starrcade 1999, Hart suffered a cringe-worthy kick to the head that gave him a severe concussion, and eventual post-concussion syndrome. His injuries were considered brutal enough to warrant his retirement, and so Hart did shortly thereafter, giving up his title on January 16, 2000. At least he had the officials on his side: when a ref went down for injury, fellow wrestler, Roddy Piper, subbed in to officiate, eventually awarding Hart a controversial victory over Goldberg.
12. Brock Lesnar Snaps Hardcore Holly's Neck
Date: 9/12/2002
Event: Smackdown
In WWE's 2002 Smackdown event, Hardcore Holly got a lot more than he bargained for when he and Lesnar went head-to-head. As their match unfolded, Holly eventually found himself on the wrong side of a powerbomb, essentially helpless, and ready to be thrown down to the mat by Brock Lesnar. The end result of the move was hard to watch, as Lesnar brought Holly down with such force that it ended up breaking his neck. Holly would end up taking a thirteen-month hiatus from pro wrestling because of the injury, and how anyone thought this move was going to be safe in the first place is beyond reason.
11. Triple H Abuses Marty Garner's Neck
Date: 5/28/1996
Event: Superstars
When Marty Garner and Triple H were going up against one another in the WWE Superstars event back in 1996, Triple H—still early on in his career—would end doling out a pretty nasty neck injury to his opponent. Thankfully, it looked worse than it actually was, but Garner still couldn't have been feeling too hot after suffering this treatment at Triple H's hands. As H took Garner in for his finishing move, he lifted him up, and threw Garner right back down on the top of his head, likely sending some pretty severe pain right up Garner's spine. However, it was eventually revealed that Garner had miscalculated on the move, believing it to be a different maneuver, and thus throwing his body in a completely different direction than he was supposed to when Triple H executed the technique. For his injuries, Garner would try to sue the WWE, and they later ended up settling out of court.
10. Mick Foley Takes A Seat
Date: 1/24/1999
Event: Royal Rumble 1999
By all accounts, Mick Foley was one of the toughest wrestlers to ever get out into the ring, and this video of him taking a chair to the dome is proof positive of that assessment. When you also consider that the guy delivering these blows was The Rock, your respect for Foley should double. Foley was handcuffed and eventually knocked on unconscious by the hits, making this bout one of the few "I Quit" matches to ever happen in pro wrestling history. What else can you really do after taking a metal chair to the face 10 times?
9. New Jack and Vic Grimes Get the Double Whammy
Date: 3/12/2000
Event: Living Dangerously 2000
One injury is bad, but two is even worse, as we saw when New Jack and Vic Grimes fell from a scaffold together in what is now known as, "The Danbury Fall." The name doesn't quite get across how bad this one truly was. As the two were fighting atop a scaffold, they made a move to fall down together, with the idea being that they would be cushioned by falling through tables beneath them. However, New Jack pulled Grimes too early, and the two men missed the tables, and hit the concrete below. Against all odds, they survived, though not without suffering some horrific injuries. Still, whatever they had to deal with is better than getting their heads splattered open like eggs.
8. Brock Lesnar Backfires on the Shooting Star Press
Date: 3/30/2003
Event: Wrestlemania XIX
Going up against Kurt Angle in his first ever Wrestlemania, Brock Lesnar went for it all when he had Angle on the mat. Climbing up to the top rope, Lesnar attempted a Shooting Star Press—a ridiculously dangerous move that requires the perfect timing and calculations to safely pull off. Lesnar had neither, as he couldn't pull his flip all the way through, and ended up landing on his head. For his part, Lesnar would get up and play out the rest of the match, even "winning" it in the end, but it most certainly wasn't worth it. Lesnar sustained a massive concussion as a result of his move, and undoubtedly should've seen a doctor immediately after it happened.
7. Sid Vicious Breaks His Leg in the Worst Possible Way
Date: 1/14/2001
Event: Sin
Sid Vicious' career-ending injury in WCW's "Sin" event isn't too hard to explain. One look at the video can tell you that a person's leg isn't supposed to bend or snap or dangle like his does. The backstory to the injury plays a crucial role in its unfolding though, as Vicious had been asked by WCW management to broaden his array of moves before the match, suggesting he try some more aerial maneuvers. Reluctantly, Vicious agreed, though not without protesting that a wrestler of his size and type wasn't equipped to attempt the high-flying techniques that they wanted. He turned out to be right.
6. Sabu Gets His Neck Broken...Again
Date: 12/19/1998
Event: Extreme Championship Wrestling
Once should be enough for anyone when it comes to breaking your neck but, unfortunately, Sabu had the suffer the same fate twice, this time at the hands of Taz and his powerful Taz-Plex during an ECW match back in 1998. Taking Sabu right into a table, there's clearly an issue between the two with getting the full rotation necessary to avoid this result, and Sabu ends up crunching his head right into the surface. Ouch. The match was called at that point, and Sabu was rushed to the hospital.
5. Joey Mercury's Face Gets Wrecked
Date: 12/17/2006
Event: Armageddon
December 17, 2006 has to stand out as one of the worst nights of Joey Mercury's life, as the now-retired wrestler was struck in the face by a ladder during an out-of-control four-way match that required Mercury to get 30 stitches. His injury also broke his nose in three places, but was luckily a lot worse in the moment than in the days following. Mercury would only be out for couple weeks, and was somehow wrestling again right after. The hit must've knocked something in his brain loose as well. Who would want to go back into the ring after a wound like that?
4. X-Pac Rips Himself a New One
Date: 3/23/2013
Event: Independent Circuit Match
It sounds funny, but X-Pac tearing his anus in an Independent Circuit match last year actually could've had some pretty grave consequences. It isn't abundantly clear when the injury occured throughout the course of the match, but most speculate that it happened during a failed Bronco Buster that X-Pac had attempted. After being taken to the hospital after the match, X-Pac's girlfriend had some good news for his fans on her Instagram:
We don't know if there is a medical term for it...but he did a bronco buster last night that literally ripped his ass apart! :-/ Lost a lot of blood! Had surgery this morning and is on the road to recovery! Believe it or not..this has happened to him once before! #wrestling#seanwaltman #xpac @therealxpac #getwellsoonxpac
Wait, this has happened before?? We're glad he's okay, but TMI.
3. Foley Falls From the Cell
Date: 6/28/1998
Event: King of the Ring 1998
Once again, Mick Foley proves that their is no one in the world better at taking pain than him. Or luckier. After falling from a steel cage when he was pushed by The Undertaker, more than a few people were scared for Foley's life, and their concerns certainly weren't misplaced as Foley suffered a concussion, a dislocated jaw, a dislocated shoulder, and a bruised kidney. Of course, Foley survived and kept on wrestling in that very match, though the Undertaker would eventually chokeslam him and take the win. Still, it was a valiant effort of Mick's part. No one can argue that fact.
2. The Danbury Fall Pt. II
Date: 2/23/2002
Event: Scaffold Match
As with their first match, the stakes for New Jack and Vic Grimes' scaffold match re-match were just as crazy. Somehow, after nearly getting their brains crushed, the two thought that it would be a good idea to go back up on a scaffold and fight again. However, this time around, things took a disturbing turn for the worst. New Jack—who apparently was taking his rivalry with Grimes too seriously—ended up tasing Grimes, and throwing him to the ground 40 feet below. In the years since the match, New Jack has claimed that he did it because he legitimately wanted Grimes dead. But by some miracle, Grimes caught the edge of the ring which managed to soften the fall by crucial degrees. Otherwise, New Jack would've gotten his wish.
1. Cactus Jack Loses An Ear
Date: 3/16/1994
Event: WCW European Tour
Mick Foley doesn't just go by the name Mick Foley: he has also wrestled under the moniker of Cactus Jack, among many others. However, it was as Cactus Jack that Foley suffered what is arguably known as his most famous injury, when he had a good portion of his ear ripped off due to a couple tight ropes in Munich, Germany. After getting caught up in the ropes, and almost looking like he was going to choke, Foley managed to twist his head out of the ropes, but not before slipping out without one of his ears. Lucky for him, he was able to keep hold of the cartilage and have it properly reattached later that day. Eventually it was fully reconstructed.