How Colt Cabana Nearly Lost His Finger After A Trip To Australia
Colt Cabana has wrestled around the globe for nearly two decades and is no stranger to international travel, but one trip, in particular, didn't go quite as planned. In November 2012, the "Classic" flew to Australia to wrestle, and even hosted a live edition of his podcast, "Art of Wrestling." However, the fun trip soon turned into a scary situation.
The former NWA National Champion suffered a cut on his right hand. Unworried, Cabana believed the cut would heal in a short period of time. Things took a turn for the worse after Cabana unwrapped his bandage to reveal a gaping hole just below his fingernail, while his finger had swelled up an incredible amount.
He soon visited a hospital to assess the drastic change in his condition. Originally treating him with IV medication in California, doctors later detected a horrific infection, warning Cabana of possible amputation to his finger. He underwent immediate surgery to address the infection and met with a specialist after being released from the hospital. As he recovered, Cabana paused episodes of his web series, "Creative Has Nothing For You" as well.
During his tour of Australia, Cabana captured the PCW State Championship, defeating Trikki D on November 3 in Victoria.
Save Colt's Finger
During his recovery, Colt Cabana garnered support and well wishes from fans and the pro wrestling community, resulting in the official start of a new campaign: "Save Colt's Finger."
In the months of November and December, the online campaign trended on Twitter multiple times, with fans writing letters and sharing photos of their own bandaged hands in support of Cabana. One young fan even sported glittery tape with the inscription "Cabanarama" written on it. A few fellow professional wrestlers joined in on the campaign, including Natalya, Samoa Joe, Lince Dorado, and CM Punk. The "Save Colt's Finger" grew even bigger when Cabana launched a limited edition t-shirt on his official merchandise website.
Cabana maintained a positive spirit throughout the unfortunate situation, often feeding his Twitter timeline with finger jokes. "My dreams of coming back to the WWE as Rick 'The Finger Model' Martel have been ruined," he wrote on November 17 that year.
Cabana would eventually return to action on December 12 at Elite Canadian Championship Wrestling in British Columbia, Canada. There, he teamed with The Stallions to defeat Bishop and The Administration.