Wrestlers Who Were Moments Away From Serious Injury
For generations, professional wrestling has been a widely-adored form of entertainment the world over. While its mainstream popularity has ebbed and flowed over the years, those who love it, love it, and it's not hard to figure out why. Between the larger-than-life personas, intense rivalries, and unforgettable moments, wrestling is near-impossible to turn away from when it's at its best. Although, the glitz and the glam of most wrestling products in the modern day can distract from the fact that those brave enough to step between the ropes are indeed putting their bodies on the line to keep audiences happy.
No matter how you slice it, wrestling is immensely demanding on the human body. Most veterans of the squared circle would agree that, as the years wear on, the bumps and strikes catch up with them physically, leading to all kinds of aches and pains. If they're lucky, that's the worst they'll have to deal with. In the cases of some other athletes, serious injuries can derail careers, change their way of life, or worse. Sadly, that's the nature of the beast that is pro wrestling: once that opening bell rings, a multitude of things can go wrong, and one's physical wellbeing is always hanging in the balance.
While injuries are hardly uncommon in wrestling, some fortunate folks walk away from matches only narrowly avoiding disaster. Here are a few notable examples of wrestlers who were mere moments away from horrific injury, but were rescued by their quick-thinking opponents.
Moose catches Ken Shamrock - TNA Bound for Glory 2019
The 15th Bound for Glory event in Impact Wrestling history took place on the evening of October 20, 2019, and had a lot to offer regular "Impact" viewers. The singles match between Michael Elgin and Naomichi Marufuji, the X-Division Championship five-person ladder match, and the main event between Brian Cage and Sami Callihan for the Impact Heavyweight Championship were all highlights. While far from the most technically impressive or flashy bout that evening, the battle between Moose and Impact Wrestling Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock was far from a disaster. Although, it very well could've been had one spot gone any worse.
After feuding over social media, Shamrock and Moose finally met between the ropes in the semi-main event spot of Bound for Glory 2019. The two bruisers threw everything they had at each other, leaving nothing up to chance as they each sought to earn bragging rights over the other. Though typically a grounded grappler, Shamrock made the bold choice to launch himself over the top rope to the outside of the ring, hoping to take out Moose. He successfully did so, but on his way down, his head was aimed directly at the floor. Thankfully, Moose caught Shamrock and used his strength to reposition his opponent safely as they landed.
While it was fortunate that Moose could catch Ken Shamrock and prevent him from enduring a serious head or neck injury, in storyline, Shamrock didn't have luck on his side. He'd go on to lose this match and his rivalry with Moose would end shortly after.
Shawn Michaels eases back his kick for Rey Mysterio - WWE SmackDown 1/29/2010
Shawn Michaels and Rey Mysterio are two of the biggest names in wrestling history, and for good reason. They both connected with fans and they could deliver entertaining performances in the ring, carving out legacies that will never fade. However, to see them on opposite sides of the ring in one-on-one scenarios was a rarity, even though they were both active competitors during the WWE's Ruthless Aggression Era. When they did lock up, though, it was all but certain that fans would get fun matches, such as their encounter on the January 29, 2010 installment of "WWE SmackDown."
On the road to WrestleMania XXVI, Mysterio and Michaels duked it out in the main event of "SmackDown." After a back and forth battle, Mysterio thought he had victory in his sights, but he couldn't have been more wrong. Launching himself from the top rope, Mysterio hoped to catch "The Heartbreak Kid" by surprise with an aerial attack. Little did he realize, Michaels was ready for him, so he shot his foot in the air to hit a Sweet Chin Music. When watching the footage back, it's worth pointing out that Michaels doesn't extend his leg all the way. Had he miscalculated and fully extended his leg, he could've done serious damage to Mysterio's head and neck.
Following this Sweet Chin Music (which isn't too dissimilar from one he hit on Shelton Benjamin on "WWE Raw" years prior), it seemed like the win would go to Shawn Michaels. It ultimately didn't thanks to the interference of who would become his WrestleMania opponent, the Undertaker, who chokeslammed him and Rey Mysterio to conclude the match in a no contest.
Undertaker and Kurt Angle look out for Big Show - WWF SmackDown 11/15/2001
Even though the WWF won the war against World Championship Wrestling in early 2001, the company's television shows were still firing on all cylinders by the end of the year. A major reason for this was the unparalleled level of talent featured weekly on "Raw" and "SmackDown," who went above and beyond to keep fans on their feet while earning their places in the history books. Case in point: the November 15, 2001 edition of "SmackDown," which saw the ring populated by a who's who of wrestling legends to build up some last-minute hype for November 18's Survivor Series event.
To close out the episode, the likes of Kane, Chris Jericho, Booker T, the Undertaker, and more came down to the ring to engage in a massive brawl. The true highlight of this moment, though, was Kurt Angle, who switched into another gear and started throwing his opponents around like ragdolls. He even managed to hit an Angle Slam on the massive Big Show, much to the surprise of everyone in attendance that night. If you look closely as the Big Show is lifted up into the air, a downed Undertaker slides a chair away from his potential landing area. Had he not done so, Show could've severely hurt his back on the way down.
Aware of how the Big Show could've landed had the chair not been moved, Kurt Angle even situated himself so that his opponent landed away from where he recalled the chair to be. Ring awareness is immensely important in wrestling, and luckily for the Big Show, Angle and Undertaker are masters of their craft.
The Butcher saves Marko Stunt - AEW Dynamite 3/17/2021
When All Elite Wrestling was established in early 2019, it promised wrestling fans two very important things: an accessible alternative to the wrestling juggernaut that is WWE and a brand new stage for talent across the world to showcase their in-ring skills. In the years since, they've delivered on both fronts, putting on shows for fans who wanted to see something different from what WWE has to offer and highlight numerous rising stars in the industry. In fact, the AEW roster has become so large that it's not uncommon to see some massive tag team matches take place on any given episode of "AEW Dynamite" or "AEW Rampage."
For instance, on one particular "Dynamite" episode from March 17, 2021, Jurassic Express (Jungle Boy, Luchasaurus, and Marko Stunt) and Bear Country (Bear Boulder and Bear Bronson) battled Matt Hardy, Private Party (Isiah Kassidy and Marq Quen), and the Butcher and the Blade. As one could imagine, with 10 competitors involved, the match swiftly devolved into chaos inside and outside of the ring. At one point, Marko Stunt put his body on the line by allowing his teammates to launch him outside the ring onto their opponents. While this move took out the enemy team, it could've landed Stunt in the hospital.
On his way down, Marko Stunt's head was angled directly toward the ground, and had he landed on it, any number of horrific injuries could've presented themselves. Luckily for him, the Butcher was aware of his awkward trajectory, so he slyly caught Stunt on his way down and repositioned him so he landed safely.
Fandango catches Cody Rhodes - WWE Raw 7/22/2013
Cody Rhodes is undeniably a bigger star in the modern day than he has been throughout his entire wrestling career. Not only did he help establish AEW and turn out some great matches there, but he's put on a handful of excellent performances since returning to WWE at WrestleMania 38 as well. At the same time, just because he wasn't a major star back then doesn't mean his first WWE tenure isn't at all memorable. Gimmicks like "Dashing" and "Undashing" Cody Rhodes were incredibly entertaining, his tag team run with his half-brother Goldust was enjoyable, and who could forget his work as part of the Legacy faction?
Oh, and there's the time he almost broke his neck on a moonsault.
On the July 22, 2013 episode of "Raw," Rhodes was booked in a one-on-one match with Fandango. Overall, the bulk of the bout wasn't bad, but it was hardly anything to write home about. However, that all changed when Cody Rhodes went for a moonsault off the top rope onto a dazed Fandango. Things got scary when Rhodes jumped from the top rope but failed to arc backwards, making it seem as though he was moments away from spiking his head onto the canvas. Just in time, Fandango sprung to his feet to catch Rhodes and ensure that his opponent landed safely on his stomach.
Even though he kept Cody Rhodes safe, Fandango's kindness didn't pay off in the end. Then-Mr. Money in the Bank Damien Sandow interfered and distracted him, allowing Rhodes to hit a Disaster Kick and pick up the pinfall win.
Deonna Purrazzo and Chelsea Green break their fall - Impact Wrestling Slammiversary 2022
Of the many events that occupy the Impact Wrestling pay-per-view slate, few are as special as Slammiversary. Since 2005, the show has been an annual fixture on Impact's calendar to celebrate the anniversary of the very first show the promotion ever put on way back in 2002. In the years since its start, Slammiversary has traditionally been the home of the King of the Mountain match: a stipulation that sees five competitors scale a ladder to try and hang a championship above the ring to win. At the 2022 incarnation of the show, fans were treated to the very first all-female Queen of the Mountain match.
To fill out this historic bout, Mia Yim, Jordynne Grace, Deonna Purrazzo, Chelsea Green, and Tasha Steelz were selected to take part, with women's wrestling icon Mickie James stationed as guest enforcer. For the most part, it started out as anyone's match to win, but one crucial moment thinned the potential winner pool significantly. With Purrazzo and Green positioned atop a ladder in the ring, Yim pushed it over and sent the two of them crashing through two tables positioned on the outside. That's a scary, painful bump for any wrestler to take, and Green and Purrazzo each did their part to make it go as smoothly as possible.
As Mia Yim tipped the ladder, one can see Deonna Purrazzo and Chelsea Green grab hold of one another. Once they left the ladder and went airborne, they held tightly onto each other as a means of bracing for impact (no pun intended) and avoiding potential injury if they each fell on their own. This move paid off since they both walked away from Slammiversary in one piece, though neither stood victorious. Jordynne Grace was crowned Queen of the Mountain and new Impact Knockouts World Champion when it was all said and done.
Suicide cushions Christopher Daniels' fall - TNA Bound for Glory 2009
In addition to the King or Queen of the Mountain match, the minds at Impact Wrestling have come up with several other over-the-top new match types. There's Monster's Ball, Lethal Lockdown, and, of course, the crown jewel of the innovative, high-flying X Division, Ultimate X. This high-risk, high-reward style of match has competitors etch their names in history books by scaling cables strung high above the ring to retrieve a prize hooked to the center. While these matches are a sight to behold and have gone down as Impact Wrestling favorites, they tend to produce some frightening moments by nature.
If you're looking to gasp at a worrisome Ultimate X moment, have a look at the Bound For Glory 2009 pay-per-view event. With the X Division Championship on the line, Christopher Daniels, Amazing Red, Suicide, Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin, and Homicide threw caution to the wind in a thrilling Ultimate X match. In pursuit of the title hanging high above the ring, Daniels and Suicide battled on the cables as audiences watched with bated breath. Suicide grabbed "The Fallen Angel" and sent both of them careening toward the canvas, and for a brief moment, it seemed that the latter would go down directly on his head.
As they let gravity take over, Suicide wisely positioned his own body underneath Christopher Daniels. Not only did this cushion Daniels' fall, but doing so turned him so that he landed more so on his shoulder than his head. It's still a scary spot to watch, but at least we can all find comfort in the fact that Daniels' in-ring career didn't come to an end on this night because of one miscalculation.
Ryback catches Kalisto - WWE Payback 2016
In early 2016, Ryback set his sights on Kalisto for two reasons: he wanted to bully someone smaller in stature compared to him, and he wanted to take his WWE United States Championship. A fighting champion and not one to back down from a challenge, Kalisto gave "The Big Guy" a title shot a WrestleMania 32 that April. Despite his best efforts and clear size and strength advantage, Ryback couldn't take the title from the champion at "The Show of Shows." Instead of giving up his championship aspirations, though, he tried a second time to defeat Kalisto at Payback the following month.
Yet again, Ryback failed to become the new United States Champion at the pay-per-view, but that doesn't mean that he didn't turn some heads by the time the final bell rang. While he was on the outside of the ring, Kalisto took to the skies to deliver a corkscrew plancha from the ring onto his opponent. However, the United States Champion didn't flip his body enough as he came closer to the ground. For a moment, it appeared that he'd land spine-first on the ring apron (the hardest part of a wrestling ring), but Ryback caught him before disaster could strike and guided him into a safe landing.
It's no secret that Ryback isn't considered the safest worker among his peers — particularly CM Punk, who had some scathing remarks to share on "The Art of Wrestling" about his time working with him. Nevertheless, on this occasion, he showed some impressive ring awareness to ensure that Kalisto didn't end up on the injured reserve list, or even sucked into an early retirement.
AJ Styles protects James Ellsworth - WWE SmackDown Live 10/11/2016
In 2016, AJ Styles' WWE career was already on fire. Having debuted at that year's Royal Rumble event in January, he became WWE Champion for the first time in September and quickly asserted himself as the top dog on "SmackDown Live." Naturally, this put a massive target on his back as the former champion, Dean Ambrose, hoped to not only win his title back, but agitate "The Phenomenal One" at every turn. For example, on the October 11, 2016 episode of "SmackDown Live," Ambrose messed with Styles as the guest referee during an impromptu singles match. Styles' opponent? The man made famous for being squashed by Braun Strowman on "Raw," James Ellsworth.
To put it lightly, Ellsworth didn't have much chance at defeating Styles on his own. In fact, had it not been for Ambrose's interference on his behalf, he more than likely wouldn't be able to say that he scored a win over "The Face that Runs the Place" that night. Although, if it wasn't for Styles himself, he could've incurred a serious injury before the match was said and done. When he went for a Styles Clash, Ellsworth tucked his chin, which is the opposite of what one is supposed to do while in this move lest they want to break their neck. Just in the nick of time, Styles came down soft to prevent the premature end of Ellsworth's career.
James Ellsworth continued to feud with AJ Styles after this match, even scoring a title shot against him the following week on "SmackDown Live." He never did take the WWE Championship from him, but at least he walked away from the program with his neck intact.
Mike Awesome catches Spike Dudley - ECW Guilty as Charged 2000
In a wrestling landscape dominated by the WWF and WCW, Extreme Championship Wrestling stood out as a refreshing yet brutal alternative to the competition. ECW events gained a following because you truly never knew what the likes of Tommy Dreamer, Sabu, Raven, and more had up their sleeves. The matches were intense, blood-soaked, barbed wire-wrapped affairs that the ECW faithful couldn't get enough of, hence why it's so well-remembered decades after its closure. Still, even though violence was the name of the game, ECW's wrestlers still looked after each other during their, well, extreme battles.
For this example, we go back to ECW Guilty as Charged 2000, where Spike Dudley stood toe-to-toe against Mike Awesome in hopes of becoming the new ECW World Heavyweight Champion. Per usual, the runt of the Dudley litter showed no fear as he took the fight to his opponent, but this time around, doing so almost cost him dearly. With Awesome on the outside, Dudley ran from the ring through the top and middle rope to deliver a suicide dive. He almost cleared them before his foot got caught on the middle rope, causing him to dive toward the concrete floor and almost crack his skull on the ground.
Taking note of Spike Dudley's downward trajectory, Mike Awesome caught him and stopped his momentum. He clocked him on the head and the match resumed, with Awesome winning and defending his ECW World Heavyweight Championship with a top rope Awesome Bomb through a table.
Mr. Perfect saves Chris Jericho - WCW Monday Nitro 12/29/1997
In the mid-1990s, a young wrestler named Chris Jericho made a big career move when he signed with WCW. While this decision didn't exactly pan out in the long run, during his time with the company, Jericho improved tremendously as a in-ring competitor and on the microphone. In fact, before signing with the WWF in 1999, he even won a few championships and took part in a few well-remembered feuds against such names as Dean Malenko and Juventud Guerrera. He also rubbed shoulders with wrestling icons like "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig, who famously faced Jericho on the December 29, 1997 episode of "WCW Monday Nitro."
Looking back over the careers of Jericho and Hennig, each of them have far more exciting matches to their names than this one. Nevertheless, this contest is notable for one particular moment that saw Hennig seem to make a split-second decision that would save Jericho's career. As he had countless times before, Jericho attempted a Lionsault from the middle rope, only this time, he didn't arc back far enough. He nearly went down head-first onto the mat, but a downed Hennig came in with the save. He put up his knees to break Jericho's fall and prevent him from meeting a grisly fate.
As it turns out, though, Curt Hennig was only doing what the spot called for regardless of how Chris Jericho came down. Jericho confirmed as much on Twitter in 2018, but it still stands to reason that Hennig putting up his knees ensured Jericho would go on to enjoy a long, prosperous career across several notable promotions instead of calling his wrestling run early due to injury.