The Most Extreme Injuries Ever Seen In Wrestling

As a form of sanctioned violence, professional wrestling blends the storytelling predetermination of theater with the physicality of sport. Both parties are in agreement to inflict pain in an effort to provide entertainment to fans in attendance. Since the rise of weapons-laden brawls in Memphis in the 1980s, extreme violence has attracted audiences for its spectacle. As the hardcore style evolved, so has the fans' demand for blood and danger. Thumbtacks, glass, barbed wire — all of these tools of craftsmen and homemakers become weapons for wrestling's toughest competitors. With this push for contests with greater physicality comes a concurrent risk of injury and bodily harm. 

The unspoken agreement between two wrestlers is that if they walk into the ring, they should walk out afterwards. As a live performance art, accidents happen leading to improvisation from the competitors. Even in the most rehearsed of spots, a miscue or bad timing can result in a botch in front of a live crowd. As said in theater, "The show must go on" even if the competitor has to fight through unbelievable blood loss or broken bones. Years of training and seasoning is put to the test when something goes wrong in the ring, and these professionals are able to pull through to put on a good show for the fans. They deserve all the commendation for the sacrifice they put themselves through for their craft.

Here are some of the most severe injuries seen in the wrestling industry.

Bouncing between WCW and WWF throughout his career, Sid served as a main event talent for both companies. At an imposing 317 pounds and standing at 6'9", he captivated audiences with his intense presence. After winning the WCW World Heavyweight Championship in January 2000, the belt was hot-potatoed across the roster.

At Sin, Scott Steiner defended the title against Sid, Jeff Jarrett, and Road Warrior Animal in a Four Corners match. In a rarely seen attempt at aerial offense, Sid hit a flying big boot from the second rope. Upon landing, he broke his tibia and fibula and was left helpless in the ring while his leg dangled. Eric Bischoff, who was watching backstage, revisited the moment on his podcast "83 Weeks" stating "That was horrible, horrible ... It wasn't scary, just grotesque." Sid was hauled off backstage and not seen on WCW television again, with a replay of the brutal accident shown the next night on "Nitro."

The injury marked the end of Sid's career for a spell, with doctors saying he'd never run again. Through years of physical therapy and mental tribulation, Sid recovered and regained mobility. Discussing the injury and rehab in a 2007 shoot interview with Title Match Wrestling, Sid recalled "I was never to walk or run again, I'm doing all that now."

Traveling the world and leaving blood spilt on six continents, Mick Foley is remembered as one of the toughest and most sadistic wrestlers to have donned a pair of boots. Under the pseudonym Cactus Jack, he had garnered a reputation for unhinged violence, as he terrorized whoever crossed him.

Touring Europe as a part of the WCW roster in 1994, Foley wrestled Big Van Vader in Munich. Foley flung himself into the ropes for his signature hangman spot, a common sight in his matches. Due to the ring ropes being tightened, Foley recalled in his book "Have A Nice Day" not feeling the "pain that I had long ago accepted ... I felt as if my neck was in a vice." Foley panicked and wriggled his way out the ropes, crashing ringside. Foley's right ear was badly split but he still carried through the match. Camcorder footage revealed that the mangled ear was accidentally ripped off by Vader. In a shoot interview for Hannibal TV, Vader recalled that "Whatever was left of that ear just flew" as he whacked Cactus with clubbing forearm blows. The referee picked up Foley's ear and he was taken to the hospital. Foley was sent home to recuperate from the incident.

Gaining exposure in the WWF as the drug-dealer Key, Vic Grimes was released in 1999. Later that year, Grimes signed to ECW where he aligned with Tony DeVito and Spanish Angel, joining Da Baldies. At Living Dangerously 2000, Da Baldies dished a post-match beatdown to Balls Mahoney. In an impromptu challenge, Jack made the save and took on Grimes.

Climbing an elevated fixture, Grimes and Jack were supposed to fall through a pair of tables below. A failure in communication between the two resulted in a mistimed fall off the balcony. Jack pulled Grimes off the edge, landing vertically through both tables onto the concrete floor. Grimes followed suit, plummeting back-first onto Jack's face. Both men were stretchered out, ruling the match a no contest. IGN reported that New Jack was "rushed to a nearby hospital and was diagnosed with a severe concussion." Further evaluation revealed a laundry list of other injuries: a broken leg, fractured skull, blinding nerve damage to his right eye, and brain damage. In a shoot with Hollymood Entertainment, Grimes spoke highly of Jack and admitted "That night, s**t went wrong."

The infamous Danbury Fall was one of the most dangerous spots captured on ECW cameras. The accident left Jack with lifelong health complications, such as insomnia. He lamented in a shoot interview that "When I ain't gotta feel this s**t no more I'll be glad... that night, it changed me." The heat between Jack and Grimes carried into XPW.

Before he was named the Human Suplex Machine, Taz made a name for himself in ECW as The Tazmaniac. Working the midcard with two Tag Team Championship runs and a flash-in-the-pan reign with the Television Championship, Taz had established a solid presence in the company going into 1995.

On July 20, 1995, the Tazmaniac teamed with Eddie Guerrero to take on 2 Cold Scorpio and Dean Malenko in a tag team match. During the match, an assisted spike piledriver from Scorpio and Malenko resulted in Taz landing on his heading and breaking his neck. As a result of the injury, the match had to be shortened, with Guerrero and Tazmaniac taking the victory. In "The Rise and Fall of ECW" documentary, Tommy Dreamer recalled helping the injured Taz to the hospital and being told by staff "There's no way you walked in here ... you have a broken neck."

The injury led to Taz missing most of 1995, returning December with a new gimmick and in-ring style. Taz has taken accountability for the botch, stating on the "Steve Austin Show" that  "I didn't get a chance to protect myself, it was all my fault. I just took the bump bad." Neck problems were a key factor in Taz transitioning into a commentator role during the 2001 Invasion angle.

On the January 5, 2022 episode of "AEW Dynamite," Rey Fenix and Penta were booked to defend the AEW World Tag Team Championship titles against Jurassic Express. Leaping on the top rope, Fenix would get caught by Luchasaurus for a chokeslam through a table. Fenix's arm landed at an awkward angle, seemingly breaking and was out of action for the rest of the match. The Lucha Bros would lose the match, dropping the titles to Jurassic Express to cap off their reign at 122 days. On replays of the spot online, Fenix's arm would be censored.

Fenix was diagnosed with a dislocated elbow by doctors. Tweeting "thanks to God, your prayers and good vibes THERE ARE NO BROKEN BONES" he thanked his fans for their support. Fenix took time off to rehabilitate the injury. Jungle Boy sent a tweet in support for "One of the very best in the world, and one of the greaest [sic] people." While Fenix was on the shelf, Penta introduced his Oscuro persona and feuded with the House of Black alongside PAC. Fenix made his return to AEW television on the May 4, 2022 episode of Dynamite, beating Dante Martin to advance in the Owen Hart Cup tournament.

Garnering infamy after his controversial victory over NJPW founder Antonio Inoki in front of a frenzied Ryōgoku Sumo Hall crowd, Big Van Vader became the first gaijin to hold the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in 1987. By 1990, Vader was a two-time champion and set to defend the title at the NJPW-AJPW Super-Fight in Tokyo Dome crossover show against Stan Hansen.

During the Lariat's entrance, Hansen flailed his bullrope at Vader and broke his nose. With an already heated Vader, the two hosses pulled out their repertoires of stiff strikes and deceptive agility in a wild brawl between two of Japan's most dangerous foreigners. In a 1998 shoot, Vader recalled taking a punch from Hansen and "turned around and felt my eye on my cheek" as his eyeball popped out its socket. In spite of the dated video quality, the severity of the injury leaps from the screen. The contest halted as Vader and the official scrambled trying to mend the injury, forcing the eye back into place. They were able to finish the match, with Vader retaining in a no contest. Hansen described the match by saying the two "pounded the dog out each other."

Years later, the legacy of the incident has mystified the two's careers in the east. Vader inducted Hansen into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2016. He spoke highly of Hansen after the ceremony, claiming in an interview "Stan's pretty special and in his prime, he was more than special."