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A look back at the times where serious injuries occurred in the WWE ring
Whenever anyone wants to take a cheap shot at wrestling’s credibility, they will often reference instances where the matches seem scripted. It’s the oldest insult in the book, and lovers of WWE have learned to take no notice of it over the years as they know the real truth; serious injury happens regularly during matches.
Here we look back at a few of the times where catastrophic injury occurred in the WWE ring.
Mankind vs The Undertaker 1998
Hell in a Cell was a concept that was taking not only WWE fans but the world by storm, after it was introduced in 1997. It was in 1998 that the greatest match of all time took place, and few will ever forget the scenes that took place on that day in late June.
The world stopped when The Undertaker did the unthinkable and threw Mankind off the cell roof. Who can ever forget Jim Ross’ shock as he screamed “Good God almighty, that killed him! As God as my witness, he is broken in half!”
Celebrate the Undertaker’s 55th birthday with that time he broke Mankind in half 😮
(via @WWENetwork) pic.twitter.com/l2k3rBfvxj
— ESPN (@espn) March 24, 2020
Mankind was to suffer a dislocated jaw, a hole in his lip, and a dislocated shoulder along with many puncture wounds. Now, not even MMA can boast that sort of injury in what is probably the most brutal combat sport on earth. If you’re currently scratching your head in confusion, then for more information about MMA click here and you’ll see the latest predictions for all the upcoming fights. This should present you with a clearer understanding of the brutality on show in the Octagon, as you’ll see most of the fights being predicted to end in gruesome knockouts. It is certainly not for the faint of heart but then neither is the WWE, just ask Stone Cold Steve Austin.
The Texas Rattlesnake breaks his neck
You have to go back to SummerSlam 1997 to find out how Stone Cold Steve Austin broke his neck. Fighting in a match against Owen Hart, tragedy struck when Hart’s piledrive on Austin broke his neck. Needless to say, Hart won the match, and that injury was to be the beginning of the end for Austin with a premature retirement looming down the line, despite wrestling only three months after the disaster took place.
Ray Mysterio breaks The Undertaker’s nose
Last but not least, who can forget little Ray Mysterio breaking the Undertaker’s nose after a seated senton in 2010. The Undertaker managed to shrug off the pain and eventually caught Mysterio off the ropes and administered the last rites; a sensational piledriver to win the match.
Is there anything better than a GIANT @BrockLesnar #F5? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/XB1oSYooFz
— WWE Network (@WWENetwork) May 15, 2020
But he later admitted to seeing ‘three Mysterio’s in the ring’ as he battled to overcome his smaller opponent. In fact, The Undertaker, real name Mark Calaway, can be seen resetting his swollen nose just before Mysterio comes flying down off the top rope. Watching that footage back and you can almost feel your own nose breaking with tears streaming down your face.
So, there you have it, if anyone ever questions the legitimacy of actual pain in the WWE, just reference these three incidents as a reminder of the real risks these athletes take.