10 most poorly timed WWE injuries since 2010
Before I begin, I'd like to list a few honourable mentions -- Rusev breaking his foot in 2015, Cesaro tearing his rotator cuff in 2015, Batista tearing his triceps in 2006, and Bray Wyatt injuring his back and then his calf in 2016. There are several other instances of wrestlers getting injured at inopportune moments, so please leave your own examples in the comments below. Anyway, I digress:
As I've said in previous Top 10 lists, pro-wrestling does, in fact, hurt. It hurts much worse on WWE's insanely taxing schedule, which sees wrestlers putting on multiple matches a week all year round. And when they're not wrestling, they're travelling. They pretty much have no time to rehabilitate or nurse nagging injuries. Some wrestlers have been more lucky than others, but these ten wrestlers could not have gotten hurt at a worse time.
Without further ado, here are the 10 most poorly timed injuries to have happened in the WWE since 2010.
#10. Sami Zayn dislocates his shoulder (2015)
Sami Zayn was tearing it up on NXT for over two years, putting on great matches with pretty much anyone he faced and heroically winning the NXT Championship from (Adrian) Neville in 2014. WWE fans and indie smarks alike were aching to see what the former-El Generico would bring to the main roster.
Then finally, on the May 4th, 2015 episode of Monday Night RAW, our prayers were answered, as hometown-boy Sami Zayn answered John Cena's U.S. Title Open Challenge.
He got injured before the match even started.
During his entrance, specifically his fervent air-punching, Zayn threw his shoulder out. Apparently, he felt the pop right away but ignored it so he could appease the Montreal crowd. It wasn't until Zayn took a back suplex from Cena that he knew something was wrong.
Even though his he knew that his arm was quite literally hanging from outside its socket, Zayn ended up finishing the match, looking wonderful in defeat. Unfortunately for Zayn, the injury would sideline him for seven months and forced him to drop his NXT Championship to Kevin Owens.
The positive side of the injury, however, was that he was able to come back to NXT upon returning to wrestle an incredible match with a debuting Shinsuke Nakamura at NXT TakeOver: Dallas in 2016. If he hadn't been injured, he likely would have stayed on the main roster, so we likely would not have gotten that match. I guess every cloud has a silver lining.