One-day champion, career-threatening botch - 4 WWE Superstars who were injured at the most unfortunate time
WWE Superstars are people with incredible grit and tenacity. They work hard and entertain fans at the cost of their health and well-being. While safety measures in wrestling have improved with time, it is still a dangerous art.
Superstars picking up injuries is common. However, there have been some cases wherein the timing couldn't have been worse. These injuries have halted championship reigns, exceptional character runs, and subsequently, WWE's booking plans. One can't help but feel sorry for the affected parties.
On that note, we look at four WWE Superstars who were injured at the most unfortunate time.
#4. On our list of WWE Superstars who picked up unfortunate injuries - Seth Rollins (2015)
Seth Rollins cashed in on his Money in the Bank contract at WrestleMania 31 and embarked on a great WWE World Heavyweight Championship run.
He took on all comers and carried the company on his back. However, an injury forced him to relinquish his title right when he was getting into another gear as champion.
At a live event in November 2015, Rollins tore his ACL, performing a move he had done countless times before. He was sidelined for months and was forced to sit on the shelf and watch the company's landscape change around him.
It was extremely unfortunate timing as fans had started to warm up to his heel persona and appreciate his work. However, the silver lining was the big ovation he received upon his return a few months later.
#3. Bayley (2021)
Bayley was one of the pandemic era's MVPs. The work she put in during that time was nothing short of sensational. She made her character memorable and bulletproof and was set to go on an all-time run as The Role Model.
However, 2021 saw Bayley suffer from a torn ACL while she was training at the WWE Performance Center. It sidelined her for a year and forced the women's division to lose one of its brightest stars. If she had been there, we could have seen her as the champion a couple of times again.
Fans missed the former Hugger so much that when she returned at SummerSlam recently, they welcomes her with thunderous cheers. We are beyond excited to see what she will do with Dakota Kai and IYO SKY by her side.
#2. Finn Balor (2016)
When Finn Balor debuted on RAW, few expected Vince McMahon and company to book him to beat Roman Reigns on his first night. Even fewer expected him to be the first-ever Universal Champion, but that is exactly what happened.
Unleashing his Demon King persona, Balor beat Seth Rollins at SummerSlam 2016 to win the Universal Championship. However, early into the match, he suffered a shoulder injury.
How he finished the match is beyond us, but it quickly became apparent a few hours later that it was severe enough to rule him out of action.
A day after picking up the biggest win of his career, The Prince announced on RAW that he was relinquishing the title. It was heartbreaking to watch, and a big blow to the fairytale story WWE booked. All these years later, he is yet to win the title he never lost, making it all the more frustrating.
#1. Big E (2022)
As saddening as Finn Balor's injury was, we knew he would return stronger. He didn't top this list because there is one man who had all of us wondering if he would return to wrestling again, and that is Big E.
In March 2022, E and his New Day teammates feuded with Sheamus and Ridge Holland. During a match, Holland delivered a suplex to the powerhouse, which saw the latter land on his head. He was stretchered out of the arena due to a broken neck.
It was later announced that E had suffered fractures to his C1 and C6 vertebrae in addition to his neck injury. For a long time, there were concerns regarding his future in wrestling. To the delight of the WWE Universe, he announced that he didn't have to undergo surgery and that he would make a return at some point down the road.
Prior to his injury, E's run in the company was shaping up to be great, with his WWE Championship reign the highlight of it. We wish him a speedy recovery and return to doing what he loves.