5 Times WWE Superstars apologized for hurting an opponent
While WWE match outcomes are scripted, superstars’ real-life injuries are certainly not planned in advance.
WWE’s men and women are ultimately responsible for protecting their opponents every time they step inside a squared circle. Brock Lesnar, for example, may look like he annihilates his rivals whenever he lands an F-5. But, in reality, he tries to help them land as safely as possible.
Given the number of WWE matches that occur on a weekly basis, it is inevitable that in-ring mistakes are going to happen. On some occasions, superstars have even apologized to a co-worker after hurting them during a match.
In this listicle, let’s take a look at five times when superstars issued a post-match apology following an incident inside the ring.
#5 Seth Rollins apologized to Sting in WWE
#TheVigilante @Sting has his eyes on @WWE's ultimate prize as he tosses @WWERollins around... #WWENOC #WWEWHC http://t.co/WNFXUkfman
Sting suffered a serious neck injury during his one and only WWE singles match against Seth Rollins at Night of Champions 2015.
Rollins threw the veteran superstar against the turnbuckle with his signature Buckle Bomb midway through the match. Unfortunately, Sting sustained an injury that, at the time, forced him to retire from in-ring competition after 30 years in the wrestling business.
Two days after the incident, Sting told WWE.com in an out-of-character interview that Rollins apologized for causing the injury.
“He poked his head in the ambulance and said, ‘Man, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what happened.’ I said, ‘Seth, don’t worry about it. It’s not your fault.’ And he, for 15 minutes, he said, ‘I just wanted to tell you what an honor it was, what a pleasure,’” Sting said.
"I'm out here in the center of this ring to CALL @STING OUT!" - @WWERollins #RAW #WWENOC http://t.co/V3R8n8ZV4i
Sting further clarified that Rollins was not to blame for his injury. The WCW icon added that the former Shield member had no idea how much he enjoyed getting the opportunity to work with him.
After a five-and-a-half-year absence from the ring, Sting returned to action in AEW in 2021 as Darby Allin’s tag team partner.