5 worst injuries WWE Superstars suffered so far in 2023: Serious neck issue, former SmackDown Women's Champion
Injuries are an unfortunate part of the pro wrestling industry. Many WWE stars get hurt every year. Some are minor issues, while others are severe or career-threatening.
Some injuries, like a torn ACL or bicep, take stars out of action for nearly a year. While medicine and treatments have improved from even 10 years ago, the human body is still vulnerable to ailments.
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Tommaso Ciampa returned from hip surgery on the latest RAW, but his injury occurred last year. The same goes for AJ Styles, who was out for five months in 2023 with a broken ankle. It happened, however, in December 2022.
A few big names have gone down with various physical ailments this year. Here are five of the most severe injuries suffered by WWE stars so far in 2023.
#5 Indi Hartwell had a rough spring
Before her selection in this year's WWE Draft, Indi Hartwell was one of the longest-tenured stars in NXT. She had won tag team gold but never "the big one."
That changed at Stand & Deliver as she captured the NXT Women's Title in a ladder match. However, the fairy tale didn't last long, as she only defended the title twice.
Her second defense should have facilitated a title swap, as she sprained her ankle mid-match. Hartwell returned to the bout and won but hasn't wrestled since then. She was strangely drafted while still champion and injured.
#4 Dakota Kai recently suffered a torn ACL
In a tag team title match against Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez, Damage CTRL's Dakota Kai tore her ACL. Kai was trying to deliver a move to a visibly injured Morgan. She altered her delivery of the kick, but it caused her to tear her ACL.
An injury can keep someone out for nearly a year, depending on the star's recovery speed. Kai joined the main roster at last year's SummerSlam event as Damage CTRL debuted.
She may be back in time for the 2024 Royal Rumble, with a long recovery ahead. However, her stable may not even be together when she's ready for a return.
#3 Former WWE Champion Kofi Kingston suffered an ankle injury
The New Day is one of the most popular factions in WWE history. Recent history, however, hasn't been kind to the multi-time tag team champions. With Big E already out of action for over a year with a neck injury, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods continued competing.
However, the former WWE Champion suffered an ankle injury in early March. He underwent surgery two weeks later, but the ailment has kept him out of the ring to this day.
Kingston has been an invaluable part of the roster due to his ability to fill any role. He's had a few injuries over the last few years, but his in-ring style features high-risk moves.
#2 Liv Morgan tore her rotator cuff
Morgan teamed with Raquel Rodriguez in a tag team match against Bayley and Dakota Kai. Despite being on opposite teams, Morgan and Kai left the ring with severe injuries on May 12.
Kai is a veteran of the ring, so she tried to protect Morgan when delivering her signature kick in the corner. Unfortunately, holding back caused Kai to injure her ACL.
The former SmackDown Women's Champion has been out of action since then, leaving Rodriguez to go it alone. Could Morgan make a surprise return to WWE at the 2024 Royal Rumble?
#1 Braun Strowman had a serious neck injury
The Monster of All Monsters returned to WWE last fall. He worked in a tag team alongside Ricochet until he left action to address a serious neck injury.
Strowman's last match was on May 12 on RAW with Ricochet against Alpha Academy. Following the match, he disappeared from TV to undergo surgery to fuse the C4 and C5 vertebrae in his neck.
Neck fusion surgery is a serious procedure, but it isn't the career-ender it used to be. Both Edge and Paige returned to the ring after serious neck injuries. Strowman is a workout warrior and will attempt to be back in a ring as soon as he can.