8 Wrestlers Who Got KNOCKED OUT (... & Still Finished Matches)
The WWE Superstars that almost lost their heads, but didn't necessarily lose their matches...
At All Elite Wrestling's All Out 2026, Steven Borden collided in mid-air with Kevin Knight in an admittedly ill-advised spot that left the former out for the count and out of action indefinitely with what appeared to be - at a minimum - a serious head injury.
The referee called the match off as medics surrounded the second generation star and cameras moved to the announce desk as the commentators filibustered. Other than a singular replay to fill a few key seconds, it was the last look anybody got of the spot or Borden. As soon as he could, Tony Schiavone provided a health update to the crowd in the building and audience watching at home, with news that Borden was at least responsive and able to speak to hospital staff about what had happened. In the days that followed, Schiavone confirmed that Borden was recovering well. Ultimately what looked at first like a pretty scary situation will now just stand as a learning experience for an over-enthusiastic newcomer who was trying something extremely high risk for a guy with less than 40 career matches under his belt.
The handling of the situation reflected well on all involved. The match being stopped, kayfabe being ignored as reality kicked in; this is how you deal with injuries, particularly to the head. The days of needing to finish the match out of a devotion to the craft or protecting the business or whatever are thankfully coming to an end.
Unlike when...
8. Kurt Angle
For years, WWE knocked out "Don't Try This At Home" videos to attempt to cut down on copycat tapes being made and shared across schools and backyards the world over, and the verbiage became so familiar that fans could repeat the list of gruesome injuries parrot fashion along with the talent.
For years, those videos included the shot from SummerSlam 2000 of Kurt Angle and Triple H falling through an announce table before 'The Game' could actually connect with the planned Pedigree on the Olympic gold medallist. They did not go on to show the rest of the triple threat main event of the show, which mostly had to be scaled back to a singles between 'The Game' and Champion The Rock while Angle recovered just enough to be involved in a dramatic finish that folded in the ongoing love triangle between the two wrestlers and Stephanie McMahon.
Angle had kissed McMahon on the go-home SmackDown in a segment that wouldn't happen now, but she'd appeared to very much enjoy it, further driving the three main eventers to a climax that went beyond the simple matter of Rock's WWE Championship. A complex finale that involved all sorts of friendly fire and accidental weapon shots required Angle to at very least be a warm body out there. Less than ideal when he'd been knocked out cold.