10 Great Wrestlers Whose Careers Were Cut Short

Chris Nowinski got his start in pro wrestling as a contestant on Tough Enough, making it to the final three. While he didn't win the series, his efforts were impressive enough to eventually net him a contract with WWE, debuting on their main roster in 2002. The real-life Harvard alumnus used his impressive educational background to create a pompous, brash young heel persona. Talking up his own intellect whilst shamelessly insulting audiences and wrestlers alike, Nowinski quickly generated a good dose of heel heat for himself.

Considered a hot prospect for the future, Nowinski's career was sadly cut short due to a series of debilitating concussions. Most terrifying of all is the head injury he suffered during Royal Rumble 2003. Standing in the middle of the ring, Nowinski was set to take a double top rope dropkick from Edge and Rey Mysterio. Due to a mistime, most of Edge's weight wound up landing hard on the former Hardcore champ's skull.

Diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome, Nowinski had to bow out at just 24. Despite the sad end to his promising career, the author of Head Games: Football's Concussion Crisis turned a negative into a positive by becoming the co-founder and CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation. In turn, he has become an instrumental figure in the study, awareness and treatment of CTE and other brain damage-related conditions.