10 Highest Profile Injuries In WWE History
6. Kurt Angle's Neck Threatens WrestleMania XIX Main Event
Kurt Angle could have died at WrestleMania XIX.
Let that sink in for a moment, then remember on that night in Seattle, in front of 60,000-plus rabid WWE fans, he battled Brock Lesnar in one of the hardest-hitting main events in the show's long and illustrious history.
The issues facing Angle, as well as the match itself, were immortalised in the 2004 documentary The Mania of WrestleMania.
He endured suplexes, body slams and F-5s, all the while knowing in the back of his head that a bump executed with just the slightest miscue could paralyse him - or even end his life. Just days after the event, he underwent revolutionary surgery that allowed him to make it back into the squared circle in short order.
The alternative? The neck fusion process Steve Austin, Lita and Chris Benoit underwent, essentially forcing him to miss a year of action.
He would be back in the midst of the WWE Championship picture on SmackDown within three months, winning titles and reigniting the rivalry with Lesnar. Unfortunately, Angle's neck was a constant issue throughout his career.