10 Matches That Nearly Made Wrestlers Quit For Good

7. Great Bash Heel Vs. CHAOS (New Japan Road - March 2017)

rusve shinsuke nakamura
NJPW.co.jp

Tomoaki Honma, a wrestler famed for his toughness and durability, injured his cervical vertebrae working this inconsequential tag match on a New Japan house show last year, rendering him unable to move his arms and legs for several days.

There were plenty of reasons for fans of the plucky underdog favourite to be concerned. Honma's paralysis was temporary, but it looked very much like the 41-year-old's career was over, and NJPW's insistence on keeping their most serious injuries a guarded secret left his status up in the air. By all accounts, the fateful rope-hung DDT he took from Jado (one of New Japan's bookers) had ended his run, and, barring a miracle, he'd never step back between the ropes.

A long recovery process and multiple surgeries followed. After a few weeks, Honma announced that he planned on returning to the ring someday, and eventually, he did. The former IWGP Tag Team Champion wrestled his first match in 15 months this June, playing a small, crowd-popping role in a 10-man tag on the NJPW Kizuna Road tour. He's yet to compete again, but at least he's healthy now.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.