10 Most Dangerous WWE Matches Ever

Throughout his illustrious career, Shawn Michaels has won virtually every WWE accolade one could imagine. The sweet-chin master is a two-time Royal Rumble winner, a Triple Crown Champion, and the first Grand Slam champion. (Also, his awesome costumes never get enough credit).

But when you've been in the biz as long as Michaels, you're bound to suffer some really, really nasty injuries. Although Michaels has had his fair share of bumps and bruises, the Heartbreak Kid's most defining injury occurred while facing the Undertaker in a casket match during 1998's Royal Rumble.

During the brawl, The Phenom hurled Michaels out of the ring, causing him to clatter back-first onto the coffin. To the untrained eye, the fall didn't look like a big deal. (The worst injuries rarely do).

However, Michaels landed on his tailbone, causing him to herniate two discs, crushing one completely. HBK saw the match to the end, retaining the title, since the agonising effects of the injury only surfaced after the fact.

The injury was so severe, Michaels was ultimately forced into a hiatus for four years and required four-hour surgery to fuse his ruptured discs to his spine with metal plates.

Ouch.