10 Sickening In-Ring Injuries You Won't Believe Stars Wrestled Through

4. The Undertaker Destroys Shawn Michael's Back

In 1998, Shawn Michaels was at the top of the game. He was the WWF Champion and the best in-ring worker in the entire business. Things were going great, until a back injury took him out of action for four years.

At the Royal Rumble 1998, Michaels battled The Undertaker in the main event in a casket match. Now, Michaels came into the match with a history of back injuries, but you never would have guessed by looking at him. He has often been considered one of the best flat-back bumpers in wrestling history, but that style is bound to catch up on you. At the Rumble, his time was up. Just minutes into the match, Undertaker gave Michaels a back body drop to the outside of the ring. It was a long fall, and unfortunately, Michaels didn't quite make the clearing. Part of his back hit the edge of the casket as he was attempting to land.

It appeared to be a fairly standard bump, and when you watch the replay, it looked like he barely grazed it, but the results were devastating. From this move, he ended up with two herniated discs in his back, with another crushed completely. While most men would have called it a night (and a career) right there, he wrestled for another 15 minutes! Not only that, but the match was great. Very few wrestlers in perfect health could put on the performance Michaels did with a terrible injury.

Michaels effectively retired after just one more match (a WrestleMania XIV main event against Steve Austin, which he also competed in under excruciating pain). Lucky for fans, the Heartbreak Kid did eventually return, but even if he hadn't, he had already firmly cemented his legacy that night at the Royal Rumble.