10 Ways Wrestlers Faces Were Altered Forever Because Of Wrestling

A horrific -looking MRI made the wrestling news after Bálor’s main event with Kyle O'Reilly at NXT TakeOver 31. In the match Kyle hit a running knee that badly connected with Bálor’s jaw. Blood poured out of Bálor’s mouth for the rest of the match in a brutal sight to behold. Bálor held his jaw together throughout the rest of the match and was somehow able to finish the match/retain his title but the grim injury had some long-lasting effects for Bálor.

Pictures of Bálor after the event showed his face swollen-up and his jaw crooked to one side. Bálor detailed the work surgically done on his jaw on Instagram: ‘Last Friday, I underwent surgery for 2 fractures of my jaw, including one going into my tooth. After the tooth was removed, I was wired shut to restore my bite and help align the fractures. Then 3 plates where screwed in to fixate the fractures for a quick recovery. Thankfully no wires were needed after surgery!’

Bálor’s broken jaw was cleverly used in NXT promos and vignettes hyping a return match between Bálor and O’Reilly, with Bálor commenting “It’s all anyone remembers. I think people forget who won the match. I’m still the champion but all people remember is that Kyle, you broke my jaw.”

When Bálor and O’Reilly won the 2020 NXT Year-End Award for ‘Match of the Year’, Bálor too made a point of saying to O’Reilly “I don't need that trophy to remind me of our match, I have 3 steel plates in my jaw to remind me every day."