10 Wrestlers Who Broke Their Neck For The Business
5. Pitbull #1 Gary Wolfe
A freak accident (or intentionally stiff drop, depending on which shoot interview you watch), Shane Douglas' DDT to Gary Wolfe on top of the ECW Television Title generated far more heat than either could have imagined when Wolfe's neck was broken for real.
The Pitbulls were favourites amongst the Philadelphia faithful as take-no-prisoners sh*tkcikers, but Paul Heyman yet again brilliantly subverted expectations when he promoted Wolfe at his injured worst within weeks of the injury. As hard as nails in real life as he looked on screen, Wolfe was brilliantly reduced by the medical halo he was forced to sport as he rehabilitated from the knock.
The company and Douglas doubled down on the angle, with 'The Franchise' infamously grabbing Wolfe by the implement, rag-dolling the rods that kept his head and neck in place before callously tossing him to the canvas. The story magnificently built heat for a match that ultimately didn't deserve it.
Douglas vs. Pitbull #2 at ECW's inaugural pay-per-view Barely Legal was the worst match of the night, with the pair completely unable to harness the tension built up between Shane at the other half of the pleather-bound duo.