11 Wrestlers Who Broke Their Necks In The Ring

It is no secret that professional wrestlers are some of the toughest people around. Yes, you can make the argument that they would not be able to fight a "real" fight against a properly trained fighter, but the fact still stands that this unique pseudo-sport takes a toll on the body that goes far beyond anything that people in most other jobs are capable of enduring.

Plenty of wrestlers have worked with niggling injuries over the years and it has become something of an accepted risk that many stars will end up developing issues with their neck over the course of their career, unless they are very careful.

In most cases such injuries are the result of an accumulation of damage over many years, with the bone and sinew around the neck disintegrating over time. Hey, that's what happens when you fall flat-back onto wood and steel hundreds of times per year. It catches up with you. 

These are not such injuries. The wrestlers on this list have suffered a broken neck in front of an audience - as a result of a specific move or incident during the course of the match - that has at best shortened their careers and at worst ended their lives.

Everybody knows about the problems Edge has had with his neck - they eventually forced his early retirement from the wrestling industry after all - but many may not remember that he was partly responsible for another wrestler suffering a broken neck as well. The kicker being that it was in his very first match on Raw.

After a series of vignettes Edge was ready to be introduced to the world in a match against Jose Estrada Jr. of the Los Boricuas stable. All was going well for the youngster, as a small flurry of offense gave him the advantage and sent Estrada to the outside.

Edge then proceeded to perform a sort of Topé con Hilo, landing on Estrada before heading back into the ring. What followed was an awkward countout that seemed like a slightly odd way to give the future star a first major victory.

Replays showed what happened soon after. As Estrada attempted to catch Edge, The future Rated-R Superstar's leg landed directly on top of his head. The impact broke Estrada's neck and he wasn't seen in a WWE ring again.