8 Wrestlers Who Worked Through Ridiculous Injuries

Modern fans not au fait with the mythos of early-'90s Japanese wrestling might have wondered just what in the blazes was going on when the late, great Big Van Vader whipped out a pair of comedy glasses whilst inducting the similarly legendary Stan Hansen in 2016's WWE Hall of Fame. Those of a squeamish disposition look away now: the springy specs were in reference to a literally eye-popping moment between the duo.

On 10 February 1990, the two bulls locked horns in a personification of a show featuring a similarly titanic clash between puroresu heavyweights AJPW and NJPW. Before the match had even began, the hard-hitting Hansen had already managed to break Vader's nose - on this occasion thanks to an errant bullrope whip rather than a trademark stiff potato. Worse was to come for the wounded Vader, as whilst the two engaged in a typical slugfest, 'The Lariat' accidentally, arse-clenchingly managed to legitimately gouge his eye out of the socket with his thumb.

Now you've put that antique fainting couch to good use, let's test it again: whilst such agony would cause most to cry their eyes out, Vader literally couldn't. He simply popped the ol' fella back in, and finished the match. His Hall of Fame introduction quarter of a century later confirmed there were no hard feelings, and that it was all part and parcel of the industry. Some days, your eye will fall out. Deal with it.