Horrifying Injuries That Changed Wrestlers FOREVER

7. Sid Vicious

Nikki Bella neck brace
WCW

There may not have been too many windows of opportunity left open for Sid Vicious once WCW went under, but Vince McMahon's historic affection for the big man might have afforded him one last big run during the 2001 invasion had he not suffered this horrific injury just months before the buyout.

Leaping from the top rope, Vicious suffered a horrifying compound fracture as he planted himself while trying to hit a big boot with the other leg in the main event of January's WCW Sin pay-per-view. The match fell to pieces as did the remainder of Sid's WCW run before the company was done and dusted, and he only wrestled a further 24 matches over the following 16 years.

A man that loved softball as much as he did the hard life of a pro wrestler, 'The Master & Ruler Of The World' may well have been happy with his lot before this infamously brutal blow, but never in his career had the risk versus reward ratio felt any wider.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett