Horrifying Injuries That Changed Wrestlers FOREVER

4. Paige

Nikki Bella neck brace
WWE.Com

The AEW Women's Champion (as of writing) has had one of the stranger careers in pro wrestling history, particularly if one considers the amount of times it was as good as over.

Having made it to the main roster at just 22, things looked bleak just two years later. Multiple suspensions amidst a slew of incidents with then-partner Alberto Del Rio and a neck injury painted an uncomfortable vision of her future, but after another full year of difficulties and drama, she returned in late 2017 alongside Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose as leader of new group Absolution.

It still wasn't to be. She lasted just seven matches before suffering yet another injury, and was forced to retire into a General Manager role on the Raw after WrestleMania 34.

Unable to get cleared by WWE doctors for the remainder of her time there, speculation on a return went as quiet as she did until a surprise All Elite Wrestling debut at Grand Slam 2022.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 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. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, 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