Jesse Sorensen’s TNA Injury - A Warning Tor TV Wrestling?
For a show that featured the likes of Jeff Hardy, Hulk Hogan and A.J Styles, it may seem unlikely that after Impact Wrestling’s Against All Odds pay-per-view the name on everyone’s lips was Jesse Sorensen.
For a show that featured the likes of Jeff Hardy, Hulk Hogan and A.J Styles, it may seem unlikely that after Impact Wrestlings Against All Odds pay-per-view the name on everyones lips was Jesse Sorensen. Unfortunately unlike the aforementioned names, Sorensens fame comes not from a high profile match or feud, but from his suffering one of the worst on screen injuries in pro wrestling history. The PPV which aired on February 12th in the US featured Sorensen against Zema Ion in the opening match to determine the number one contender to the X-division championship. After only a few minutes Ion connected with a moonsault from the middle rope to Sorensen who was standing outside the ring. The incident which was replayed during a interview with Sorensen on this weeks Impact Wrestling broadcast was one of the most frightening aired on a wrestling program ever as viewers saw the injured Sorensen collapse like a ton of bricks and struggle to try and move as the referee proceeded to count him out. This inevitably raises the question of whether wrestling is safe or not? Most people will agree having watched the injury that it was a freak incident would may only occur once in a thousand times. A moonsault, whilst in this case made more dangerous by performing it to the outside of the ring is actually one of the safer high risk moves to perform. Injuries occur and even this last week viewers of WWEs Raw witnessed Wade Barrett scream in agony as a botched spot with himself, Dolph Ziggler, R-Truth and The Big Show saw three men helped out of the arena by trainers and medical staff. Sorensens injury was far worse than Barretts dislocated elbow and drew memories of Stone Cold Steve Austins broken neck at the hands of Owen Hart at Summerslam 1997, and even the death of Owen Hart which occurred off screen during WWEs 1999 Over the Edge PPV. Unfortunately unlike Austin, Sorensen was not able to walk away from the PPV under his own power, but very fortunately unlike Hart, Jesse survived his injury from which he is said to need an entire year to recover from. Whether he will ever wrestle again is still unknown. The bigger question of safety may come in the safety measures needed when airing wrestling live on television. Should there be a tape delay? After Owen Harts death there was many an argument that the show should have came to an end, cut to black rather than allow a mans life to be the subject of minute by minute commentary. In the case of Jesse Sorensen this was very much the same scenario. Moments after the injury, the referee checked on Jesse and obviously received enough of a response from him to allow the match to continue, but it was what occurred in the following two minutes that really shouldnt have been aired on television. This match wasnt to end by count out. Everyone in TNA knew that, but it wasnt until the referee had fully counted Sorensen out for a ten count then he once again checked his condition and trainers rushed to ringside to help him. It was also at this stage when cameras cut away from Jesse and like with the Owen Hart incident we were left in the hands of the commentators and shots of a shocked audience. When Darren Drozdov was paralysed during a taping of Smackdown it was edited out of the show and has still never aired. No one wants to see someone hurt for real. Why when a show is live can they not be sensible and cut the feed? That the show must go on has led to some very questionable content airing. Jesses opponent, Zema Ion can be seen playing to the audience to buy time after the injury, and after the count out reaches ten he is seen holding his stomach laughing. Clearly actions like this as misguided, but done when it is not known what else to do. Ion does look to Sorensen and appears concerned for his fallen opponent, but until he walked to the back he remained mostly in character. Ion can be heard saying Sorry Jesse. Im sorry. Youre just another victim of me, myself, and Ion. A tape delay can prevent things that will put pro wrestling under more scrutiny from airing. Ringside trainers and medical personal can prevent a man lying outside the ring for two minutes whilst his life is in jeopardy. Most importantly the need for the show to go on needs to stop. It wouldnt happen in any other sport. We wish Jesse a speedy recovery.