The 25 Most Gruesome Injuries in Pro Wrestling History

Protect ya neck.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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The WWE and various other pro wrestling leagues have long been our country's institutions of showboating and athletic theatrics. As many of us know by now, pro wrestling is faker than fool's gold, as its various heels and faces have been playing pre-scripted roles for decades just for the sake of gaining a wider fanbase and amping up the action. However, some have decided that this layer of fiction makes pro wrestling completely unwatchable. Why watch a sport that isn't actually a competition? 

The point is valid, but it doesn't change the fact that the WWE and others need to have pre-scripted parts, if only for the sake of their own safety. Do you really think that any of these guys would still be alive if all of the pile-drivers and powerbombs and suplexes that they pull off were actually spontaneous? There would be a neck broken everyday, and as you'll see from our list of the 25 Most Gruesome Injuries in Pro Wrestling History, there are plenty of those already. As we all know, nothing can always go according to plan. Take a look through the list, and see if you can stomach it. Any notables that we missed? Let us know in the comments section below. 

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25, Owen Hart Crushes Stone Cold Steve Austin's Neck

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24. Triple H Tears His Quad

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23. Vader Destroys Joe Thurman

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22. Buff Bagwell Breaks His Back

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21. Vince McMahon Injures Himself

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20. Randy Orton Breaks His Collarbone

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19. Jim Cornette Falls From Scaffold, Tears Knee Ligaments

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18, Jesse Sorensen Fractures His Vertebrae

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17. Rey Mysterio Jr. Breaks The Undertaker's Face

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16. Hardcore Holly Gets Sliced on the Neck

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15. Steve Austin Drops Masahino Chono

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14. Chris Benoit Breaks Sabu's Neck

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13. Bret Hart's Career is Ended

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12. Brock Lesnar Snaps Hardcore Holly's Neck

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11. Triple H Abuses Marty Garner's Neck

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10. Mick Foley Takes A Seat

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9. New Jack and Vic Grimes Get the Double Whammy

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8. Brock Lesnar Backfires on the Shooting Star Press

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7. Sid Vicious Breaks His Leg in the Worst Possible Way

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6. Sabu Gets His Neck Broken...Again

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5. Joey Mercury's Face Gets Wrecked

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4. X-Pac Rips Himself a New One

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Date: 3/23/2013
Event: Independent Circuit Match

It sounds funny, but X-Pac tearing his anus in an Independent Circuit match last year actually could've had some pretty grave consequences. It isn't abundantly clear when the injury occured throughout the course of the match, but most speculate that it happened during a failed Bronco Buster that X-Pac had attempted. After being taken to the hospital after the match, X-Pac's girlfriend had some good news for his fans on her Instagram


We don't know if there is a medical term for it...but he did a bronco buster last night that literally ripped his ass apart! :-/ Lost a lot of blood! Had surgery this morning and is on the road to recovery! Believe it or not..this has happened to him once before! #wrestling#seanwaltman #xpac @therealxpac #getwellsoonxpac




Wait, this has happened before?? We're glad he's okay, but TMI. 

3. Foley Falls From the Cell

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2. The Danbury Fall Pt. II

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1. Cactus Jack Loses An Ear

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