WWE’s worst injuries ahead of Money in the Bank at the O2

The WWE – fake fighting, real injuries. If anyone’s ever watched a show in person or on television, they will have heard the saying: ‘don’t try this at home.’

There’s a reason for that. Though wrestlers aren’t trying to outright hurt each other, they sometimes do. The performers put their bodies on the line every time they step into the ring for the audience’s entertainment, and things can go wrong.

The promotion heads to England at the end of the month for a double-header that will include its first Premium Live Event – or pay per view – in the country for 31 years, with Money in the Bank being held at the O2 Arena on July 1, the night after a SmackDown episode live from the same venue.

The showpiece events in Money in the Bank are the two ladder matches – one men’s, one women’s – which see competitors battle it out to win a briefcase that they can later cash in for a title match any time, anywhere.

The ladders may be made to protect the performers from injuries, but that’s not to say they don’t still provide a high risk of something going wrong. And with the event on the horizon, Mail Sport has looked at seven of the most brutal injuries in WWE history.

WWE matches, though the fighting is fake, can cause serious injury at any given moment

SmackDown and Money in the Bank will be live from London on June 30 and July 1

Austin Theory (left) won the men’s Money in the Bank match last year, while Liv Morgan (right) earned the women’s briefcase, which they can later cash in for a title fight anywhere, any time

Joey Mercury gets 30 STITCHES on his face

Mercury is now a respected producer backstage, and was most recently used on screen as one of now-world heavyweight champion Seth Rollins’ bodyguards.

But he did have a more serious in-ring career before that. In 2005, he was part of the popular tag team ‘MNM’ with a man who would make his name as John Morrison.

In 2006 at the Armageddon pay-per-view, he was involved in a ladder match with Morrison and three other tag teams, one being the famous Hardy Boyz, Matt and Jeff.

Just minutes in, MNM found themselves two-on-two with the brothers, with the latter getting the upper hand as Matt held Mercury on a ladder as Jeff, famous for his risk taking in the sport, prepared to jump onto his opponent.

He did just that, but jumped onto the end of the ladder, which hit Mercury, who was unable to get his hands up in time, in the face.

He was removed from the match immediately, pouring blood, and taken to hospital, where he ended up with more than 30 stitches to fix the injury. He returned to action just a few weeks later.

Joey Mercury had to have over 30 stitches put into his face after being struck by a ladder

Edge’s spinal issues

Edge, real name Adam Copeland, is already a WWE Hall of Famer having initially retired in 2011 after a series of neck and spine issues.

He underwent cervical vertebral fusion before his retirement, which he explained in an emotional speech.

Doctors had told him he was suffering from cervical spinal stenosis and risked being paralysed or even death if he took a hard enough fall in the ring again.

He said goodbye to WWE fans, but set the world alight when he returned at the Royal Rumble in 2020 after almost a decade away, to pretty much everyone’s surprise.

He’s since had several matches back in the ring, enjoying rivalries with the likes of Randy Orton, Seth Rollins and The Judgement Day. 

He wrestles part time now, but fans are just happy he’s back.

Edge shocked the WWE universe when he retired from action due to spinal injuries in 2011

He has now returned to the ring, but wrestles on a part time basis following his injury issues

Dementia struck Benoit 

Chris Benoit was one of the most popular and best wrestlers during his career until all of that came to a sudden halt in June 2007.

Benoit committed suicide after murdering his wife and seven-year-old son, with all three found with various drugs in their systems.

Throughout his career, Benoit had struggled with concussion troubles and an investigation into his brain after he died found that it resembled a brain of an 85-year-old Alzheimer’s patient.

It was also revealed that he was dealing with an advanced form of dementia, which can be caused by repeated concussions.

Jeff Hardy’s broken finger

It would have been a shame for Hardy to have only been on this list once.

In 2009, the Charismatic Enigma broke his finger in another ladder match against Edge at Extreme Rules. He also picked up a shoulder injury in the match at a separate time as the two stars performed a spot from one ladder onto another.

Hardy won the match to become world heavyweight champion, but would lose his title seconds later when CM Punk cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase to take the belt.

Hardy is now signed with AEW and is back performing after a spell away having struggled with alcohol issues.  

Jeff Hardy is still enjoying a career that has been littered with high-risk spots that caused injury

Hardy, pictured with brother Matt in 2019, broke a finger in 2009 in an incident with a ladder during a match with Edge

Mick Foley loses his EAR

If there’s a wrestler in history well-known for taking heavy bumps and risking it all, it’s Mick Foley. So readers won’t be surprised to learn that he suffered a series of injuries in his career, from broken ribs to a torn ACL.

But none are quite as bizarre as when he tore his ear in 1994. Though technically in WCW rather than WWE, Foley is so synonymous with his body issues that this simply had to be included.

During a match with Vader, Foley, fighting as Cactus Jack, prepared to perform a spot that involved his head getting stuck in the ropes. He did, however, get stuck a little too tight.

When the referee got him free, the majority of his right ear literally came off after Vader seemingly ripping it from his head. The referee simply picked it up and handing it to ring announcer, with Ric Flair eventually putting it on ice backstage.

Foley is now long retired, but still struts around with half a right ear, with doctors unable to stitch it back on.

Mick Foley has half a right ear after it was ripped off during a match on WCW in 1994

Big E breaks his neck

The forever positive Big E was on the run of his career at the start of 2022, having recently won the WWE championship for the first time in his career after finally breaking out as a singles star.

He had, however, entered a feud with Sheamus, Ridge Holland and Butch of the Brawling Brutes with his long-term tag team partner Kofi Kingston, and was teaming with Kingston against Sheamus and Holland in March when disaster struck.

Big E was involved in a botched move outside the ring with Holland, who tried to throw the heavyweight over his head to land on his back. 

For one reason or another, E didn’t rotate all the way over, landing on his neck and going stiff immediately.

He was taken out the arena on a stretcher and hasn’t been seen in the company since. 

It’s believed the 37-year-old is recovering well, though it remains unclear if he’ll ever wrestle again. 

Big E broke his neck during a botched spot with Ridge Holland outside the ring in March 2022 

The now-37-year-old shared photos of his neck brace not long after the incident took place

Droz is paralysed

Neck injuries are unfortunately more common than they should be in wrestling and Droz, real name Darren Drozdov, learnt that in 1999.

While wrestling for a SmackDown taping, Droz landed on his head when D’Lo Brown tried to perform a powerbomb during the match. He fractured two vertebrae in his neck, and was rushed to a medical centre where he underwent hours of surgery.

He was initially left paralysed and couldn’t move below his neck, though he has since regained some movement in his upper body and arms.

He continued to work for the WWE as a writer and columnist after the incident, and holds no grudges towards his opponent that day.