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WWE is meant to be enjoyed in front of a live crowd.
The presence of a crowd also means there's no room for error and no chance of a replay. In the past, there have been several serious injuries and botches in front of the live crowd. Meanwhile, other superstars were able to think fast enough to prevent a fatal move.
The following list looks at just five times that WWE Superstars saved the lives of their opponents in the ring.
#5. Former WWE Champion AJ Styles saved James Ellsworth
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On SmackDown Live in 2016, AJ Styles went one-on-one with James Ellsworth. At the time, Styles was feuding with Dean Ambrose. Ellsworth was brought into the company to job out to Braun Strowman, but because he became popular with the WWE Universe, the company kept him for a few months.
Ellsworth entered a feud and went one-on-one with Styles. 'The Phenomenal One' has made a career out of using The Styles Clash as his finisher, but that doesn't mean there haven't been casualties. In the past The Styles Clash had broken necks when not performed properly or if there was an issue with the opponent. The latter almost happened to Ellsworth.
When Styles locked in his finisher on the former WWE Superstar, as seen from the video above, the star decided to put his head forward instead of back which meant that if 'The Phenomenal One' had delivered it the way he usually does, it would have broken his neck.
Quick thinking from the former WWE Champion meant that Styles was able to deliver the move with a slight variation and Ellsworth made it out of the match unscathed. Styles didn't hold onto Ellworth's legs to deliver the move, instead opting to fall straight onto the canvas and catch himself.
#4. Luke Harper saves Mustafa Ali from a neck injury at WWE WrestleMania 35
Following Luke Harper/Brodie Lee's passing late last year, many current and former WWE Superstars shared stories about the former Wyatt Family member.
One of the stories that came to light was the fact that Luke Harper had saved fellow WWE star Mustafa Ali from a neck injury when the two men worked on a spot at WrestleMania 35.
Braun Strowman had eliminated two men from the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal, whilst Harper was holding Ali in the suplex position. Ali recalled that if Harper had allowed the move to go the way it was planned, he would have injured his neck. Luckily, Harper held on and both men had a rough landing.
The bump itself still looked pretty nasty, but the way that Ali described it, it appears that it could have been a whole lot worse. As seen in the video, Ali was destined to crash into WWE's commentary table head first, so luckily he was able to avoid contact and a much worse injury.
#3. Former WWE Champion Brock Lesnar saves Zach Gowen's life
Brock Lesnar has quite the reputation in the WWE ring. After all, the former WWE Champion currently has the nickname The Beast Incarnate.
Despite having such a commanding character, it appears that Lesnar is also someone who looks out for his opponents. It was revealed by former WWE star Zach Gowen earlier this year, that Lesnar actually saved his life when he was knocked out during their match.
Gowen appeared on the Rewind Recap Relive podcast back in June where he revealed the story:
"He was supposed to give me three powerbombs, like a triple powerbomb where you hold on, and then after two, he felt I got knocked out. Like he felt my body go limp for a second. I hit the back of my head on the mat. I was knocked out on the powerbomb. It was supposed to be three, but he felt that I was in danger, so he just let me go. He might’ve saved my life if we’re being 100% honest, at that point," said Gowen.
Gowen worked with Brock Lesnar in WWE throughout 2003 and was frequently brutalized by the former UFC star. It's good to know that Lesnar was looking out for him throughout.
#2. Becky Lynch saves Kairi Sane following a concussion at WWE TLC 2019
Becky Lynch teamed up with Charlotte Flair to take on Kairi Sane and Asuka back at WWE Tables, Ladders and Chairs in 2019. Sane suffered an injury early in the match.
It became quite noticeable that the Japanese star was struggling after suffering a concussion, forcing her opponents were to help her through. Lynch was the one who stepped up and was seen moving Sane out of harm's way. She also helped her through moves in order to ensure that she didn't suffer any other injuries.
The WWE Universe noticed that The Man was helping Sane whilst the pay-per-view was being streamed. Many later went back and looked at the lengths that Lynch went to in order to ensure that Sane stayed safe.
The video above shows Lynch rolling Sane underneath the ring before the end of the match to make sure that there was no way that she could get hurt when the final spot took place.
Thanks to Becky Lynch, Sane didn't suffer any more serious injuries and was able to get back in the ring just a few weeks later.
#1. Asuka saves Sasha Banks after a failed suicide dive on WWE RAW
Asuka and Sasha Banks have had some impressive bouts on WWE TV over the years. The most memorable of them all came on an episode of RAW at the beginning of 2018.
Hot off the first ever WWE Women's Royal Rumble, the two women collided in what was an incredible match. It saw Sasha Banks almost pay the ultimate price when she botched a suicide dive.
After throwing The Empress of Tomorrow to the outside, Banks looked to dive at her opponent but got her feet caught on the ropes. Asuka was then forced to help out.
The former Women's Champion was already in position to catch Banks from the dive. She had to think fast in order to deliver a kick that helped The Boss fall to the floor in a different direction.
If Asuka hadn't made contact with Banks after she fell through the ropes then she could have gone face first onto the floor and suffered face and neck injuries.
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