10 botches that could have cost a Superstar his career

A lot of focus is given to training the body to properly take ‘bumps’, and more importantly, to trust their opponent (s). Professional wrestling is the one industry where you trust your partner with your life; a simple miscalculation can end in catastrophe, and unfortunately, it isn’t as uncommon as you’d expect.

Saying that the WWE Superstars are, after all, human. Mistakes are a part of our growth and evolution, and as such, the safest of workers in the business aren’t exempted from making mistakes from time to time.

However, there is a fine line between laughing it off, and staring up at the bright lights, unable to process the sequence of events taking place.

We take a look at 10 botches in WWE, that could have cost a Superstar his or her career.

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#10 Lita overshoots while going for a suicide dive

Lita and Trish Stratus revolutionized women’s wrestling in WWE, long before the likes of Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, and Becky Lynch came along.

The two women redefined the roles of women in the company and soon found themselves being rewarded for their efforts. Lita, in particular, was known for her devil - may - care attitude in the ring, and became a fan favorite for her swashbuckling style of wrestling.

Trish and Lita were involved in arguably the greatest women’s rivalry in WWE history. During one particular episode of RAW in ’04, both women were given the honors of closing the episode, as they battled for the WWE Women’s Championship.

During the course of the bout, Lita went for a suicide dive, but overshot, resulting in Lita over rotating in mid-air and landing on her neck!

The ‘Punk Princess’ somehow escaped a career-ending injury and went on to win the title.

#9 Sim Snuka fails to catch The Undertaker

The iconic rivalry between The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels, leading to Shawn’s retirement from WWE was built on mutual respect and admiration.

At WrestleMania 25, Michaels attempted to do what many felt was an improbable feat — Michaels attempted to break The Undertaker’s undefeated streak at the grandest stage.

The stage was set for Michaels, who was widely considered to be the greatest “big match competitor” in WWE.

During the bout, there was a spot where Michaels pushed the camera guy in harm’s way, as The Undertaker soared through the air with a suicide dive over the top rope. The cameraman, Sim Snuka(brother of Tamina Snuka) missed his cue, and failed to catch The Undertaker, who landed on his head!

It is still a mystery how The Undertaker wasn’t paralyzed, considering the fall, and how he spiked his head on the arena floor! Sim was released a couple of months later. We wonder why?

#8 Ryback saves Kalisto from certain disaster

Before being released from WWE, Ryback gained notoriety as an unsafe worker. This belief stemmed from the infamous Art of Wrestling podcast episode, which featured CM Punk.

Punk accused Ryback of being frivolous with his opponents, and how he put him in harm’s way.

However, ‘The Big Guy’ can be credited with saving Kalisto’s career in his last match in the company, and as fate would have it, it took place in CM Punk’s hometown.

Kalisto went for a springboard corkscrew plancha on the pre-show of Payback but did not get enough distance to properly execute the move.

Kalisto came close to hitting his head and neck on the ring apron, but Ryback acted quickly, moving forward and catching Kalisto. If it weren’t for Ryback’s quick wits, the whole ordeal would’ve ended in catastrophe.

#7 Brock Lesnar drops A-Train on his head

One Superstar that will feature prominently on this list, is the current Universal Champion. Lesnar built his career chopping down monsters, and being a unique physical specimen, he has overpowered every behemoth that stepped in his path.

One of the downsides to having such a physical style is the lingering possibility of someone getting injured.

During his first run in the company, Brock Lesnar competed against the likes of The Big Show and A-Train.

During one particular episode of SmackDown, Lesnar went for an F - 5 on A - Train, but ended up dropping the massive Superstar on his head and neck! While that would’ve certainly crippled any other man, A-Train managed to walk it off!

#6 Mankind plummets through the HIAC structure

If there is one match that the fans, over the course of the past two decades, go back to, to truly appreciate what the Superstars put themselves through to entertain them, it has to be the Hell In A Cell match between The Undertaker and Mankind.

In one night, the legend of Mick Foley increased tenfold, and he cemented his legacy as one of the greatest of all time.

The image of Foley flying through the air, as time seemingly stood still has been imprinted on the minds of WWE fans around the world. However, the second ‘bump’, which saw Foley being chokeslammed through the cell, wasn’t planned, and could’ve easily cost Foley his career or worse.

While the cell caving in wasn’t The Undertaker’s or Foley’s fault, it added to the aura of the HIAC match. But even someone as deranged as Mick wouldn’t have agreed to take such a dangerous bump, and it definitely cut his career short.

#5 Hardcore Holly gets dropped on his head

Bob Holly has built a reputation in the industry for his hard-line stance, and what some perceive to be a bullying mentality.

So when Brock Lesnar was bulldozing his way to the top of the food chain, he crossed paths with Holly.

During their match on SmackDown, Lesnar tried to execute a powerbomb, but could not get the elevation he needed. Instead, Lesnar dropped Holly on his neck, resulting in Bob breaking his neck. Holly, who was also notoriously tough, somehow managed to complete the match — including taking an F-5 in the final moments and was sidelined for over a year.

Rumours then started making rounds online, that Holly had intentionally sandbagged Lesnar, a claim that Holly has since denied.

#4 Spike Dudley misses the table

Throughout his career, Spike was used as a prop — a battering ram, because of his size. Spike also earned a reputation for his willingness to take dangerous bumps, but he got more than he bargained for during an edition of RAW in 2003.

In the aftermath of a 10 man tag team match, La Resistance attacked The Dudleys and tried to throw Spike through a table, that was set up on the arena floor outside the ring.

Spike, however, missed the table, with his head gracing the edge of the wooden furniture. Spike landed hard on the floor and had to take time off to nurse his injuries. While Spike could’ve easily broken his neck, he soon returned to WWE TV, and avenged his injuries by beating Renee Dupree.

#3 AJ Styles saves Ellsworth from a career-ending injury

When Styles signed with WWE, there was a glaring void in his arsenal. The fans, over the past decade, grew accustomed to seeing AJ finish his opponents with the Styles Clash.

However, the move was banned in WWE, with the management believing that it could end up severely injuring his opponents.

The idea of Styles Clash being unsafe stemmed from injuries suffered by wrestlers on the independent scene, when they couldn’t tuck their heads in time, resulting in serious neck injuries.

However, Chris Jericho managed to convince Vince that the move wasn’t unsafe, but all that work would’ve been undone had AJ not saved Ellsworth.

During their match on SmackDown Live, Ellsworth didn’t tuck his neck in time while taking the Styles Clash. AJ, being a veteran in the business, immediately reduced the impact of the move by stopping himself with his hands and knees. Hadn’t AJ improvised, Ellsworth’s career would’ve ended on the night.

#2 Brock Lesnar lands on his head and neck

Brock Lesnar is a freak athlete. ‘The Beast Incarnate’ has been an anomaly since his collegiate wrestling days, and the moment he started manhandling someone like The Big Show, WWE knew they had a money-making machine.

It didn’t take Lesnar long to climb the proverbial ladder to the top, as he defeated one legend after the other, on his way to winning the WWE title.

Brock’s first WrestleMania appearance saw him main eventing WrestleMania 19, where he faced Kurt Angle for the WWE Championship.

It was also during this match that Lesnar cheated death; Lesnar successfully executed the Shooting Star Press during his days in OVW, and the challenger tried to once again leave the fans in disbelief by executing it at the grandest stage.

However, Lesnar had to cover a considerable distance, and in the end, couldn’t get enough elevation to reach Kurt. Instead, Lesnar landed on his neck, something that would’ve killed a normal person. But Lesnar is anything but normal; not only did Lesnar finish the match and win the championship, but he also walked away with merely a concussion!

#1 ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin breaks his neck

Steve Austin is arguably the greatest Superstar in WWE history. The Rattlesnake spearheaded WWE into the new millennium as the undisputed leader in sports entertainment, destroying the competition in the process.

However, all that might’ve never happened, as Austin came perilously close to being crippled during his match with Owen Hart.

Contested for the Intercontinental Championship, Austin was booked to beat Owen, and during the final moments, Owen connected with a sit-down piledriver. However, Austin’s head wasn’t tucked in between Owen’s legs, leading to Austin’s head spiking on the mat.

Austin laid motionless, as he was left temporarily paralyzed. Steve somehow managed to crawl behind Hart, rolling him up to secure the victory, but was left with a broken neck! While Austin managed to return to the company, he never recovered completely from the injury, was forced to retire due to complications stemming from it years later.