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Injuries are a constant risk for WWE wrestlers. They often hinder a competitor's performance, and they can put stars on the shelf for months at a time. In fact, some top WWE Superstars have been forced to retire due to the injuries they sustained during their careers.
Jaw injuries are particularly common in the world of combat sports. Many WWE Superstars have suffered jaw injuries during their matches. Since competitors throw a lot of strikes during each bout, sometimes Superstars fail to protect their faces from taking the brunt of the impact.
With that being said, here's a look at five Superstars who have suffered a broken jaw during a match.
#5 Former WWE RAW Tag Team Champion Dash Wilder broke his jaw during a live show
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The Revival had a good run in WWE NXT before Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson moved up to the main roster. Both men were seen as extremely good wrestlers in the ring, but like every other star, they were still susceptible to injuries. That's exactly what happened in 2017. Wilder suffered an injury in 2017 during a house show.
The Revival competed against the team of Hideo Itami and Shinsuke Nakamura during an NXT Live Show on April 14, 2017. Wilder’s jaw was injured during the match. WWE.com provided an official update on the situation after the bout.
"On Friday night, following an in-ring injury to the right side of his jaw, we sent [Wilder] to the ER for a cat scan," Dr. Jeff Westerfield said in an interview with WWE.com. "The test came back showing a jaw fracture. As a result, he will be getting his jaw wired, and we are looking forward to him being back on the main roster in about eight weeks," wrote WWE.com.
The jaw fracture came at a time when The Revival was gearing up to take over WWE RAW. Wilder discussed the unfortunate injury with WWE's official website.
"Is it frustrating? Of course it is. But it's not going to stop The Revival. This is nothing. I've had worse than this and didn't even bat an eye. I'd be out there tonight with my jaw wired shut if they'd let me. We're as tough as we are talented. The last two weeks on Raw were just the beginning for us. We'll be back to take what's ours: those pretty little Raw Tag Team Titles," said Wilder.
Due to the injury, "The Top Guys" were shelved until June. But once they returned, they quickly became one of the best teams on the red brand.
#4 Dolph Ziggler broke his jaw after he took a punch from Hugh Jackman in WWE
In 2011, Hollywood megastar Hugh Jackman decided to step into the WWE ring while he was promoting his film, Real Steel. Jackman was present when Zack Ryder took on Dolph Ziggler on WWE RAW.
Jackman helped Ryder defeat Ziggler, and he even punched the former WWE Intercontinental Champion. Jackman hit Ziggler so hard that he fractured his jaw. While WWE Superstars are trained to ensure that they don’t cause too much damage to their competitors, Jackman went a little too far with his attack on Ziggler.
"The Showoff" responded to the injury by tweeting the following:
"...MRI scheduled for 1 pm.....possible fractured jaw #thanksBatman," tweeted Ziggler.
After he referred to Jackman, who’s famous for his role as Wolverine in the X-Men movie franchise, as Batman, Ziggler gave another update later in the day.
"Hairline mandibular fracture. Guess I’ll put my chipotle in a blender for a few weeks, its not ballet #HEEL > heal,” wrote Ziggler.
The injury didn't keep the former WWE United States Champion out of action for long. He quickly returned to the ring, and he continued to be a mainstay on the main roster. It's important to note that some rumors suggest that this injury was fake.
#3 Lars Sullivan broke his jaw during his run in WWE NXT
Lars Sullivan has had several false starts throughout his WWE career. While "The Freak" is still looking to make a name for himself on WWE SmackDown, it is important to note that he had a good run on WWE NXT.
In 2018, Sullivan got an NXT Championship opportunity in a match against Aleister Black. Heading into the bout, Sullivan had never been pinned on the black-and-gold brand. But a nasty Black Mass from the champion handed Sullivan his first pinfall loss in WWE.
With the loss, "The Freak" failed to win the WWE NXT Championship at NXT TakeOver: Chicago II. During the match, he also suffered an injury. NXT’s official Twitter account reported that Sullivan suffered a broken jaw. The X-ray clearly showed the severity of Sullivan's injury.
Whether it was a knee to the face or the Black Mass, one of Black's stiff strikes broke Sullivan's jaw. He was forced to stay on the shelf for a few months while he recovered. As with Ziggler's injury, some rumors suggest that Sullivan's broken jaw was part of a storyline.
#2 Former WWE Champion Kofi Kingston injured his jaw at WWE TLC 2020
Kofi Kingston suffered a serious injury during a match against The Hurt Business at WWE TLC 2020. At the show, the New Day lost their WWE RAW Tag Team Championships to Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin. After the match, the former WWE Champion posted a photo of two of his broken teeth.
Few official details about the injury are available. But Kingston spoke about it during an Instagram interview with international rugby superstar Tendai Mtawarira. The right side of his face seemed a bit swollen, and the New Day star revealed some information about his jaw.
“I gotta apologize cause I feel like I’m talking out of the side of my mouth. And I’m dealing with like a jaw injury right now and my mouth is only closing on one side. So if I sound kinda funny, that’s why. Ordinarily, I do a lot of imitations, impersonations, and impressions, but I’m not doing that right now. I’m talking funny trying to figure this situation out," said Kingston.
With Big E performing on WWE SmackDown, Xavier Woods now has a brief chance to compete by himself while Kingston recovers.
#1 WWE NXT Champion Finn Balor broke his jaw at TakeOver 31
At WWE NXT TakeOver 31, Finn Balor faced Kyle O’Reilly in an extremely physical battle. The two men traded some remarkable blows, and a knee from O’Reilly broke Balor's jaw. But "The Prince" persevered, and he still won the match. Following this heated battle, Triple H spoke about Balor’s injury.
"That match was so hard-hitting. It's amazing, I don't know how the two of them got through that match. Unfortunately, there's absolutely no chance that Kyle's going to be able to make TVs this week. Finn had two fractures in his jaw. Once the swelling goes down in a couple days, Finn's going to be able to talk very sparingly. Obviously it's going to have to have him out for a little bit of time."
"The Prince of NXT" also spoke about his injury on WWE NXT. Balor was unable to compete for a few months, but he proved that he was willing to risk everything for the title.
"I got time. I got a broken jaw in two different places to prove it. He's got the fire, but you gotta fight fire with fire. A lot of people asking, 'Is this title reign going to be as good as the last?' I think they just got their answer," said Balor.
Balor showed once again that he is one of the toughest men on the WWE roster. He showed everyone that he can carry a match, even with an incredibly painful injury.
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