5 WWE Superstars who had to relinquish their titles due to injury

Every major professional wrestler has dealt with an injury that has put them out of action. No one in this business is invincible. And when WWE takes painstaking measures to put disclaimers out about how this business is for professionals and how fans should not try these moves at home, there is a reason for those words of caution.

Still, we do it anyway. Mick Foley used to show us old films of wrestling matches he would have in his backyard as a teenager. Foley knows a thing or two about injuries and sacrificing his body for a title or a match. These wrestlers on this list – the one that shows who had to relinquish a title due to injury – are some of the greatest talents to ever step in a ring, but they are not Superman and they experience pain just like everyone.

Here are five wrestlers who had to give up their titles to deal with devastating injuries.

1- Seth Rollins

Seth Rollins has returned to claim the WWE World Title at Money in the Bank

Rollins’ injury is fresh in everyone’s mind because it was on tour in Ireland when it happened and it was before the WWE World Heavyweight champion was finally supposed to meet Roman Reigns, where Reigns was to become the champion for the first time.

In a match with Kane, the smaller Rollins picked up the larger Red Monster, where his knee buckled. Rollins tore his ACL, MCL and meniscus. He was expected to be out nine months, but Rollins defied the odds and returned after WrestleMania.

He beat Reigns for the title at Money in the Bank and then lost the belt the same night to Dean Ambrose.

2- Stone Cold Steve Austin

A broken neck caused Steve Austin to have to give up the Intercontinental Title

We all know that the Texas Rattlesnake had to retire due to injuries he sustained in the ring. One of them forced him to drop two titles at once. In 1997, Austin held both the Intercontinental Title and the WWE World Tag Team Titles at the same time. Austin began a feud with the Hart Foundation, which led to a feud with Owen Hart for the Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam 1997.

At the end of the match, a botched tombstone pile driver from Hart legitimately hurt Austin. While he was able to finish the match, Austin suffered a broken neck, forcing him to give up both belts. Austin returned in November, regaining the title from Hart at Survivor Series.

3- Daniel Bryan

Injuries have forced Daniel Bryan to retire earlier than he wanted to

Bryan has had some dumb luck when it comes to being a champion and suffering injuries. He had to relinquish the World Title due to a neck injury and last year had to give back the Intercontinental Title after he suffered a brutal injury in a match on Smackdown with Sheamus.

Bryan took a high-risk fall as well as got busted open the hard way. Days after, it was announced that Bryan was medically unable to compete, thus meaning he had to surrender the title in May. Bryan hasn’t wrestled a match since.

While he has not “retired” from the company, there is no word if he will ever get in a wrestling ring again.

4- John Cena

John Cena had had a few injuries that have put him on the shelf

The 15-time World Champion has played through the pain in his career. But like every other wrestler, Cena’s injuries have caught up to him from time to time, and in 2007 such a time happened. After facing the likes of Umaga, Booker T, Edge and Randy Orton, Cena faced Mr. Kennedy and tore a pectoral muscle.

It kept him out of action for the remainder of 2007 and thus he had to give back the title. Cena has recently had to deal with a rotator cuff injury that caused him to miss time in the ring as well. He remains in the main event picture, but it might be some time before he can challenge for the WWE World Title once more.

5- Edge

Edge’s neck injury led to him having to retire immediately

A neck injury was the reason Edge had to retire from this business so early. Edge is still one of the most courageous wrestlers in the business, taking many bumps throughout his career in TLC matches in the tag team division and has been involved in risky situations as a singles star. Although he had a scheduled match against Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 27, Edge was also getting multiple tests read on his neck issues.

Edge still defended his crown, but a week later on Raw, he made the announcement no one wanted to hear. There was too much damage to his neck. Not only was it career threatening, but life threatening. He immediately retired from the company.