The past year hasn’t been exactly the greatest for some of the superstars of WWE. Although some suffered only minor injuries, it was enough to sideline the Superstars from WWE events and keep them out of the overall storyline picture. Others stars, like Seth Rollins, managed to make a comeback to the top level, and even incorporate the injury into the return storyline. Here is a list of some of the most memorable WWE injuries of the past year, as well as how and if they affected current WWE storylines.
Erick Rowan
The first up on the list is Erick Rowan. Some consider him to be the unluckiest person in WWE’s current roster. Rising as a part of the Wyatt Family stable, Rowan was inexplicably let go by the stable’s leader along with Luke Harper. The two decided to create a tag team and were doing quite well until Rowan suffered an injury and was easily replaced. It took him six months to recover and, when he returned to the family, he became a background character that to this day really doesn’t have a determined role in the now partially broken up stable.
Jey Uso
While some say that Rowan is the unlucky one, we could say the same about Jimmy Uso. Jey and Jimmy Uso form a beloved tag team, Usos, and are known for their charisma and athletic skills. However, it only works when both of them are able to perform. Being identical twins, the two were unable to launch their singles career so, in 2015, when Jey hurt himself, both of them were out of business. This void in the storyline allowed some other groups to come forth and possibly helped the New Day get into the spotlight and the Dudleyz return to the game.
Rusev
2015 was a difficult year for Rusev as he was broken down both physically and emotionally. Public knowledge of his engagement to Lana lead to heat on both Superstars, and the real life engagement was then used as a part of his storyline, eventually leading to a break up. It coincided with Rusev’s physical injuries so, instead of a champion that WWE wanted to make of him, he became a broken down character who audiences will likely remember walking around with crutches, lamenting his breakup with Lana. Though the gimmick was scripted to cover his injuries, it diminished the value of both the Bulgarian Brute and the Ravishing Russian, and later propelled him into the failed League of Nations.
Tyson Kidd
In recent years, Tyson Kidd was adored along with Cesaro for the duo’s tag team victories and great athletic performances. However, it all ended in the summer of 2015 when Kidd suffered a serious neck injury that would take him out of the game for more than a year. Many experts believe that he’s even lucky to be alive and standing, as the severity of his injury was compared to that of Christopher Reeve. Needless to say, Kidd’s injury shook the world of WWE and disbanded the tag team informally known with the fans as “Masters of the WWE Universe.” This is certainly a career-changing, and possibly career ending injury.
Sami Zayn
Sami Zayn is one of those beloved underdogs that many people hoped would reach the main roster. And he did, challenging none other than John Cena and receiving outstanding ovations from the audience. However, although this was supposed to be his great entry to the main event, he lost and injured his shoulder, putting him out for more than the estimated six months. His storyline had to be paused because of it. He managed to make a comeback, though, in March this year when he attacked Kevin Owens and provoked a tag team match a few days later.
Sting
Sting’s 2015 neck injury during his match with Seth Rollins at the Night of Champions marked the beginning of his retirement. Although he managed to finish the match (a bit short, but still) he suffered a grave injury that was even more serious when considering his age. This old school wrestler had a rich career and was always a fan-favorite, memorable for wearing his black & white makeup. Many people said that he was one of the greatest wrestlers in history.
Randy Orton
Another great star who was sidelined significantly in 2015 and into 206 is Randy Orton. Although he always had problems with his shoulder, it is now taking its toll. During a Raw match near the end of the past year, Randy dislocated his shoulder and was unable to fix it for more than three hours. As a result he had to take some time off to recover. Orton eventually made his return to WWE TV at this year’s Battleground PPV, and will be facing none other than Brock Lesnar at this year’s WWE SummerSlam PPV. The bout is one of the most anticipated of the summer, and if you think you know who will come out on top, this betting site can certainly help you capitalize on your pro wrestling knowledge.
Daniel Bryan
In 2014, Bryan suffered a serious neck injury, only to come back in 2015, win the International Championship and injure himself again. Although he felt that he was clear, WWE medical team didn’t allow him to compete and soon after he retired. WWE had to do it, fearing the effects of many concussions would have on him. This precautionary measure is something that was devised after Chris Benoit’s tragedy where he murdered his family due to psychological problems brought on by many years of getting concussions during wrestling. Bryan will, however, still be a face for the WWE, just not wrestling.
