10 Times a Single Mistake Ended a Pro Wrestler's Career

What's good y'all? It's boy Ross back at again with another video. So, we're check out 10 botches that instantly ruined a wrestller's career. It's unfortunate. We've seen plenty of botches over the years. It's just part of the business and sometimes those botches can result in injuries where ultimately that person's wrestling career is cut short. And I think most wrestlers understand that's the cautionary tale. When it, you know, when you become a wrestler and you step inside that that ring, things can go wrong and sometimes things can go permanently wrong. So, we're going to check this out. This is why I always give much respect to all the wrestlers out there who are willing to put their bodies on the line just to entertain us, man. Let's check this one out. see uh some of these uh stories and how they played out, man. [snorts] >> Till a match in 2003 where I was actually kicked in the head and suffered a concussion so severe I never returned to the ring. >> For all the jokes about professional wrestling being nothing more than a choreograph between soap operas and Mortal Kombat, the industry is still one of the most dangerous to get involved in. Mistakes can happen at any moment, leaving wrestlers with a serious concussion or a broken bone that can drastically alter their career trajectory. Unfortunately for many, however, that trajectory doesn't just take a sudden downward turn. It puts a full stop on their career as we know it. Join us now as WrestleMania looks at 10 botches that ruined a wrestler's career. Be sure to subscribe and hit that notification bell for daily wrestling videos. Number 10, the debut of the Shockmaster. Oh man. >> Topping and tailing the list are two remarkably different botches from the wacky world of WCW. The first of which we saw Fredman deliver what WWE itself described as the greatest debut in pro wrestling history, albeit for all the wrong reasons. Signing with WCW in the summer of 1993. The former WWE tag team champion Typhoon was slated to team with Sting Davy Boy Smith and Dustin Rhodess opposite Big Van Vader, Sid Vicious, and Harlem Heat in that September's War Games match with his televised arrival booked for a preceding episode of Clash of the Champions. The debut was supposed to have seen the repackaged Shockmaster menacingly crash through a wall of the set of a flare for the gold, but everything that could have gone wrong, well, actually did go wrong. The shock master's aura was drained after he tripped on a piece of wood sending and falling through the wall with all the grace of >> it's it's an iconic moment for the wrong reasons, but at the same time it's still one of those he instantly lost aura cuz he fell through he lost his helmet. It was over. I mean he instantly lost maximum aura. He was negative in the aura department because of a a botch. Woo! Silences, y'all. Addis O'Neal at the greatest Royal Rumble. His glittery Stormtrooper helmet fell off his head, exposing his real identity immediately. And as he tried to recover his integrity, everybody around him just tried to keep their composure while all for David Boy Smith, who said he just fell on his ass. Unsurprisingly, Fred Otman achieved very little following the major snafu. [music] Although he's at least found the humor in what remains the most memorable moment from his career and regularly attends wrestling conventions with a helmet and toe. [music] Number nine, a botched rocker dropper. You'll see it far less these days, but it used to be something of a tradition for WWE to hire local talent to be mercilessly squashed by whichever powerhouse they were pushing at the time. It seldom resulted in full-time employment, the exception being James Ellsworth in 2016. But that didn't stop these WWE hopefuls from trying to make a lasting impression, typically with diminishing results, like when Perry Satin obliterated my belt. A similar awful fate fell upon Charles Austin in December 1990. With just 6 months of wrestler training under his belt, Austin approached WWF officials during a superstars taping in Tampa and offered himself as an enhancement talent for the evening. Perhaps most surprisingly is the fact that this method actually worked. He was booked to team with Lani Po in a losing effort to the Rockers. The majority of the match went on as planned, but Austin soon wished he hadn't made the journey to Florida as a botched rocker dropper from Mani Janetti left him paralyzed [music] with a broken neck. Suing the company 4 years later resulted in Charles being awarded $26.7 million, though that was later changed to a $10 million out of court settlement, and these days he requires the use of a motorized wheelchair. The superstars outing is his only recorded match. >> And this the thing, I get it. That's, you know, decent amount of money, but you also have to understand that no amount of money can replace you being able to walk and move. Like, if I had to choose, I would keep, you know, the ability to be able to walk and move freely and run and stuff, then take [clears throat] $10 million, $20 million, however much it is. So, yeah, they were able to settle. He was able to get some compensation, but you he can't even walk. That That's the trade-off. That sucks, man. >> Number eight, Flop Dollar. Less of a career ruining botch because it left him injured and more because it destroyed any resemblance of credibility he had left. Top Dollar's attempt at a dive over the top rope was one of the worst things to come out of the early days at Triple H's WWE. One of the games first rehires alongside his hit row cohorts Ashanti de Adonis and B Fab, Top Dollar attempted his best cruiserweight cosplay during the December 16th, 2022 episode of Smackdown, which pitted him and Adonis against Alto Del Fantasma and the Viking Raiders. He ran across the ring, trying to leap over the top rope, and got crashing onto the apron while everyone below him had to awkwardly fall to the ground as though they had just taken his full weight. But only Michael Cole found hilarity in the situation, frequently referring to him as Flock Dollar, but it rendered Hitrow's mini push dead in the water. They turned heels shortly thereafter, but by the following September, they were [music] axed and now signed. >> Hey man, he's doing he's doing well for himself. I just saw him at Reality Wrestling not too long ago. Um, anytime I've interacted with him, show love. Cool people, man. I know for a fact he does. He be trolling people on social media. Granted, people be trolling him. He don't give a damn. He's doing good for himself and that's all that matters, man. To TNA under his real name of AJ Francis, he hasn't done anything of particular note across his 2 and 1/2 years stay. Although he has credited the botch with saving his life as he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Number seven, botching on the grandest stage. Unlike Top Dollar, the Undertaker typically enjoyed endless success with his dive over the top rope. One notable exception saw him suffer a potentially career-ending landing and a definitively career-ending mistake for a former tag team champion. Wrestling Shawn Michaels in an instant classic at Wrestlemania 25. One key spot was to see the Heartbreak Kid evade takers over the top rope dive by pulling the cameraman in the way to take the impact with Sim Snooker disguised as the unlucky camera operator. And for whatever reason though, Snooker's timing was off as he barely made contact with the dead man who instead landed squarely on the back of his neck at ringside. He was miraculously unscathed and continue. >> Still one of the craziest spots ever and one of the greatest Wrestlemania matches of all time. I I still think it's like one of my favorite Wrestlemania matches ever. So [ __ ] good. It It may be my top 10. I may need to do that one day. a top 10 Wrestlemania match. My top 10 is definitely in top 10. It's not for me. I can can't speak for everybody else. For me, top 10. Even with the botch, the rest of the match as planned, but the same couldn't be said about the second generation snooker. He was let go by June. We have to assume that this botch on the grandest stage had a big part to play in it. He had wrestled just six times since departing WWE. The last of which was in 2014. But luckily for him, the Undertaker holds no ill will towards him for the incident. In fact, speaking to ESPN, he believes the botch spot actually added to the match. I've always been pessimistic with my matches. I would never watch my matches back with anybody else. I'd have to sit by myself so I can pick them apart and say, "Wow, I should have done that. I should have done this, not that." That night, other than missing the cameraman on the dive over to the top, which added to the story because it was such a nasty bump that I took, but even that ended up turning something bad into something good. Number six, a rude awakening for Rick's back. A newer fans of his are always shocked to discover that Rick Roode formerly retired from the ring in 1994 at just the age of 35. But alas, a serious back injury rendered his in ring days as a thing of the past. RDE suffered the career-ending ailment during the WCW and New Japan co-promoted wrestling Dantaku event in May of 94, which saw him pinsting to become a three-time WCW International World Heavyweight Champion. But despite his win, he was forced into immediate medical retirement. As upon taking a dive from the Stinger, Rick landed awkwardly on the elevated platform that connected the ramp to the ring. And no details have ever been made public on what exactly was wrong with his back, but it was enough for him to never wrestle again, bar a one-off return at ACW Heatwave in 97 for a six-man tag team match, which he didn't really do much of note. He was otherwise dumb between the ropes, but he remained relevant by taking up non- wrestling roles, including returns to both WWF and WCW as a member of DX and the nWo, respectively. Number five, one power bomb change. You landed on a smaller back with a weight coming at you at a high rate of speed. So many things could have been gotten wrong. Like anything that happened involving your spine, lower back, just in general in that region could change ultimately your trajectory in even having a comfortable life. That's how people get addicted to painkillers and stuff cuz that's damn near your the hub for your central nervous system. like the nerves that go through every part of your body is like that central hub in your spine. So, anything that goes wrong there is going to have adverse effects potentially all over your body. So, it's just unfortunate that happened, man. Just two careers. Categorically speaking, saying that Dlo Brown's career was ruined following his paralyzing power bomb on Raws might be a bit of a stretch considering he went on to have a decent run in TNA, briefly returned to WWE and had a fascinating career in Japan, but he certainly wasn't viewed the same in the aftermath. [music] Indeed, the former European Champion Battle Draws during the [laughter] tapings for the October 7th, 99 edition of Smackdown were one moment in the match supposed to see Brown execute a running power bomb. It was a common spot for his matches back in the attitude era and one that had traditionally been executed without fail until this one. DLO prematurely dropped draws resulting in him landing on his head and fracturing two vertebrae in his neck. He was left requiring the use of a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Despite the severity of the botch, which significantly impacted his day-to-day life, Dross held no animosity towards DLO for the incident. If anything, he put the blame on himself for wearing a loose shirt. Conversely, the botch weighed heavily on DLO for years who stated that should he ever be graced with a spot in the WWE Hall of Fame, he would only want to be inducted alongside the late Darren Drosdolf. Number four, he botched Springboard Moon. H I can only imagine just living with that guilt cuz it wasn't on purpose. You can tell it's just it was a freak accident and living with that feeling like damn I I messed up this person's life and even though they he didn't have any like ill will towards him. It's still it just still sucks if you're a decent human being like damn I I potentially caused this. I'm the reason why this happened. It wasn't on purpose but damn bro that that that is heavy. That's some heavy stuff to kind of live with bro. Soul. Japanese wrestling legend Hayabusa was one of the most influential high-f flyers of the9s, helping redefine the style of modern pro wrestling through his athleticism and innovative aerial moves. After developing his craft in Mexico, he became the face of Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling, aka FMW, where his spectacular performances and willingness to take risks earned him a devoted following. And he also inspired many future stars with moves such as the Phoenix Splash and Falcon Arrow. However, everything changed on October 22nd, 2001 during a match against Mammoth Sasaki. While attempting a springboard moons salt from the middle rope, Hibusa lost his footing, failed to complete the rotation, and landed right on his head. The accident fractured two vertebrae in his neck, leaving him paralyzed in bringing his inring career to an immediate end. His injury was not only devastating personally, but also dealt a severe blow to FMW, whose fortunes declined without its biggest star. Despite the life-changing injury though, Hayabusa refused to give up and he spent years in rehabilitation, gradually regaining movement in his legs and eventually astonishing fans by standing and walking short distances with the aid of a cane. Wow. His determination and resilience became as inspiring as his wrestling career had been, proving that his fighting spirit extended far beyond the ring. Although he passed away in 2016 from a brain hemorrhage at the age of 47, his legacy endures. He's remembered not only for revolutionizing high-flying wrestling, but also for his remarkable courage in overcoming immense adversity. >> I don't think y'all understand how amazing that is to be clinically uh declared paralyzed. You won't walk again to being able to stand up, move your legs, and actually walk. Obviously, you can't walk like you used to. But the fact that you can and was able to. That that's that that that's determination. That's willpower. That's saying, "No, I'm not going to I'm not going to sit here and take this. I'm going to figure this out." Uh rest in peace to him, man. That [sighs] this is why they say, man, there's certain professions in this world that you got to be willing to understand. If something goes wrong, you may not go back home. Professional wrestling is one of them. You know, motor sports like NASCAR, uh, BMX, whatever type of racing sport, that's one of them. MMA, that's one of them. Boxing, that's one of them. Like, these are sports that you have to be okay with yourself and have that conversation with you and your loved ones. There's a possibility if something goes wrong, I may not come back home the same or I may not come back home at all. So much respect. Much respect. >> Inspiring wrestlers and fans around the world with both his performances and his perseverance. Number three, a botch belly to belly. Perhaps the most significant career ending botch from recent memory occurred during the March 11th, 2022 episode of Smackdown as a botch belly to belly suplex from Ridge Holland left Biggie with a broken neck. He thankfully wasn't paralyzed but has officially retired from in ring competition. But Holland didn't face an immediate downturn in momentum as his planned Wrestlemania 38 match against the New Day still went ahead. While the rest of 2022 featured championship matches, his pull in War Games match and a scorching Donny Brook match at Extreme Rules against Imperium. [music] But it was clear that WWE were never going to push him up a level because of the accident. By 2023, he had been moved back to NXT for a largely forgettable run before his contract expired at the end of 2025. Speaking to Mike Rand, the real life Luke Menses detailed that he felt as though accidentally breaking Biggie's neck ended his own career as well as Biggies. Biggie was a huge star and so loved. There was a massive backlash and even me being relatively new on the roster as well, even to the higherups and the old boys who have been around, they're going to point the finger at somebody. And yeah, they pointed [music] the finger at me. I think it kind of always hung over me as a black cloud during my career. Never really got past it. I couldn't shake it. It was something that it is what it is. Big E's career unfortunately ended that day, but I think so did mine in a way. At least my career with WWE, I'll always regret it. >> Yeah, they they even though Big E doesn't hold any ill will towards Ridge and he never wanted people to. It's impossible to not be like, "Hey, bro, this this happened, you know, because of him." And it wasn't on purpose, but like he said, Big E was so beloved by so many people backstage, in front of the camera, like management. Even if it wasn't on purpose, at that point, they're not going to push you like that. They'll continue storylines, but at that point, you're you're you're done. You're done. You're unofficially done. And slowly but surely, they're just going to, you know, fade you out. That's it's it's really unfortunate for both parties to be honest with you. Number two, a neck breaking muscle buster. The career of a professional wrestler can [music] end at any moment. And for Tyson Kid, that moment was during the June 1st, 2015 superstars taping. Wrestling then NXT champion Samoa Joe in an untelvised outing. Kid left the arena lying on a stretcher, having suffered a severe spinal cord injury after taking a botch muscle buster. Per reports, the official diagnosis was what is known as the hangman fracture, where the neck [music] breaks at the base of the brain. Speaking to Chris Vanley, several years after the fact, Samoa Joe recalled the harrowing incident, naming it as the biggest regret of his entire career. To this day, that probably remains the largest regret of my career that happened. That doesn't change things for Tyson. Doesn't change things for a guy who's probably one of the most passionate people in the world of pro wrestling. for a guy who has an amazing mind for it. WWE is fortunate to have him because even though he's not in a physical role with the company, the finishes, his ability to put together matches and be a producer and agent are unparalleled. Despite suffering an injury that a reported 5% of people survived, 5% of people survived his injury. 16 staples, four screws, and a rod later and one and luckily I survived to tell my story. Hey, that that's that's just a blessing from above. Um, it wasn't his time, but that is insane. It was something of a blessing in disguise for Tyson Kid as he subsequently became one of the most celebrated producers in WWE history. And number one, Bret Hart hates Goldberg. That's back to WCW final entry. And one, there certainly won't be new information to anybody who's listened to a single Bret Hart interview from the past two decades. to defend the WCW World Heavyweight Championship against Goldberg in the main event of the 99 Starcade pay-per-view. The Hitman left Washington that evening with postconussion syndrome, having suffered a series of blows to the head, the most significant being that thrust kick from Goldberg. Elsewhere, Brett banged his head on the concrete floor while applying his ring post figure four leg lock after Goldberg failed to adequately cooperate. Brett's career didn't end immediately as he wrestled a further nine matches for WCW before officially retiring in 2000 and returned for an underwhelming second WWE stint between 2010 and 2011. But he was never the same following Starcade 99. Now over 25 years removed from the incident, Brat wasted no opportunity to slander Goldberg's name despite Goldberg having offered repeated apologies. And unless things take a drastic turn for the better, safe to say that neither man will be exchanging Christmas cards. Brett never gonna let that go. I hope he does at one point, but he he he's like, "Man, [ __ ] that guy. Hopefully hopefully maybe he'll let it go. We'll see." But hey, comment down below. Let me know some other wrestling related videos you guys want me to check out. I definitely will. Appreciate all the love support you guys show on the channel. Road to 200K. Now, see you on the next one. Peace.