10 Wrestlers Who Were Never The Same After Injuries and Health Issues

10 Wrestlers Who Were Never The Same After Injuries and Health Issues
December 28, 2021
By Ryan Porzl

Professional wrestling may be scripted but that doesn't mean talent doesn't get hurt every now and then. Even outside of the ring, others can be victims of accidents or health issues or demons. Over the decades, we've seen certain wrestlers like Harley Race, Ric Flair, and Shawn Michaels suffer injuries in or out of the ring and despite their career being put in question, would go on to make miraculous returns and either have Hall of Fame careers or enhance their Hall of Fame careers. Unfortunately, not everyone can make a great comeback. Just as we've seen miraculous comebacks, we've also seen certain wrestlers suffer in or out of the ring to the point where their careers never recovered and we're a shell of their former selves. Here now is a list of ten wrestlers who were either at the top of their game or on the cusp of it only for an injury or health issue to permanently derail them and they never were able to fully comeback to their past selves.

Note: I don't own the pictures as I got them off google.

10. Manabu Nakanishi- Most Japanese wrestling fans know who Nakanishi is due to his nearly 30 year run in New Japan. Formally an Olympian at the 1992 Olympics, Nakanishi turned pro that same year and while he never had the huge run many pegged him to have due to occasional struggles to catch on with the fans or his peak occurring during the Inokism period, he still carved out a successful run that saw him enjoy runs as IWGP Heavyweight Champion and IWGP Tag Team Champion three times as well as a Young Lions Cup and G1 Climax winner. Going into the 2010s, Nakanishi was in his 40s but like his fellow generation of guys like Nagata, Kojima, and Tenzan, he could still be counted upon to have a solid match and possibly earn one more run. Sadly, it didn't take long into the decade before things fell apart. On June 4, 2011, Nakanishi suffered a spinal cord injury during a six man tag team match after taking a german suplex from Wataru Inoue resulting in his suffering numbness and temporary paralysis. Ultimately, Nakanishi missed around 16 months of action before returning in October 2012. Unfortunately, it was clear to everyone that Nakanishi was not the same and his quality in the ring as well as his stock nosedived. Nakanishi would even admit during his retirement announcement in 2020 that he could no longer perform to the level he wanted. Despite this, he stumbled through another 7 1/2 years largely as an undercard wrestler. With the exception of a run as NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Champions in 2017, title shots were rare, his appearances in World Tag Leagues saw him finish last or next to last, and he never wrestled another G1 Climax again. Eventually, Nakanishi would see the writing on the wall and retired from the ring in 2020 never having rebounded from his injury.

9. Barry Windham- Windham is one of those cases where his injury came just as his career was doing great and reaching new heights. A member of the Windham/Rotunda wrestling family, Windham is the son of Blackjack Mulligan and a man considered one of the most natural wrestlers of his time. Originally achieving success in promotions like Championship Wrestling from Florida and the WWF while occasionally touring for All Japan, Windham would hit his stride in Jim Crockett Promotions/NWA/WCW where he won many titles, had several big matches, and was a member of the company's most prestigious stable The Four Horsemen. By 1993, Windham would finally reach his pinnacle when at SuperBrawl III on February 21st, he defeated The Great Muta for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship making Windham one of the few in his family to be a world champion. After a five month title reign, Windham would lose the title to Ric Flair at Beach Blast 1993. Obviously, not the worst thing in the world of wrestling and it looked as though this possibly being the first of many more World Championship reigns but sadly, it turned out to be the beginning of the end. During the match, Windham would suffer a severe knee injury that would keep him out of action for 10 months. As if that wasn't bad enough, upon his return at Slamboree 1994 against Flair for the WCW World Championship, Windham would reinjure his knee and this time, would take a two year break. Losing three years of a career, especially one in it's prime is bad, but to make it sadder, the time off did little for Windham. He returned to the ring in 1996 for the WWF but it was clear he not only lost a step but had put on weight and the Windham of 1996 was a far cry from the Windham that was world champion in 1993. Windham stumbled through a two year run in the WWF which consisted of mediocre matches, gimmicks, and storylines. He would experience a short career revival from 1998-1999 in WCW as his team with Curt Hennig and their stable the West Texas Rednecks with brother Kendall and Bobby Duncum Jr saw Windham win two WCW Tag Team Championships and be one of the few highlights of a painful 1999 that was WCW but he was gone after only a year back. Eventually, Windham would quietly finish his career in international promotions like WWC in Puerto Rico and All Japan in Japan as well as indy promotions like MLW and Dusty Rhodes' TCW before retiring around 2005.

8. The British Bulldog- Davey Boy Smith is one of the saddest on this list as his injuries would not only derail his career but led to addiction and likely his early death. Bulldog originally turned pro in his native England at 15 and after doing some time there, he would become a star for promotions like Stampede Wrestling, New Japan, and All Japan as a singles as well as a tag team forming the legendary British Bulldogs tag team with Dynamite Kid (while he was Davey Boy Smith). However, Bulldog would become a household name for his various tenures in the WWF between 1984-2000 having famous matches and rivalries with big names like brother-in-law Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels as well as possibly being the WWF's most famous bridesmaid as he would capture every title available during his runs but never the WWF Championship. After following Bret out of the WWF in late 1997 following the Montreal Screwjob, Bulldog attempted to start fresh in WCW. Right from the start, it didn't work as the company seemed to have no real plans for him and after nearly nine months there is when tragedy would strike. At Fall Brawl 1998 on September 13th, Bulldog teamed with Jim Neidhart against Alex Wright and Disco Inferno in the opening match. At the time, The Ultimate Warrior was in WCW and doing a disappearing act thanks to smoke and a trap door in the ring canvas. During the match, Bulldog would take several bumps on the trap door thus breaking his back. After a few more matches, Bulldog would not only find out about his broken back but quickly became addicted to morphine before taking time off. Things would get worse when he then contracted a staph infection in his back. All these issues put his life and career in jeopardy and he not only at one point was in a body cast but went through rehab. All of this would see Bulldog miss a year of his career during which time he was controversially fired by WCW. Upon his recovery, he returned to the WWF in September 1999 and while he got a push at first including winning the Hardcore Title in his return match, getting several WWF Championship shots including at the Unforgiven PPV, and a feud with The Rock, it didn't take long to realize he lost a step while his addictions were still haunting him. Within 2 months of his return, his stock began to drop even though he captured a second European Title and he was a motionless midcarder. By early 2000, Bulldog was in the doldrums when his addictions finally got to the point where he was sent back to rehab. The WWF attempted one more time to bring him back where he got a second Hardcore Title but it quickly became apparent Bulldog was running on fumes and was quietly released shortly after. Sadly, this would be the last memory of Bulldog in wrestling as he took the next two years off until he attempted a return in May 2002 at indy shows teaming with son Harry (now Davey Boy Smith Jr.) with the hope of a comeback and possible return to the now WWE but his death weeks later on May 18, 2002 due to a heart attack at 39 prematurely ended that.

7. Buff Bagwell- Bagwell was one of those guys on this list who looked to have a bright future only to suffer a terrible injury that changed the course of his career. A native of Georgia, Bagwell originally worked indy shows and the Global Wrestling Federation in Texas before signing with WCW in 1991. Originally going by his real name Marcus Alexander Bagwell, he was looked on as a possible future prospect and excelled as a tag team wrestler winning the WCW World Tag Team Championship four times between 1993-1995 with partners such as 2 Cold Scorpio, The Patriot, and Scotty Riggs. In late 1996, Bagwell then became "Buff Bagwell" after betraying Riggs and joining the nWo. During 1997-1998, Bagwell showed solid potential as a future star as he was solid in the ring and had a great personality. Even WCW took notice as he did tours for New Japan Pro Wrestling including taking part in the 1997 G1 Climax, main eventing Fall Brawl 1997 as part of Team nWo, and feuding with Lex Luger. However, everything changed on the April 22, 1998 edition of WCW Thunder when he teamed with Scott Norton against Lex Luger and Rick Steiner. During the match, Bagwell took Steiner's steiner bulldog wrong resulting in a damaged vertebrae and spinal shock taking him out of wrestling for eleven months. Upon returning in March 1999, Bagwell didn't seem to be the same in the ring and good performances could be few and far between. While he would go on to win a fifth tag title with Shane Douglas, he never received the push that he got before his injury, though to be fair, his attitude didn't help him. Things got worse for Bagwell when the WWF purchased WCW in 2001 and Bagwell was brought on board but things went south when he faced Booker T on the July 2, 2001 RAW for the WCW Championship in a match best described as a disaster. After the match and other reported behavior problems, Bagwell was released from WWF shortly after. He then attempted comebacks in the World Wrestling All-Stars as well as Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (now Impact Wrestling) but neither tenure lasted long and after suffering from drug issues, his run in national promotions was over. While Bagwell occasionally still wrestles to this day, it's for small indy promotions. A far cry from the guy he was in 1997 to early 1998.

6. Candice Michelle- Our only female on this list, Candice is someone who had a busy life before getting into wrestling only to get into it and after serving as sex appeal, she began to earn respect due to her ring work but repeated shoulder injuries largely put the kibosh on her career. Originally working as a model, actress, and Go Daddy girl, Candice entered the WWE in 2004 and spent the first few years mostly doing sex appeal segments and matches. By 2006/2007, she began to compete more seriously and impressed fans with her growth. In June 2007 at Vengeance: Night of Champions, Candice would go on to win the WWE Women's Championship and held that title for three months. However, shortly after her title loss, she would suffer the injury that derailed her momentum and career. On October 22, 2007, Candice took on Beth Phoenix in a rematch for the Women's Championship. During the match, she would land awkwardly and suffered a cracked clavicle ending the match early and putting her out of commission. Despite missing the remainder of the year, things still seemed to be looking up as Candice won both Pro Wrestling Illustrated Woman of the Year and Most Improved of the Year for 2007. Unfortunately, like Barry Windham, Candice would return in February 2008 only to immediately reinjure his clavicle after tearing scar tissue forcing her out for an additional seven months. She eventually returned that September but it was clear she lost all her momentum and was never able to regain it. Even WWE seemed to think she wasn't the same or something was off as she would be cut from the promotion less than a year later in June 2009. Since her release, Candice largely retired from wrestling outside of a retirement match at Tommy Dreamer's House of Hardcore in 2017 and a 2019 appearance on RAW where she won the 24/7 Championship.

5. Jumbo Tsuruta- Jumbo Tsuruta is an interesting name on this list as he makes it not because of injury but because of health problems. Originally a talented basketball player turned college wrestler, Tsuruta competed in the 1972 Olympics before signing with All Japan and transitioning to pro wrestling. After originally hitting it big as top star and promoter Giant Baba's tag partner, he eventually replaced him as the company's top star or ace and was easily considered one of the best wrestlers from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. Even as he turned 40 in 1991, Tsuruta showed no signs of slowing down and may have even been putting on his best work in the ring as he held his own against the next generation of All Japan led by Mitusharu Misawa. Just as Tsuruta was still on top of his game, it would come to end but not by injury or age like so many but by health. In 1985, Tsuruta was diagnosed as a potential carrier of Hepatitis and in the summer of 1992, he would contract Hepatitis B. After competing till October, Tsuruta would take time off due to his illness. After missing a year of action, Tsuruta returned in late 1993 but it was clear he was a shell of himself as his illness sapped away at his stamina and he could no longer go in the ring. While Tsuruta wrestled another five years, it was sporadically and only in multi-man comedy tag matches with fellow aging wrestlers all the while never challenging for titles or tournaments ever again. After five years of here and there appearances, Tsuruta finally announced his retirement in early 1999. Sadly, his health problems wouldn't stop there as he eventually developed kidney cancer which spread to his liver. After originally beating the cancer, Tsuruta would pass away from complications from a kidney transplant on May 13, 2000 at the age of 49.

4. Terry Gordy- Now we move to the obvious names. Long time fans know the tragedy of Gordy: A man who was a legend in the business by the time he was 25 years old and the sky was the limit but his demons damaged his career before derailing it by the time he was 32 years old. Gordy was one of those wrestlers who turned pro in his teens and by the time he was 18, he formed the legendary Fabulous Freebirds with Michael Hayes with the two later joined by Buddy Roberts. By the time Gordy was 25 in 1986, he was already a legend having had money making matches and rivalries in promotions like Georgia Championship Wrestling, Mid-South Wrestling/UWF, and World Class Championship Wrestling while having cups of coffee runs in the WWF and AWA. While not the best talker, Gordy had charisma, a good look of a big man, and more importantly, was a natural in the ring especially for a super heavyweight. Unfortunately, as his career was soaring, so too were his excesses. Like most wrestlers of the 1980s, Gordy had an out of control partying lifestyle which including drug and alcohol addictions. By the late 80s, Gordy began spending more time in Japan for All Japan Pro Wrestling and it was here where his demons began to haunt him. In July 1990, Gordy would defeat Stan Hansen for his second All Japan Triple Crown Championship only to be stripped of it 10 days later after being hospitalized due to an overdose. While Gordy recovered, his career was slightly damaged as promoter Giant Baba never trusted Gordy in the main event again. Sadly, Gordy didn't learn from this and in August 1993, things nearly turned tragic when he overdosed on pain medication while flying to Japan. He would not only be in a coma but was declared dead at least once before being revived. Though he survived, Gordy was left with permanent brain damage and was never the same in or out of the ring. After missing over 6 months of action, Gordy would return in 1994 but it was immediately clear he wasn't the same in the ring as he seemed off, slow, and sluggish as opposed to the natural he once was. While Gordy would enjoy some success in smaller promotions such as the Global Wrestling Federation and Smoky Mountain Wrestling, winning titles in both but success in bigger promotions didn't happen as his All Japan run ended and he was reduced to working smaller Japanese companies like WAR or death match companies like IWA: Japan. Meanwhile, he did show some return to form in ECW in 1996 but that proved to be due to good opponents and booking as he then had a run in the WWF as The Executioner but his limitations were apparent especially after failing to have a solid match with the Undertaker in what should've been one of the all time great super heavyweight dream matches before departing after a few months. Eventually, Gordy would sadly finish his career in small indy promotions during the late 90s before he passed away of a blood clot to the heart in 2001 at 40.

3. The Dynamite Kid- There are probably fewer wrestlers who inspired future generations but were as polarizing as The Dynamite Kid. Like cousin British Bulldog, Dynamite turned pro in his teens and after starting in his native England, he quickly became a legend during the late 1970s to mid 1980s for promotions such as Calgary's Stampede Wrestling as well as New Japan and All Japan. As a wrestler, few were as great and innovative as Dynamite during his prime especially thanks to his matches with the Original Tiger Mask in the early 80s which easily changed the game as far as junior heavyweights came. Along with his success as a singles, he also achieved legendary status with The British Bulldogs tag team with Davey Boy Smith. Unfortunately, like Terry Gordy, Dynamite's downfall began long before his career altering and eventually ending injury. Like many during his time, Dynamite abused drugs and steroids especially the latter in an attempt to get more opportunities in wrestling. On top of that, Dynamite's style was also punishing on the body and he was never known to take it easy. In 1984, Dynamite found his way to the WWF where he achieved his biggest success with the British Bulldogs team as it was as part of the team where he found his biggest national success and tasted WWF gold when he and Smith won the WWF World Tag Team Championship at Wrestlemania 2 on April 7, 1986. After winning the gold, The Bulldogs would reign as champions through the remainder of 1986 but during the reign on December 13, 1986, Dynamite would suffer a severe back injury during a successful title defense against Bob Orton (father of Randy) and Magnificent Muraco. After The Bulldogs lost the titles in January 1987, Dynamite would take some time off but upon return, it was clear he wasn't the same. While he didn't decline as badly as others, he was no longer the incredible worker he once was. His career wasn't the same either as The Bulldogs were still a featured act for WWF until their 1988 departure but never held the titles again. Dynamite then spent the last three years of his full time career back in Stampede and All Japan and while he occasionally still had success, the magic was gone. Finally, on December 6, 1991, Dynamite would retire from the ring due to his back but like most wrestlers, he couldn't stay away as he attempted a few comebacks from 1993-1996 but was never healthy enough for a full time return. Eventually, his career would finally end for good in 1996 after being confined to a wheelchair which would be the case for the rest of his life until his death on December 5, 2018, the same day as his 60th birthday.

2. Brian Pillman- I think many saw this entry coming. Pillman lead one of the more colorful careers in pro wrestling despite only competing for 11 years and dying at the age of 35 as he started out as a popular pretty boy type flyer before famously reinventing himself as a psychotic loose cannon sort of becoming the wrestling version of Andy Kaufman, a guy who not only had fans but even colleagues occasionally wondering whether his antics were legit crazy or just an act. Like good friend British Bulldog, Pillman is another sad case as his career altering injury also led to excesses and likely contributed to his early death. Originally a football player for the Cincinnati Bengals, Pillman turned to wrestling in 1986 after an injury ended his football career. After spending time in Stampede Wrestling, Pillman became a national name during his seven year run in NWA/WCW as both a pretty boy, high flying babyface to psychotic heel. Among his successes, Pillman was the inaugural WCW Light Heavyweight Champion and formed the legendary tag team The Hollywood Blondes with Steve Austin that won tag team gold while later serving as a member of the Four Horsemen. By early 1996, Pillman began to alter his image from clean cut to an unpredictable loose cannon and after securing his release from WCW, began playing off the big two promotions to get the best deal for himself. Unfortunately, just as Pillman was becoming one of the hottest acts in the business, his career would take an ugly turn. On April 15, 1996, Pillman was involved in a serious car accident after crashing his hummer into a tree and was thrown out of it. Among the injuries he suffered was a shattered ankle which, after one failed surgery, was fused into a walking position. Pillman would miss over a year of action, not returning until the spring of 1997 where his skills clearly deteriorated badly from a fun wrestler to watch to mostly a punch/kick type who couldn't do much else. It was especially sad as Pillman's character work shined during this period and he could've been easily one of, if not, the best performer in American wrestling in 1997 if he were healthier instead of having to rely on it like a crutch. Even sadder was the accident and fused ankle left Pillman in constant pain and his lifestyle grew worse relying on painkillers and alcohol for the rest of his life. In the end, Pillman's deterioration didn't last too long as he passed away from heart disease on October 5, 1997 at the age of 35, less than a year after his return.

1. Brutus Beefcake- I think when most long time fans saw Pillman and Dynamite already, they knew Beefcake would take 1. Beefcake is another who's story is universally known to long time wrestling fans as he was a star on the rise during the late 1980s and seemed to be coming into his own by the dawn of the 90s only to see a horrible accident destroy his career and nearly kill him in the process. Turning pro in 1977, Beefcake worked the territories as well as occasional tours for New Japan during the first seven years of his career under various gimmicks before heading to the WWF in 1984 where he adopted the name and gimmick of Brutus Beefcake. After spending the first three years as a heel who challenged Hulk Hogan for the WWF Championship on numerous occasions as well as enjoy a lengthy reign as WWF World Tag Team Champion with Greg "The Hammer" Valentine as The Dream Team, Beefcake turned babyface at Wrestlemania III in 1987 and soon after, became "Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake", a wrestler who cut the hair of his opponents after the matches and carried hedge clippers. The gimmick made Beefcake one of the popular wrestlers during the late 1980s and by 1989, he began to rise up the cards as he formed a team with Hogan and main evented Summerslam 1989 opposite Randy Savage and Zeus. Then in 1990, all the planets seem to align right as Beefcake was not only popular but putting on some of his best matches. Going into the summer, it was pretty much all but confirmed that he would take the Intercontinental Championship at Summerslam 1990 from Mr. Perfect after supposedly being passed over for the title in the past. Things couldn't be better until an accident altered the course of his career and life. On July 4, 1990, Beefcake was hanging out with friends when he attempted to help a parasailer get in position only for a miscue to happen resulting in the driver starting the boat too soon thus sending the parasailer flying with both her knees smashing Beefcake's face and shattering it. Despite it being life threatening, Beefcake recovered as his face was reconstructed with plates and wiring but despite the recovery, the damage was done. Beefcake missed over two and a half years of his career due to the accident and upon his return in early 1993, his quality of work nosedived to the point where most would say he never had a good, much less, great match ever again and much to the chagrin of many, seemed to rely more on his friendship with Hogan to get him by then his own talent. While Beefcake would have the occasional big moment including taking part in a double main event at Wrestlemania IX for the tag team championship and main evented Starrcade 1994, that was pretty much it as his WWF ended months after his return while his WCW run was a flop and a joke as Beefcake didn't own the Brutus Beefcake gimmick resulting in him spending five years with lackluster to ridiculous gimmicks. By 1999, Beefcake's WCW run, as well as his main stream run, ended and he spent the remainder of his career working small indy shows until retiring around 2015.