The past 12 months have been brutal for WWE with some of their biggest names being sidelined for much of the year with legitimate injuries that have forced them to undergo surgery and then face lengthy stints in rehab.
Whilst the likes of Kevin Owens and Roman Reigns have also been sidelined this year, Owens was written off WWE TV to undergo surgery for an injury that had been bugging him for a long time, which is why he had surgery on both of his knees, whilst Roman Reigns departed WWE back in October when it was revealed that he was struggling with Leukemia.
#10. Erick Rowan
Erick Rowan has had quite the career in WWE so far, but the former Wyatt Family member was only able to hit the ground running as one half of The Bludgeon Brothers a few months ago when he won the Smackdown Tag Team Championships alongside Luke Harper.
Rowan and Harper lifted the Championships for the first time at WrestleMania 34, which marked Rowan’s first main roster Championship but after a number of defenses at both Extreme Rules and SummerSlam, the duo lost a no-disqualification rematch to The New Day on SmackDown Live.
It was later revealed that this was by design because Rowan had suffered a torn right bicep which left him unable to compete and he would need immediate surgery. The former Champion was then given a timeline of around eight months on the sidelines so he’s now expected to make his return to the company in time for WrestleMania 35.
#9. Tye Dillinger
Tye Dillinger was one of the most over WWE superstars throughout his time in NXT since he worked hard to get his “Perfect 10” gimmick over with the crowd. He later entered The Royal Rumble at number 10 which pushed his entire character even further forward, but WWE has failed to equalize on it since.
Like many call-ups from NXT including Tyler Breeze, Sanity and The Ascension, Dillinger hasn’t been given the opportunities that he deserves on the main roster and when he was finally being taken seriously, he suffered a hand injury.
Dillinger was due to have a Championship match against Shinsuke Nakamura, but WWE.com reported that he had suffered an injury to his hand and would be forced to undergo surgery. There is currently no timeline on Dillinger’s return but he could be back in time for The Royal Rumble.
#8. Matt Hardy
It’s been a rough year for Matt Hardy, who has been out of action ever since August when he and Bray Wyatt lost their Raw Tag Team Championships to The B-Team. It was later revealed that this was because Hardy was struggling with a rare injury where his pelvis had become fused to his spine.
The former Champion has been forced to reiterate a number of times that he isn’t looking to retire from the business at present, but he is sidelined right now. It is unknown as to whether or not Hardy will ever be able to return to the ring, but the most recent reports claimed that he was learning the ropes backstage just in case he was unable to make his return to the ring so that he could make the switch to become a producer.
#7. Braun Strowman
Braun Strowman has become one of the most popular WWE stars over the past few months ever since the company seemingly decided that Strowman would fill the void that was left by Roman Reigns’ departure back in October.
Sadly, even Strowman proved that he is human earlier this year when he was sidelined with an elbow injury that also required surgery and then some time on the sidelines. Strowman returned at TLC: Tables, Ladders, and Chairs earlier this month where he won his match with Baron Corbin because the rest of the WWE locker room decided to help him thwart Corbin’s attempt to become full-time General Manager of Raw.
Strowman is still currently on the sidelines, but he is expected to be cleared in time for his Universal Championship match against Brock Lesnar at The Royal Rumble next month.
#6. Jason Jordan
Jason Jordan is another WWE superstar who will be a distant memory to many members of the WWE Universe since he hasn’t been seen on WWE TV since February when he was sent home by then General Manager Kurt Angle.
It was reported at the time that Jordan had suffered a minor neck injury that would require surgery but wasn’t expected to be sidelined for a long time. This obviously changed throughout the year, since retirement rumors later began when it was clarified that his injury was much worse than originally feared and that he could be forced to walk away from the business at a young age.
Much like Matt Hardy, Jordan has been spotted learning the ropes backstage so that he has an option as a future career if he’s forced to retire.
#5. Alexa Bliss
Alexa Bliss has been a headliner in the Women’s Division ever since she was promoted back in 2016, but the former Women’s Champion suffered an arm injury back at Hell in a Cell which kept her sidelined for a number of weeks. Bliss was later injured once again at a WWE live event ahead of Evolution, which forced her to be replaced by Alicia Fox
Alexa Bliss has been seen as a managerial figure on Monday Night Raw over the past few months and was even made the head of the Women’s Division by former Constable Baron Corbin, but she is expected to make her in-ring return ahead of The Royal Rumble.
Most recently, Bliss was given a new role on Monday Night Raw where she’s seen as the host of her own talk show, but this role is believed to be temporary.
#4. Aleister Black
Aleister Black is a former NXT Champion but back in the summer, he was part of one of the biggest storylines in the company when he was attacked in the parking lot of Full Sail University following an episode of NXT.
This attack happened ahead of Takeover: Brooklyn which took him out of his main event match with Tomasso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano as the NXT Universe tried to figure out who attacked the former Champion.
This was WWE’s fantastic plan to cover for the fact that Aleister Black was injured and unable to compete in Brooklyn since he had suffered a legitimate groin injury at a live event in Las Vegas a few days before. Black underwent surgery and was able to return to the company a few months later, where it was revealed that Johnny Gargano was the man behind the parking lot attack.
#3. Fandango
Fandango hasn’t had the best of runs in WWE over the past few years, from a couples dancer to one half of The Fashion Police, he will always be seen as a mid-card talent by WWE, despite the fact that Tyler Breeze and Fandango are seen as two of the most popular stars in the company if the opinion of the WWE Universe was taken into account.
The team were handed a huge set back earlier this year when it was revealed that Fandango had suffered a Left Labrum tear in his shoulder which would see him sidelined for around six months. Breeze has been without a partner ever since July, which means that Fandango could be one of the stars in line to make a return ahead of The Royal Rumble in a few weeks time.
#2. Sami Zayn
Sami Zayn has been missing from WWE ever since Money in the Bank when he lost his match to Bobby Lashley and it was reported that he had suffered two torn rotator cuffs that would require surgery and some time on the sidelines to recover.
Sami Zayn was one of the main level stars in the company at that time and has been a huge miss on Raw over the past few months, but thankfully, vignettes have already begun airing that state that Zayn will be making his return in the coming weeks as part of the new era in WWE.
Both Zayn and Kevin Owens have been teasing returns to the company ahead of The Royal Rumble next month, which is a huge boost for WWE, with WrestleMania right around the corner.
#1. Becky Lynch
Becky Lynch’s injury earlier this year was perhaps one of the most documented in WWE over the past 12 months since The Man invaded Monday Night Raw ahead of Survivor Series and was then injured by Nia Jax when the former Women’s Champion hit her with a hard right hand.
Lynch was later pulled from her match against Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series because she suffered a broken face and a nasal fracture as part of the segment. Lynch has since recovered and was able to give Nia Jax a taste of her own medicine at TLC: Tables, Ladders, and Chairs when she made it clear that The Irresistible Force should keep her name out of her mouth in future. Lynch has since become one of the hottest stars in the company and now looks set to main event WrestleMania 35 alongside Ronda Rousey in April.
0 votes
