WWE Monday Night RAW featured one of the most enthralling and heartbreaking angles in the 30+ year history of the program. There was a major segment dedicated to 10 year anniversary of The New Day and it did not go as expected.
Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods were seemingly ready to reveal that they were done as a duo, giving a speech that sounded like something parents who are about to divorce would tell their child. Then Big E showed up to try to fix things. Unfortunately, his plans went awry.
Instead, Woods and Kingston belittled and tore Big E down. They practically mocked his neck injury, emphasizing that several Hall of Famers and legends broke their necks but returned to the ring, all while Big E is yet to do so. It was cruel.
Still, the story of the three Hall of Famers mentioned who had all overcome serious neck injuries is certainly interesting. None of their struggles were easy and it could be argued that returning harmed their quality of life. Still, all three managed to do big things afterward. Who were the three legends mentioned?
Below are three WWE Hall of Famers who were namedropped on RAW this week.
#3. WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle was one of the names referenced
Kurt Angle is an incredible pro wrestler. He is a WWE Hall of Famer who won multiple World Titles, but he’s also a multi-time TNA World Heavyweight Champion. He even won championship gold in New Japan Pro Wrestling.
The Olympic Gold Medalist has a long history of neck injuries. He first broke his neck during the 1996 Summer Olympics where he won a gold medal despite the injury. He then went on to have multiple neck surgeries while in WWE.
His issues with his neck and spine eventually caused the WWE Hall of Famer to become addicted to pain medication. While he has come out on the other side and is sober, Angle is still in pain to this very day.
Still, he overcame the neck injuries to do amazing things in pro wrestling. He is often considered to be one of the best in-ring competitors of all time.
#2. Stone Cold Steve Austin was used as an example
Stone Cold Steve Austin is a wrestling icon. Many WWE fans still believe Austin is the biggest star in the history of pro wrestling. Whether that’s true or not could be debated, but he is unquestionably near the top of the list.
The Texas Rattlesnake had a few major neck injuries during his time in WWE. The most infamous came at SummerSlam 1997 when Owen Hart gave him a Sit-Out Tombstone Piledriver. Austin’s neck wasn’t protected and he was seriously injured.
Austin would eventually return to the ring without getting serious surgery, but that changed in 1999. His neck issues were so bad that he had to go in for surgery and miss time from television. He returned in 2000.
Unfortunately, Austin’s return was relatively short-lived. The neck injuries along with other health complications led to Steve retiring from the ring in 2003. While he later returned for one last match with Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38, it is interesting to ponder what more he could have achieved had he remained healthy.
#1. Current AEW star Adam Copeland (FKA Edge) was also mentioned
The last name mentioned likely surprised many fans, as it is of an All Elite Wrestling star. Edge, now wrestling as Adam Copeland, was the other name mentioned in The New Day segment on WWE Monday Night RAW.
Edge first injured his neck in 2002, but wrestled until hurting it further in 2003. He missed over a year of action, but things grew worse for the future Hall of Famer, and by 2011 he was advised to stop wrestling once and for all.
There is a happy ending to this tale, as Edge returned to the ring nine years later in the 2020 Royal Rumble. After a four-year run with the Sports Entertainment Juggernaut, he has since moved on to All Elite Wrestling, although he’s currently on the shelf for an ankle injury.
