7 Wrestling Moves That Ended Wrestling Careers

Fake or not, a leg drop from Hulk Hogan looks like the exact opposite of a good time.

Via tpww.net

On Friday in Tijuana, Mexico a famous Mexican wrestling star died from injuries to his neck after receiving a famous wrestling finisher.

Wrestler El Hijo Del Perro Aguayo, had a match against returning WWE superstar Rey Mysterio, Jr. where Mysterio's infamous "619" delivered a fatal blow to Aguayo.

Unaware of the severity of the damage, Mysterio and other wrestlers attempted to continue. Shortly thereafter, Aguayo was placed onto a stretcher and rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead, this according to TMZSports.com.

Via estoenlinea.oem.com.mx

El Hijo Del Perro Aguayo was 35 at the time of his death.

In light of the tragic event, it's difficult not to remember some of the greats whose careers were cut short due to injury.

Sometimes a finisher is simply delivered wrong or with improper form causing the receiving wrestler to break a rib, neck or worse.

All jokes aside, wrestlers train hard for that very reason. Sure there are moves where they slap their own leg instead of kicking another's teeth in but there are others that are less than delightful to take. Not to mention, the wrestler throwing you around for entertainment effect is likely upwards of 6'0" and 250+ of pure muscle.

In the past, wrestling finishers have impeded the careers of numerous superstars and even ended a few. Here are some of the most notorious career-ending accidents.

Stone Cold Steve Austin - Broken Neck

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At Summer Slam 1997, Stone Cold faced Owen Hart and was positioned to win. When Hart delivered a cringe-worthy version of the tombstone pile driver, Austin's neck broke. While he finished the match and faced the Rock in a following match, it wasn't without surgery and an early retirement.

Bret "Hitman" Hart - Post-Concussion Syndrome

Via wcwworldwide.com

Descendant of the Hart Family and survivor of the "Hart Dungeon Wrestling School," Bret "Hitman" Hart is arguably one of the best wrestlers in the business. A fan favorite's career was brought to a screeching halt when a match against Goldberg in 1999 landed him a concussion. The move was a mule kick straight to the head that rendered him immobile for a short time. Although he completed the match, Hart sustained a concussion so severe, doctors encouraged him to retire to avoid any further damage.

Edge - Stenosis of the Spine

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The Attitude Era wreaked havoc on a lot of wrestlers and brought some of the bloodiest matches fans would witness. The Rated-R Superstar also known as Edge was an incredibly talented and ballsy superstar that managed a long and successful career. But tables, ladders and chairs took their toll on Edge and led him to develop persistent neck injuries over time. According to a WWE announcement at the time of his retirement, Edge "had been suffering numbness and uncontrollable trembling in his arms and hands."

Despite a neck surgery in 2003, Edge made his return to wrestling but not without "stenosis of the spine, or a narrowing of the spinal column, above and below the fused discs,"(WWE.com). Ultimately, doctors wouldn't clear him to wrestle and forced him into an early retirement.

Christian - Multiple Concussions

Via adelrio.diandian.com

It's impossible to say Edge without immediately thinking Christian. The two dominated the Attitude Era's tag team days and held some of the best matches of their careers. While no one particular move ended Christian's career, a lifetime of blows to the head led to repeated concussions. Ultimately, head injuries will force anyone into retirement including Christian.

Chris Nowinski - Post-Concussion Syndrome

Via usatoday.com

Harvard alum and defensive tackle for his Ivy League team, Chris Nowinski found an interest in professional wrestling shortly after graduation. After attending wrestling night school, Nowinski debuted on Monday Night Raw less than two years later, (ChrisNowinski.com).

Within a year of his WWE career, Nowinski sustained a concussion but failed to report it to the medical staff. According to his website, Nowinski continued to wrestle for another 5 weeks and developed post-concussion syndrome.

Nowinski was forced to cut his wrestling career short with a premature retirement but went on to work toward brain injury awareness and research.

Darren Drozdov "Droz" - Permanent Paralysis

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Probably one of the most significant retirement stories is WWE superstar Droz. Droz came to the wrestling business after a brief career in the NFL and a promising future. During a WWE match in 1999, Droz was facing D'Lo Brown where he received a devastating power bomb that more than ended his career.

After the move was delivered, Droz became paralyzed from the neck down rendering him a quadriplegic. Needless to say, Droz's wrestling days came to an end and an immediate retirement.

While the wrestling industry has received flack for it's gimmicky nature, the safety of the WWE superstars and staff are at total risk if the moves aren't practiced and delivered professionally.