Modern Injuries?
By Scott Keith on 8 October 2024
Reading your 1994 WCW rants and being reminded of Ricky Steamboat's career-ending back injury has me wondering about current wrestling. Today, apron spots have become routine and now we're seeing countless examples of more wrestlers taking these crazy back
bumps not only on the apron, but on upright chairs, steps, cinder blocks, ladders etc. Why is it that we're not seeing more serious career threatening injuries, compared to the past when a wrestler like Harley Race ended up needing life altering, near career-ending
surgery, after a simple flat belly bump on a table? Is it due to better conditioning and training, or a lighter schedule, with more time to rest and heal? Maybe it's just me getting older, but man do I cringe and get squeamish at the sight of back bumps on
things like the steps.
I think a lot of it is actually training now. If you know you’re going to be taking bumps on a specific surface you can prepare yourself. Steamboat wasn’t expecting to take that specific bump on the apron edge, just like Shawn wasn’t aiming for the corner of the casket. Adam Cole takes brainbusters on the floor but destroys himself jumping 2 feet from the ramp because he landed wrong.