The death of Japanese legend Eiji Ezaki in March was a firm reminder of the sacrifices that are made from professional wrestlers. Known to fans as Hayabusa, in 2001, the wrestler botched a springboard moonsault landing on his head. The inventor of the Phoenix Splash was paralyzed from the waist down and confined to a wheel chair. It wasn’t until 2014 that he showed the world he could stand up with assistance. He died due to a subarachnoid hemorrhage and the tragedy re-hashed feelings of how dangerous the industry can be.
Wrestlers and fans can be symbiotic in many ways. Fans love to be entertained and wrestlers (the ones who care) want to put on a good show. We have seen countless times when a wrestler would go above and beyond to get a reaction from a crowd. For instance, at WrestleMania 32, Shane McMahon offered his body (wasn’t the first time) to the 100,000 fans in attendance and millions watching at home. He threw himself off the 20 foot high Hell in the Cell and landed on an announcers table. It’s possible to think Shane O’Mac could have been eating threw a straw right now because so many things could have gone wrong. Thankfully, the WWE also put a mat under the commentary booth as a precautionary measure.
It’s not just the “big moment spots” like what Shane did, but an injury can take place during the regular routine of a match. The older generations of fans remember when Bruno Sammartino had his neck broken by recent WWE Hall of Fame inductee Stan Hanson. All it takes is a slip up or the apathetic actions of one wrestler to severely injure their colleague. Just like the night when fans witnessed Joey Mercury’s face exploding from a ladder spot. It was purely accidental and will go down as extraordinarily painful. These “spots” on the list can be found floating around the internet but we warn you, they’re graphic.
15. Botched Powerbomb or Ganso Bomb?
via youtube.com
Japanese legends Toshiaki Kawada and Mitsuharu Misawa were involved in one of the greatest feuds to hit the ‘90s. During a Triple Crown Title Match for All Japan Pro Wrestling in ’99, it looks like Kawada was going to end the match with a powerbomb. Misawa couldn’t lift himself up to land on his back, instead, he landed directly on his head.
The move could be argued that it was intended to be a Ganso Bomb or Kawada Driver. Whether it was a botched powerbomb or an intentional Ganso Bomb, you can feel your own neck snapping when watching the video. In ’09, Misawa would take a belly-to-belly suplex, lose consciousness, and die in a hospital. In respect to the legend, we have to recommend watching Kawada vs Misawa at AJPW Super Power Series on March 3rd, 1994. It’s a magnificent performance and one of best matches of that decade.
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