Hangman Page suffers a scary concussion - AEW Dynamite, October 18, 2022
Top 10 Horrific AEW Injuries of All Time. AEW has seen its share of brutal, heartbreaking, and downright shocking injuries. From high-risk dives gone wrong to freak accidents mid-match, today we’re diving into the worst injuries in all elite wrestling history. These are the moments that shook the fans to the core. But before we jump in, hit that subscribe button so you don’t miss a second of AEW Talkdown. Let’s get into it.
10. Hangman Page suffers a scary concussion – AEW Dynamite, October 18, 2022
What started as a hard-hitting AEW World Championship match between Jon Moxley and Hangman Adam Page turned into a terrifying moment that silenced the entire arena. Midway through the bout, Moxley delivered a stiff lariat that flipped Hangman inside out, but he didn’t get up. Referee Paul Turner immediately called for medical attention and the match was stopped. Hangman was stretchered out live on air and it wasn’t a storyline. AEW later confirmed it was a legitimate concussion and for a moment, fans feared the worst. The timing, the live stoppage, and the uncertainty made this one of the most shocking injury moments in AEW history. Thankfully, Hangman made a full recovery and returned stronger than ever, but this incident was a chilling reminder of how real the risks are in that ring.
9. Jon Moxley Gets a Concussion – AEW Grand Slam, September 20, 2023
If Hangman Page’s injury was a wake-up call, what happened to Jon Moxley nearly a year later was déjà vu, but this time he was on the receiving end. At AEW Grand Slam 2023, Moxley defended the international championship against Rey Fenix. The match was fast-paced and physical, but it took a frightening turn when Fenix delivered a devastating driver. Not once, but twice. After the first attempt, it was clear something was off. Moxley wasn’t moving like himself. Reports later confirmed what many feared.
Jon Moxley had suffered a concussion during the match. What made it worse? He was originally supposed to win. The finish had to be changed mid-match, and Fenix was crowned the new champion in an improvised ending. Just like with Hangman, fans were left shaken. Moxley is known for being tough as nails, but even the toughest can be knocked out cold in an instant. This was another brutal reminder that anything can happen, even to the hardest-hitting guy in the game.
8. Cody Rhodes Gets Busted Open Twice
When Cody Rhodes says he bleeds for the business, he means it. The first brutal moment came at Fyter Fest 2019 when Cody took an unprotected steel chair shot to the back of the head from Shawn Spears. The sound alone was sickening, but the aftermath was even worse. Blood poured from the back of Cody’s skull as fans and officials rushed in. It was the kind of shot that made fans gasp and question how far AEW would go to stand out. Cody needed 12 staples to close the wound, and it instantly put Spears on the map as the chairman. But that wasn’t the end of Cody’s crimson sacrifices.
Fast forward to Full Gear 2019, Cody challenged Chris Jericho for the AEW World Championship, a high-stakes match where he vowed never to challenge for the title again if he lost. During the match, Cody launched himself over the ropes in a suicide dive, but landed face-first on the ramp. A deep gash opened on his forehead and blood streamed down his face for the rest of the match. Both moments showcased Cody’s old-school grit, but also highlighted the real risks behind these iconic AEW visuals. Two different injuries, same result, Cody Rhodes wearing crimson as a badge of honor.
7. Adam Copeland’s Leg Injury – Steel Cage Match vs. Malachi Black
This one was hard to watch, and even harder to recover from. In a brutal steel cage war against Malachi Black, Adam Copeland, formerly known as Edge, gave everything he had. But during a vicious spot late in the match, Copeland suffered a serious leg injury. At first, fans weren’t sure just how bad it was until he posted this: “Five more screws, another plate, more scars.” As Copeland himself joked, he’s becoming Robocop. But for fans, it was no laughing matter. Seeing a legend like him down and out, especially after such a hard-fought return to wrestling, was heartbreaking. This was more than just a physical setback. It was a moment that reminded fans just how dangerous this sport is, even for the most seasoned veterans.
6. Cash Wheeler’s arm gets torn open – AEW Fight for the Fallen, July 28, 2021
Tag team wrestling is all about timing, chemistry, and sometimes pain. During a match betweenFTR and Santana and Ortiz on AEW Fight for the Fallen, Cash Wheeler went for a routine spot off the top rope, but what followed was anything but routine. As he fell awkwardly into the turnbuckles, his arm got caught between the steel and the post, tearing his flesh open in a way that made fans instantly cringe.
He rolled out of the ring, clutching his forearm, and blood could be seen pouring down. It wasn’t just a scrape. It was a deep, exposed muscle tear that required immediate medical attention and even surgery. Wheeler was out of action for weeks, and the footage became one of the most replayed, wince-worthy injury moments in AEW history. It was brutal, unexpected, and a perfect example of how even the most basic spots can turn dangerous in the blink of an eye.
5. Bryan Danielson breaks his arm versus Kazuchika Okada – AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2023.
This one is as real as it gets. At Forbidden Door 2023, fans were witnessing a dream match: Bryan Danielson versus Kazuchika Okada. It was technical, intense, everything you’d expect, until disaster struck. Mid-match, Okada came down with an elbow drop, and in the process, Danielson’s right forearm snapped, a clean break. And here’s the insane part. He kept wrestling for another 10 minutes. His wife, Brie Bella, later shared this shocking x-ray showing the complete break in his forearm. Her words said it all: not sure to be proud or chastise him for wrestling 10 more minutes with this break. Definitely worse than we thought. Danielson not only finished the match, he won, locking in a one-armed LaBelle lock with a broken limb. It wasn’t just one of the worst injuries in AEW, it was a moment that defined his toughness forever.
4. Rey Fenix dislocates his arm – AEW Dynamite vs Jurassic Express, Jan 2022.
This was one of the most gruesome sights in AEW history. In a match between the Lucha Bros and Jurassic Express on the January 5th, 2022 episode of Dynamite, the action was wild until things took a horrifying turn. Luchasaurus chokeslammed Rey Fenix off the apron through a ringside table, but the landing went terribly wrong. Fenix’s arm twisted unnaturally beneath him, visibly dislocating on live TV. The visual was brutal and fans were immediately worried. While initial fears suggested a broken arm, doctors later confirmed it was a dislocation. Still serious, but thankfully not a break. Rey Fenix was sidelined for months and it was a heartbreaking moment in what was otherwise a title-changing night for Jurassic Express.
3. Darby Allin’s bloody glass spot, Sting’s retirement match – AEW Revolution 2024.
On March 3rd, 2024, AEW delivered one of its most emotional main events, Sting’s retirement match, teaming up with Darby Allin to defend the AEW Tag Team titles against the Young Bucks at AEW Revolution. But in true Darby fashion, the daredevil didn’t just wrestle, he risked everything. Midway through the match, Darby Allin climbed a ladder and attempted a high-risk dive to the outside, targeting the Young Bucks with a leap through a pane of glass set up on the floor. But the Bucks moved.
Darby went crashing through the glass alone and what followed was one of the bloodiest visuals in AEW history. His back was torn open and blood began pooling all over the floor with shards of glass scattered around his motionless body. The crowd went silent. Commentators were stunned. And fans knew right then, Darby gave everything. Not just for the win, but to honor Sting’s final stand.
2. Adam Cole’s concussion – AEW Dynamite 2025.
Few AEW careers have felt as snakebitten as Adam Cole’s. Since arriving with a bang in 2021, Cole’s time in All Elite Wrestling has been plagued more by injuries than in-ring action. And each one has chipped away at the dream run fans once hoped for. There have been two major incidents that marked this unfortunate pattern:
In September 2023 at AEW Grand Slam, Cole broke his foot while rushing down the ramp to help his friend MJF in a match against Samoa Joe. The injury sidelined him for months, yet Cole remained a weekly presence, showing up in a wheelchair or on crutches just to keep the storyline alive.
But even before that, at Forbidden Door 2022, Cole suffered his first serious concussion during a fatal four-way match. A stiff dropkick from Kazuchika Okada left him visibly dazed, forcing a rushed finish and a long absence from TV.
And then came the latest blow, maybe the hardest yet. On an episode of AEW Dynamite in July 2025, during a match with Kyle Felfletcher, Cole took a powerbomb onto the apron, but Fletcher missed by a mile. Cole’s head violently bounced off the edge, and while he initiallywalked it off, things got worse. He was scheduled to defend the TNT Championship against Fletcher at AEW All In Texas. But on the day of the show, doctors refused to clear him, and Cole himself admitted he didn’t feel right.
Instead of disappearing, Adam Cole walked out in front of the crowd, visibly shaken, holding back tears. He explained the situation to the fans, who responded with love, fear, and respect. The atmosphere was emotional. Was this the end? Nobody knew, including Cole. This moment didn’t feature glass, fire, or blood, but it cut deeper than most. AEW fans and Cole himself can only hope this isn’t the last chapter.
1. Matt Hardy’s Concussion, a Fall Too Real – AEW All Out 2020
This wasn’t just a scary wrestling moment. This was a moment that crossed a line. The feud between Matt Hardy and Sammy Guevara in 2020 was already intense, filled with dangerous spots and escalating violence, but no one expected it to reach a level where real-life safety would come into question. It all started on an episode of AEW Dynamite, when Sammy Guevara brutally attacked Matt Hardy and threw a steel chair straight at his head. The impact busted Hardy open instantly, leaving him covered in blood and adding genuine heat to their rivalry.
Fast forward to AEW All Out 2020, a match where the stipulation was clear: If Matt Hardy loses, he must leave AEW. The stakes were high, but the moment that stole headlines was one no one wanted to see. During the match, Guevara pushed Hardy off a scissor lift platform, sending him crashing through a table far below. The problem? Hardy missed most of the table, and his head violently bounced off the concrete floor. He lay there, motionless for several seconds. Hardy’s head hits the concrete.
At that point, it was clear. Matt Hardy was concussed. Everyone watching knew it. Referee Aubrey Edwards threw up the X sign, and for a moment, the match seemed to be called off. But then, shockingly, the match restarted. Hardy, clearly not in any condition to continue, somehow climbed scaffolding and finished the match as planned. The visual might have satisfied storyline logic, but the real-life risk left fans stunned.
Criticism rained down on AEW. Many questioned why the match wasn’t stopped permanently, and whether Matt Hardy’s health was sacrificed for entertainment. Tony Khan later stated Hardy had passed concussion protocols during the brief pause, but fans weren’t convinced. This was the kind of moment that goes beyond storylines, a reminder that even in a scripted sport, the danger is always real.
Top 10 Horrific AEW Injuries of All Time
That wraps up our list of the most horrific injuries in AEW history. These moments remind us how dangerous professional wrestling can truly be. Which of these injuries shocked you the most? Let us know down in the comments, and if we missed any, we’d love to hear what you think should have made the list. If you found this video insightful, give it a like, hit that subscribe button, and turn on notifications so you don’t miss any future content. Until next time, stay healthy, stay happy, and keep watching AEW Talkdown.
