yeah but he came back when no one thought he was gonna be able to after his back surgery and ended up being better despite being more physically limited. i get the joke but shawn actually came back from something crazy af.
Hey may be immortal but his ability to speak sure isn't. Poor guy. :/ It's not the falls that do it, it's the chair bumps. Honestly, I don't see why WWE can't find a way to 3D print chairs made out of much more flimsy material to use specifically in matches and spots - y'know, make them out of something with more 'give' to it but looks legitimate.
Two I'd consider: - Harley Race in his early career from coming back from a car crash where he lost his pregnant wife and his leg was nearly amputated. Was told he would never walk again - rehabbing and becoming NWA Champion and an absolute legend. Part of why this come back is so significant is having proven his toughness through the ordeal is largely attributed to how he started to become so respected. - Matt Hardy for his major alcoholism and drug addiction, run ins with the law, prison time, and mental illness - Cleaning up and going on to have the most successful rung in his singles Career as Broken Matt and reviving the Hardy Boyz as a top team as well. Doing all this so late in his career and after hitting rock bottom not just his psysical but in his mental well being is inspiring.
Surely Steve Blackman deserves a honourable mention. Signed for WWF in 1988, but a year later he contracted Malaria whilst in Africa and was bedridden for 2 years. When he recovered he lost muscle mass and decided to bulk up, which took another 4 years to recover to full health and fitness, and whilst he was getting back to his best he learnt Mixed Martial Arts which he involved in his wrestling skill, when he came back to WWF in 9 years later in 1997. It doesn't matter how little glory Blackman had in WWF, he was still a genuine badass, and one of my favourite superstars growing up.
@@jackburton2680 well it wasnt really his gimmick either they never said he was an mma champ or that, I just presumed he was thought I'd read it somewhere but was wrong. He is trained in mma though and has his own mma gym so it's not just a gimmick, if it was just a gimmick he wouldnt be able to train people
As an Honorable mention, Ed Leslie (Brutus Beefcake) had his entire face smashed in an accident and got total reconstructive surgery. That counts for something.
Although he never came back to wrestling and has passed sadly, I'd give an honorable mention to Eiji Ezaki (Hayabusa) after becoming paralyzed. He still did everything he could for himself and the business, getting into singing, and the year before he passed, gained the use of his legs and could walk with a cane.
I liked how Brian spoke about a lot of Japanese guys in this list he normally doesn't and just focuses on just wwe/wcw history so it was a nice change for him in this video
Shawn Michaels wasn't retired by The Undertaker in the 1998 match though, he was forced to retire from the back injury he got during that match. In 2010, it was HBK that wanted to retire on his own terms (while making The Undertaker the reason why he retired in the storyline at the time). So Shawn Michaels was one who retired himself in reality.
@@jerelminter Well yeah, Undertaker gave him the back injury by throwing him onto the casket. And in storyline, Undertaker refused to even face HBK until he put his career on the line. I stand by my comment!
I know this is an old video, but an updated video would have to include Roman Reigns coming back after beating cancer and having one of the most successful runs since coming back in the history of the business alongside The Bloodline.
I’m shocked you didn’t add Vacant to this list. He was presumed dead for at least a year or two reportedly appearing in indies somehow. And then he popped back up in WCW and had possibly the most amount of title wins in one year
Kenta Kobashi killed his cancer with a Burning Hammer. You should at least have mentioned that "Mr Wrestling" Tim Woods (the guy in the white mask at 14:05) was the only babyface traveling with a group of heels (and to make matters worse, he had been feuding with Flair and Johnny Valentine at the time), back in the time when kayfabe was law. Although he checked into the hospital under his real name (George Woodin) rather than his ring name (if you read the article at 14:17 it says that only _three_ of the six men on the plane were professional wrestlers), the rumours that he'd been with the heels started to leak out, so to "prove" he hadn't been on the plane and wasn't injured, he went into the ring to compete only _two weeks_ after the accident, despite the excruciating pain he was still in. Flair would later credit him as the man who saved wrestling.
Him winning the WWE title while Michael Cole verbally acknowledged the demons he went through on his journey will always be one of my favourite moments in wrestling history
Men... Kobashi... Just watch his Wars with Misawa and you can see why he had so many injuries. The stiffnes of those wars... But damn they were Freaking Awesome.
A nice story about stiff workers is about Stan Hansen. He is nearsighted which made him blind as a bat in the ring, this was the cause for his incredibly stiff style due to his need for a hit confirm.
D Bone pretty much 90% of the “top guys” in wrestling are dicks at some point in their career it’s unfortunately just how it is so they don’t lose their “spot” Hogan (basically his entire career) Flair with his reputation Bret Hart John Cena Triple H Undertaker to a certain degree (he refused to put DDP over and straight up murdered him the entire feud) Randy Orton Ultimate Warrior It’s just how it is sadly
I disagree, Zane was spot on for putting Flair at #1. Flair went from a nobody to world legend. HBK was already an established star prior to his injury albeit only a star in the Fed/wrestling, while Flair became an American (if not, World) icon.
There was a talking Rock soap bar too. I remember seeing it on wrestlecrap a long time ago. It would say (in the Rock's voice of course), "Wash your ass". No joke.
So Austin broke Chonos neck yet had issues with Owen for the exact same move?!? Ive heard him discuss how owen was supposed to drop to his knees not his butt yet austin dropped to his butt. I think Austin needs to give Owen a break (no pun intended)
I think the difference is that Austin had performed that move long prior to his match with Owen. I have heard that when they were planning the match, Owen said he would drop to a seated position and Austin (possibly knowing the effects of what that would cause) insisted multiple times to drop to a kneeling position. Owen decided to drop to a seated position and the rest is history.
Owen wasn't supposed to go to his butt on that move, hence it wasn't planned pre match. The Chonos Austin incident was a pre planned love that just went bad. Big difference if u ask me. Doesn't matter though. Owen is passed away and Austin had the best run of any wrestler ever. I'd say it's a moot point.
@@ardi8912 I heard that he only used that move like less than 10 times in his whole career, did he have another finisher outside of that that he used otherwise?
@@zanewoollett6877 if i'm not mistaken he used a lariat as his finisher & its named Burning Lariat. Also back in AJPW he used finisher named Orange Crush.
Yeah... Ric Flair changed the game on wrestling by dropping weight and changing his style... he became one of the greatest champions... is on the Mount Rushmore and such... it’s pretty great he recovered..
Marc Quill And also, it would be hard and crazy to believe that a decade later from his reign of terror he would be the same man whose now very liked/loved by many fans for his amazing work in NXT/Takeovers/NXT UK/The Mae Young Classic/The Crusierweight Classic and 205 Live.
Yeah that guy sure become somebody important in wrestling. I liked him during his DX days and well his initial "my time" run. Not as much during the McMahon/Helmsley era though I respected him at least on some level then that I recall.
These are some impressive comebacks. The 2 cancer comeback stories in here also remind me of another amazing cancer comeback from a different sport. Mario Lemieux missed about 2 months in the 1992-1993 after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma and missed about 2 months while getting aggressive treatments, where he not only nearly had his hall of fame career cut short, but nearly died. He came back to win the scoring title that year with 160 pts in just 60 games, and win his first of back to back Stanley Cups. Not back for a comeback. Oh, and he was also dealing with degenerative arthritis in his back for years by then too. IMO making a comeback from deadly diseases like Cancer are the stuff of legend, no matter what sport or profession you are in.
What about a Top 8 on-screen burials that wrestlers came back from? Triple H after the Curtain Call and Daniel Bryan after Wrestlemania 28 and Summerslam 2013 are two examples that come immediately to mind.
Acerthorn would Cody Rhodes be one? Did decent initially in WWE, became a clone of his half-brother, left, took off in the indies and is now the NWA World Heavyweight Champion.
If you haven't seen the WWE 24 special on Kurt Angle's return last year, I highly suggest you check it out. It's a good look at everything that happened in-between his WWE exit in 2006 and his return, especially how he overcame his addictions and personal demons.
Lee Perkins - I still cringe every time someone brings up Sid's leg snap. Worst part is that they still carried on with the run in even though you could clearly see it was broken!
Steve Blackman coming back from Malaria should be an honourable mention here, but I suppose you’re only covering the true stars of wrestling history so
Or to be more far based on who was at the top of the card when he was with the company; he should of had a run with something more than the Hardcore title at least (IC, Euro, Tag).
Gregory Dante trust me I agree 100%! I was just making the point that everyone else on this list were booked to be major stars in their respective promotions, and I feel like Blackman never got a fair shake of the stick in terms of that position on the card, but to be able to come back from being bedridden for months should be commended
Stone Cold is such a hyprocrite, brushes over Chono's injury and apparently couldn't bury the hatchet with Owen? Nice video, my favourite of the lot is Kobashi. Only thing he ever no-sold was cancer
Bob Backlund deserved honorable mention. He didn't necessarily overcome an obstacle, but in 1992 his promos said, "It is my goal to once again win the World Wrestling Federation Championship". And he did exactly that in 1994.
I know this was more injury focussed but shoutout to the Hardys too. Their comeback, long-term, hasn't been great but you're talking about two dudes whose lives were total utter messes. Like guys who were bottom of the barrel, on death's door. Yet, they came back and worked their asses off with one of modern wrestling's most talked about storylines and got to have that incredible wrestlemania moment with one of the biggest crowd pops in recent memory. Hell of a comeback for those guys even if it does look short lived.
It's not fake, it's scripted and they're not trying to be a sport. It's entertainment with some elements of athleticism in it that resembles a sport but it's not fake because these injuries are real. If it was fake, all of the dead wrestlers would still be alive, especially Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit.
@@billysinge8977 who said I'm unhappy I said there were more deserving on this list. To mention Bryans return is the best only a mental age of a child who didn't know wrestling pre 2008 would say something like that. And what's the 'all things considered'. Did he break his neck, in a plane crash, have a life threatening disease?
Awesome video Brian! I think one of your best. It was a really good and insightful list. The remarkable thing about the HBK comeback is that he had an even better career post-injury IMO. I saw Liger a few years back on an indie show in London. What a talent! He had the crowd in the palm of his hands! Never knew that Flair wrestled a different style before the plane crash. That was interesting to hear.
Sébastien Legrand Yea thats what I wanted to confirm because if he was injured in just 2004 then that was after Wrestlemania.I guess when they made him smackdown GM in 2004 was when he was actually recovering from his neck injuries.
He suffered a neck injury in 2003 near wrestlemania. But the problems would come back in 2004, during his match with Eddie at Wrestlemania. He couldn't feel his fingers. Hence why he became GM during that time.
Austin warned Owen about that spot and didn't want to go through with it because of the Chono incident. In regards to Liger, he is now calling it quits at WrestleKingdom next January. He might go down as the greatest Junior Heavyweight/Cruiserweight/Light Heavyweight wrestler of all time.
I'm just here to mention that I was at the press conference the picture at 13:30 is from, and oh boy what a moment it was to see these guys up close for the first time ever.
Here's the thing about Kobashi: he also completely changed his style of wrestling. He was an athletic freak with an all-rounder style. His finisher for a long time was the Moonsault, before developing the Burning Lariat and later the Burning Hammer. Upon coming back from his knee injuries, Kobashi was barely mobile for the rest of his career, so he became an absolute tank on offense, hence the story of "don't trade bombs with Kobashi." That GHC Heavyweight Title reign from 2003 to 2005 is still one of the best runs ever, with a handful of five-star classics.
What about The Undertaker - lost Casket Match, died, ascended into the ether, and despite Leslie Neilsen and various sightings reported in WWF Magazine, there was no hope of a return until HE did to win a match against.... himself.
This video is great Brian you've been on point for a while now by far one of the best wrestling channels on youtube but one could make the case it is the best keep pumping out the great content!!
Good list for sure, but Lawler coming back after a year off for a REALLY bad leg break, which saw Memphis business almost die, turned Jimmy Hart heel, create one of the best worked shoots with him and King ever, and King goes on to be one of the most legendary wrestlers of all time.
I am surprised Benoit didn't get a mention but then again......I am not surprised. Although I am surprised HBK didn't rank at number one. Not only he came back from a back injury, but in the 90s, Shawn came back from getting beat up by 6 men.
Edge 2004: Returned from neck surgery and went on to become an 11 time world champion, first ever MITB briefcase holder, and one of the best heels of the last fifteen years
@@dumbname939 I'm not discrediting Edge's most recent comeback, I'm just saying his 2004 comeback bigger long term effects than this one. His feuds with Matt Hardy and John Cena, the relationship with Lita, becoming the first Mr MITB...they all happened following Edges return to RAW and heel turn. And that's not even counting his feuds with Batista and Undertaker on Smackdown.
Admittedly a non-wrestler at the time, but on 10th September 2012, a then 62-year old commentator *Jerry 'The King' Lawler* suffered a *cardiac arrest* on an episode of Monday Night RAW. Jerry was back commentating just 2 months later
You forgot to mention that Tanahashi is the reason why NJPW is still even around, as he carried that company on his shoulders out of its worst slump, keeping it from going under.
This is a HUGE bet for the future, but it things go the right way, Hiromu Takahashi coming back from his own neck injury could potentially make such a list one day. I mean, we are talking about the most over Junior Heavyweight in New Japan, he had to leave as champion with his stock was at its highest since coming back from excursion in Mexico, and since he came back in late 2016, he had a tremendous run with loads of great matches along the way. Oh, and, the reception he'll get whenever he comes back is going to make the building explode. (That's lowkey a pun) Last thing, as he's a great wrestler, I have no worries that he'll adapt his style. (Something he already started to do before his injury) Anyway, dope top.
I kinda feel like Triple H's quad tear should have been on the main list just from the fact that at the time no athlete from any sport had ever come back from a quad tear before him. Ever.
Didn't Triple H tear BOTH of his quads? His left one in 2001 and his right one at the beginning of 2007? If the latter is true, then Triple H is a goddamn G!
Daniel Bryan might have been higher on this list if it came out a couple of months later. His heel turn and WWE Championship run has re-invigorated his career yet again.
Have you seen Liger's farewell tour this year? Especially this recent feud with Suzuki that appears to have just wrapped? Holy shit, he's still so good! That feud was great, and Suzuki even managed to get under Liger's skin enough to give us one last Kishin Liger sighting. Which, as a fan that grew up with Liger in 90's in WCW but never got to see his NJPW work from the time, it was my first time seeing that version of Liger. And holy crap! I never, ever suspected that the living superhero had a spike wielding serial killer living inside of him!
While not on the level of the others, Curt Hennig came back from a back injury for a brief 1992-1993 run in the WWF and then again for a slightly longer WCW run in 1997-1999. I'd say he deserves at least an honorable mention. Chris Benoit would also deserve to be on the list for his comeback after neck surgery in 2001--but murdering his wife and child before committing suicide tends to take one off of a lot of lists.
Though not an injury, I think the Hardy's and their drug/alcohol addictions at least deserve an honorable mention. Jeff going from Victory Road 2011 to being one of the best workers in WWE and TNA is a great feat, and the documentary they did on the WWE Network is still amazing to watch.
Good list overall. If I could add anyone it would be Tazz when he returned from his neck injury in ECW. Before it he was the Tazmaniac, a face with hair that only had the suplexes that he was known for. But with his return he turned heel, aligned with Bill Alfonzo, used the Tazmission submission move, and developed the bald no nonsense persona that he became known for.
Gonna be honest, this is the first time I ever heard about Austin breaking Chono's neck, and I was very familiar with who Chono was when I was teenage fan back in the 90's . Given the irony of the situation, I would have guessed this would have been mentioned much more frequently over the years when talking about Austin having his neck broken by the same botched move.
As always you killed it. Love this channel, never repackage...buuuut I'm actually posting to see if you were aware of Nuestra Lucha Libre -Season 1 on Netflix. Haven't watched yet but idea sounds good... Any thoughts? Keep up tremendous work.
another honorable mention to me is kerry von erich following his motorcycle accident in 1986 and wrestling the remainder of his career with a prosthetic right foot.
I'd say that Kerry Von Erich would rank on here, or at least in the honourable mentions. Losing your foot then carrying on wrestling is a pretty exceptional feat.
Don't forget, Michaels also came back from losing his smile, the most devastating injury in the business
Kirbi Chan lmao I agree
Yes never forget right next to Vince McMahon breaking both of his quads in his same freaking night
It truly was a travesty
yeah but he came back when no one thought he was gonna be able to after his back surgery and ended up being better despite being more physically limited. i get the joke but shawn actually came back from something crazy af.
Kenta Kobashi came back from cancer...
Mick Foley coming back after just about every PPV match he’s ever been in.
Mick Foley just waking up in the morning, frankly. It's genuinely ridiculous that man is alive. I mean I'm glad! But cripes.
.
more specifically, Mick making a run in the match after the Hell in the Cell.
SIT DOWN, MICK
Hey may be immortal but his ability to speak sure isn't. Poor guy. :/ It's not the falls that do it, it's the chair bumps. Honestly, I don't see why WWE can't find a way to 3D print chairs made out of much more flimsy material to use specifically in matches and spots - y'know, make them out of something with more 'give' to it but looks legitimate.
Mick Foley eats barbed wire for breakfast. He's just too tough.
Two I'd consider:
- Harley Race in his early career from coming back from a car crash where he lost his pregnant wife and his leg was nearly amputated. Was told he would never walk again - rehabbing and becoming NWA Champion and an absolute legend. Part of why this come back is so significant is having proven his toughness through the ordeal is largely attributed to how he started to become so respected.
- Matt Hardy for his major alcoholism and drug addiction, run ins with the law, prison time, and mental illness - Cleaning up and going on to have the most successful rung in his singles Career as Broken Matt and reviving the Hardy Boyz as a top team as well. Doing all this so late in his career and after hitting rock bottom not just his psysical but in his mental well being is inspiring.
Also being fired after being cheated on.
Harley also threatened the doctor if he amputated his leg lol
Kerry von Erich losing a foot and coming back (without fans even knowing he lost a foot) was a hell of a comeback.
Well until his foot came off in a match
Surely Steve Blackman deserves a honourable mention. Signed for WWF in 1988, but a year later he contracted Malaria whilst in Africa and was bedridden for 2 years. When he recovered he lost muscle mass and decided to bulk up, which took another 4 years to recover to full health and fitness, and whilst he was getting back to his best he learnt Mixed Martial Arts which he involved in his wrestling skill, when he came back to WWF in 9 years later in 1997. It doesn't matter how little glory Blackman had in WWF, he was still a genuine badass, and one of my favourite superstars growing up.
I loved Steve Blackman as a kid because he had a unique style. I also liked him with al snow as head cheese. That was hilarious
Did he not do mma before he signed in 88? Am sure that's why wwe signed him. Could be wrong
@@blueweegie6541 He never did MMA. It was just a gimmick.
@@jackburton2680 well it wasnt really his gimmick either they never said he was an mma champ or that, I just presumed he was thought I'd read it somewhere but was wrong. He is trained in mma though and has his own mma gym so it's not just a gimmick, if it was just a gimmick he wouldnt be able to train people
Steve blackman = frank grimes
My personal pick is wrestling fans coming back a whole 30 minutes after they said they'd cancel the network and never watch WWE again
Truly the ultimate gluttons of punishment
I've been Sticking with it.
No that is due to weakness not intestinal fortitude
Don't forget Sin Cara's epic comeback after he got his finger broken.
Lol
As an Honorable mention, Ed Leslie (Brutus Beefcake) had his entire face smashed in an accident and got total reconstructive surgery. That counts for something.
Good point!
Absolutely!!
Very True, I was never a big fan of his but that is an amazing come back.
Joey Mercury as well.
+Dao Joey Mercury didn't have his entire face destroyed. Ed Leslie's face was _completely_ shattered requiring full reconstruction.
Although he never came back to wrestling and has passed sadly, I'd give an honorable mention to Eiji Ezaki (Hayabusa) after becoming paralyzed. He still did everything he could for himself and the business, getting into singing, and the year before he passed, gained the use of his legs and could walk with a cane.
Seeing him walk into a wrestling ring unassisted before his death was a damn tear-jerker
I liked how Brian spoke about a lot of Japanese guys in this list he normally doesn't and just focuses on just wwe/wcw history so it was a nice change for him in this video
Kodi Salihu the new Japan guys literally dodged death so that’s why.
the Kobashi come back was pretty damn emotional. even people that didn't watch puro can see it.
Jushin Thunder Liger is the GOAT
@@rokaanalzeer Kenta kobashi wasn't new Japan,he is all Japan/Pro wrestling noah
Crazy that Undertaker has retired Shawn Michaels twice.
Gonna do it a third time now lol
Possible for the third time
After The undertaker appear on raw with Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels wasn't retired by The Undertaker in the 1998 match though, he was forced to retire from the back injury he got during that match. In 2010, it was HBK that wanted to retire on his own terms (while making The Undertaker the reason why he retired in the storyline at the time). So Shawn Michaels was one who retired himself in reality.
@@jerelminter Well yeah, Undertaker gave him the back injury by throwing him onto the casket. And in storyline, Undertaker refused to even face HBK until he put his career on the line. I stand by my comment!
Only in WWE could the performer retire a hundred times.
This is why Naitch went from flying in planes to exclusively becoming a jet flying son of a gun.
I can't tell if Liger is a workaholic or has an addiction to wrestling. Wrestling monthly for so long is insane.
I know this is an old video, but an updated video would have to include Roman Reigns coming back after beating cancer and having one of the most successful runs since coming back in the history of the business alongside The Bloodline.
I’m shocked you didn’t add Vacant to this list. He was presumed dead for at least a year or two reportedly appearing in indies somehow. And then he popped back up in WCW and had possibly the most amount of title wins in one year
Kenta Kobashi killed his cancer with a Burning Hammer.
You should at least have mentioned that "Mr Wrestling" Tim Woods (the guy in the white mask at 14:05) was the only babyface traveling with a group of heels (and to make matters worse, he had been feuding with Flair and Johnny Valentine at the time), back in the time when kayfabe was law. Although he checked into the hospital under his real name (George Woodin) rather than his ring name (if you read the article at 14:17 it says that only _three_ of the six men on the plane were professional wrestlers), the rumours that he'd been with the heels started to leak out, so to "prove" he hadn't been on the plane and wasn't injured, he went into the ring to compete only _two weeks_ after the accident, despite the excruciating pain he was still in. Flair would later credit him as the man who saved wrestling.
Damn. Kevin Nash didn’t make the list with his many quad injuries.
Kevin Nash could have his own top 10 comebacks, just from torn quads
And me saying this just caused Nash to tear his quad again. Cue the comeback!
People have to want you back to be on this list.
Honestly, it's more impressive Flair survived Eric Bischoff's booking.
Jeffrey Drozek-Fitzwater you can call Flair a lot of things. Just don’t call him Spartacus
Yes
Eddie Guerrero had my personal favorite comeback. He was also my favorite wrestler to watch, and I still watch his old matches to this day
Him winning the WWE title while Michael Cole verbally acknowledged the demons he went through on his journey will always be one of my favourite moments in wrestling history
One of his greatest matches was while he was on the Indy circuit. Go look up his match with Rey and guy you might have heard of before, CM Punk.
Men... Kobashi... Just watch his Wars with Misawa and you can see why he had so many injuries. The stiffnes of those wars... But damn they were Freaking Awesome.
A nice story about stiff workers is about Stan Hansen. He is nearsighted which made him blind as a bat in the ring, this was the cause for his incredibly stiff style due to his need for a hit confirm.
@@randalica92 Yeah i remember the Tag Hansen and Gordy... Those Two worked as Stiff as it is possible. But damn their matches were golden.
They made nakamura, ishii and shibata's strong style look tame amd soft
And a losing streak during his debur
Shawn Michaels is the only guy I can think of that actually came back better than his first initial run after his back injury
After he "found god" and stopped being a pos backstage. I agree.
D Bone pretty much 90% of the “top guys” in wrestling are dicks at some point in their career it’s unfortunately just how it is so they don’t lose their “spot”
Hogan (basically his entire career)
Flair with his reputation
Bret Hart
John Cena
Triple H
Undertaker to a certain degree (he refused to put DDP over and straight up murdered him the entire feud)
Randy Orton
Ultimate Warrior
It’s just how it is sadly
@@superrobz There is a difference between being a dick "at some point" and being a prick all the time. And HBK took it to another level.
D Bone probably nor to a Hogan or Warrior level but yeah... unlike those guys he got his shit together
I disagree, Zane was spot on for putting Flair at #1. Flair went from a nobody to world legend. HBK was already an established star prior to his injury albeit only a star in the Fed/wrestling, while Flair became an American (if not, World) icon.
When is the Stone Cold Soap gonna make a come back from his injury in the tub drain?
Did Brian do that????? Which episode did he try and kill the soap????
@@jackc1186 I don't think that happened, but it would be cool.
N O W Y O U W A R S H U P
There was a talking Rock soap bar too. I remember seeing it on wrestlecrap a long time ago. It would say (in the Rock's voice of course), "Wash your ass". No joke.
wstine79 got damn your thumbnail looks like you crawled out of the toilet bowl with cage match grin.
Love the Liger theme at the end.
Always been a fan of Liger
The gimmick was inspired by Thunder Liger, one of the lesser known works of Go Nagai (Devilman and Mazinger).
So Austin broke Chonos neck yet had issues with Owen for the exact same move?!? Ive heard him discuss how owen was supposed to drop to his knees not his butt yet austin dropped to his butt. I think Austin needs to give Owen a break (no pun intended)
I think the difference is that Austin had performed that move long prior to his match with Owen. I have heard that when they were planning the match, Owen said he would drop to a seated position and Austin (possibly knowing the effects of what that would cause) insisted multiple times to drop to a kneeling position. Owen decided to drop to a seated position and the rest is history.
Owen wasn't supposed to go to his butt on that move, hence it wasn't planned pre match. The Chonos Austin incident was a pre planned love that just went bad. Big difference if u ask me.
Doesn't matter though. Owen is passed away and Austin had the best run of any wrestler ever. I'd say it's a moot point.
I'm glad you had Kenta Kobashi. The fact you knew who he is makes me respect you so much more
Kobashi still has the greatest finisher of all time.
@@randalica92 Yes indeed.
@@randalica92 Yeah, Burning Hamaaaaaaarrr!!!
@@ardi8912 I heard that he only used that move like less than 10 times in his whole career, did he have another finisher outside of that that he used otherwise?
@@zanewoollett6877 if i'm not mistaken he used a lariat as his finisher & its named Burning Lariat. Also back in AJPW he used finisher named Orange Crush.
Yeah... Ric Flair changed the game on wrestling by dropping weight and changing his style... he became one of the greatest champions... is on the Mount Rushmore and such... it’s pretty great he recovered..
Hmmm... Mount Rushmore.... My personal 4... Randy Savage. Ric Flair. Andre the Giant. Stone Cold Steve Austin. Thoughts?
Mine is Hogan, Flair, Stone Cold, And Cena. 3 were the most popular wrestlers of their eras, and Ric was a legend and 16 time champ...
I never knew Ric Flair was in a plane crash. That's crazy and that's how he became the nature boy essentially.
@@notyoursavior78 That plane story is kind of interesting, people died in there.
Always a fan of Ric Frair... But then again I live in NC. For me it would be Ric Flair, Undertaker, Mick Foley, and Steve Austin.
That pop for Triple H back in 2002 was off the chart, a very memorable moment.
Hard to believe that three years later, that the person receiving that huge pop would be the same man who'd be despised for the Reign of Terror.
Marc Quill And also, it would be hard and crazy to believe that a decade later from his reign of terror he would be the same man whose now very liked/loved by many fans for his amazing work in NXT/Takeovers/NXT UK/The Mae Young Classic/The Crusierweight Classic and 205 Live.
Yeah that guy sure become somebody important in wrestling. I liked him during his DX days and well his initial "my time" run. Not as much during the McMahon/Helmsley era though I respected him at least on some level then that I recall.
He faked the quad
Don't call it a Comeback!
I've been here for Years!
I get it
Mama said knock you out!!!!!!
I almost kept the rhymes going!
Uncle Jericho Wants YOU!!! 😂😂😂😂😂
“Bring it on one eyed Willy.” * starts shooting cable*
These are some impressive comebacks. The 2 cancer comeback stories in here also remind me of another amazing cancer comeback from a different sport. Mario Lemieux missed about 2 months in the 1992-1993 after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma and missed about 2 months while getting aggressive treatments, where he not only nearly had his hall of fame career cut short, but nearly died. He came back to win the scoring title that year with 160 pts in just 60 games, and win his first of back to back Stanley Cups. Not back for a comeback. Oh, and he was also dealing with degenerative arthritis in his back for years by then too.
IMO making a comeback from deadly diseases like Cancer are the stuff of legend, no matter what sport or profession you are in.
What about a Top 8 on-screen burials that wrestlers came back from? Triple H after the Curtain Call and Daniel Bryan after Wrestlemania 28 and Summerslam 2013 are two examples that come immediately to mind.
How was summerslam 2013 a burial for Bryan?
His clean victory of John Cena was all for naught because Orton came out and squashed him like a bug by cashing in MITB.
Acerthorn would Cody Rhodes be one? Did decent initially in WWE, became a clone of his half-brother, left, took off in the indies and is now the NWA World Heavyweight Champion.
@@Acerthorn It was part of a story line. He didn't get shoot buried
EDH Only if I get to be a pony!
No Duggan beating cancer as even an honorable mention? Yes he was past his prime by then but still he beat cancer!
If you haven't seen the WWE 24 special on Kurt Angle's return last year, I highly suggest you check it out. It's a good look at everything that happened in-between his WWE exit in 2006 and his return, especially how he overcame his addictions and personal demons.
I feel like Edge should have at least made an honourable mention.
Yesl. Had a 9 year injury and returned recently
Flair’s backbody drops were incredibly high and violent lol
Let's not forget: Hacksaw Jim Duggan (cancer), Sid Vicious (broken leg), Ken Patera (incarceration)
How about Arn Anderson (stabbing due to Sid Vicious)?
@@shawdawg2852 or Rikishi (gunshot wound)
Kerry Von Erich...lost a foot.
And calling Sid's broken leg a broken leg is like calling Godzilla a slightly big lizard. That thing was SNAPPED.
Lee Perkins - I still cringe every time someone brings up Sid's leg snap. Worst part is that they still carried on with the run in even though you could clearly see it was broken!
well isnt it a dislocation of his tibula and fibula
which is even worse because its just looks like an L
Steve Blackman coming back from Malaria should be an honourable mention here, but I suppose you’re only covering the true stars of wrestling history so
Holy fuck
Demonetisation B Steve Blackman is a legend... doesn’t matter what anyone says...
Or to be more far based on who was at the top of the card when he was with the company; he should of had a run with something more than the Hardcore title at least (IC, Euro, Tag).
@@gregd806 damn straight especially in the hardcore division.
Gregory Dante trust me I agree 100%! I was just making the point that everyone else on this list were booked to be major stars in their respective promotions, and I feel like Blackman never got a fair shake of the stick in terms of that position on the card, but to be able to come back from being bedridden for months should be commended
Kenta Kobashi is the best. Even when he was barely functioning in the ring he still entertained me like nobody else.
Stone Cold is such a hyprocrite, brushes over Chono's injury and apparently couldn't bury the hatchet with Owen?
Nice video, my favourite of the lot is Kobashi. Only thing he ever no-sold was cancer
it was mostly because Austin said Owen never once apologized or even called him after the injury happened
And Austin never apologised to Hiro.
I was thinking the same thing
@@tspawn35 exactly, Owen was so ashamed he didn't know to apologise. But Owen's dead So he can't apologise. Chono's still alive.
The setups for the move looked so dumb both times.
Like obviously dangerous. The move doesn't even look good. Such a waste.
THICC Flair? No, Ric Square
Kobashi in the thumbnail? Annnndddd, looks like I'm watching immediately.
Eddie was 5’8 and 250lbs? I never realized how jacked he was.
Devon Chavis and he's white.
230.Still pretty damn big.
No he wasn't.
Bob Backlund deserved honorable mention. He didn't necessarily overcome an obstacle, but in 1992 his promos said, "It is my goal to once again win the World Wrestling Federation Championship". And he did exactly that in 1994.
BrianJamesShanley that’s not what this list is about
Chono is one of the greatest NWA heavyweight champions of all time.
Im a little Bummed You did not Mention Yoshi Tatsu, and his recovery from his Broken Neck. Took a year and nearly killed him.
I liked when Edge came back to win the Royal Rumble after his Achilles heal injury.
Yeah but he retired 14 months later so 🙁
@@luscorpio3679 and just came back like a month ago lol
@@ilikeprowrestling Well...
I know this was more injury focussed but shoutout to the Hardys too. Their comeback, long-term, hasn't been great but you're talking about two dudes whose lives were total utter messes. Like guys who were bottom of the barrel, on death's door. Yet, they came back and worked their asses off with one of modern wrestling's most talked about storylines and got to have that incredible wrestlemania moment with one of the biggest crowd pops in recent memory. Hell of a comeback for those guys even if it does look short lived.
Kenta Kobashi to me is the GOAT, when he came back from Cancer, I lost my mind man. it was so awesome.
This list shows how much people suffer for a fake sport it's why I love wrestling
Then there is soccer
I'd like to see an mma star comeback from half of these injury in the same time it took these wrestlers.
It's not fake, it's scripted and they're not trying to be a sport. It's entertainment with some elements of athleticism in it that resembles a sport but it's not fake because these injuries are real. If it was fake, all of the dead wrestlers would still be alive, especially Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit.
@@jerelminter I know I was being flippant
The Man With no life NEXT ON UFC... CONOR MCGREGOR VS A PLANE!
*does four figure leg locks on the ground until one round ends*
D-Bryan’s recent return has to be one of my all time faves all things considered
He has literally done nothing. It has been so lame. I'm good on mixed tag matches with his wife.
how old are you - 10? it's not even comparable to some of these on this list and Bryan has done nothing since his comeback
WRESTLE WITH ANDY oh hi!
Neags he has a channel. He doesn’t sound ten, anyway, why aren’t you happy D Bry returned? It’s been kinda lame but he’s back, right?
@@billysinge8977 who said I'm unhappy I said there were more deserving on this list. To mention Bryans return is the best only a mental age of a child who didn't know wrestling pre 2008 would say something like that. And what's the 'all things considered'. Did he break his neck, in a plane crash, have a life threatening disease?
Undertaker American Baddass version durning Triple H and The Rock Iron Man match Judgment Day 2000. He choke slammed everyone!
Virgil returning to manage diabiase Jr was a great comeback!! Virgil video please
Mike Jones!
did that actually happen
@@alexhunter90 yea, it actually did. He dumped virgil for the services of Maryse if I'm not mistaken
I hit the like button before the video even started! That is how much faith I have in your videos!
Awesome video Brian! I think one of your best. It was a really good and insightful list. The remarkable thing about the HBK comeback is that he had an even better career post-injury IMO. I saw Liger a few years back on an indie show in London. What a talent! He had the crowd in the palm of his hands! Never knew that Flair wrestled a different style before the plane crash. That was interesting to hear.
5:12 you said Kurts Neck was an issue in 2004.Did you meant 2003 ? beacuse Wrestlemania 19 took place in 2003 not 2004.
True
The neck problems took him out in 2003 and 2004. 2003 is a lot more famous because if the match vs Brock and the storyline surronding his return.
Sébastien Legrand Yea thats what I wanted to confirm because if he was injured in just 2004 then that was after Wrestlemania.I guess when they made him smackdown GM in 2004 was when he was actually recovering from his neck injuries.
He suffered a neck injury in 2003 near wrestlemania. But the problems would come back in 2004, during his match with Eddie at Wrestlemania. He couldn't feel his fingers. Hence why he became GM during that time.
Austin warned Owen about that spot and didn't want to go through with it because of the Chono incident. In regards to Liger, he is now calling it quits at WrestleKingdom next January. He might go down as the greatest Junior Heavyweight/Cruiserweight/Light Heavyweight wrestler of all time.
I'm just here to mention that I was at the press conference the picture at 13:30 is from, and oh boy what a moment it was to see these guys up close for the first time ever.
Here's the thing about Kobashi: he also completely changed his style of wrestling. He was an athletic freak with an all-rounder style. His finisher for a long time was the Moonsault, before developing the Burning Lariat and later the Burning Hammer.
Upon coming back from his knee injuries, Kobashi was barely mobile for the rest of his career, so he became an absolute tank on offense, hence the story of "don't trade bombs with Kobashi." That GHC Heavyweight Title reign from 2003 to 2005 is still one of the best runs ever, with a handful of five-star classics.
What about The Undertaker - lost Casket Match, died, ascended into the ether, and despite Leslie Neilsen and various sightings reported in WWF Magazine, there was no hope of a return until HE did to win a match against.... himself.
I'm surprised that Impact Wrestling star DJ Zema Ion isn't apart of the honorable mentions especially considering his struggles.
even tho they had been injured for years they still come back and are still able to make more tv appearances than brock lesnar
Dark Avenger still showed up more than Taker
But nowhere near the money
idk if Roman will come back from leukaemia (as in, if he'll choose to wrestle again), but if he does, he may be a contender for this list.
You can't help but be impressed by these recoveries, insane.
I’d love to see this revisited. Edge would surely make the list.
Great video, Brian. Tight, well-told, and highly informative.
This video is great Brian you've been on point for a while now by far one of the best wrestling channels on youtube but one could make the case it is the best keep pumping out the great content!!
Best channel ive found😁 thank you!
#pray4Hiromu
Good list for sure, but Lawler coming back after a year off for a REALLY bad leg break, which saw Memphis business almost die, turned Jimmy Hart heel, create one of the best worked shoots with him and King ever, and King goes on to be one of the most legendary wrestlers of all time.
I am surprised Benoit didn't get a mention but then again......I am not surprised.
Although I am surprised HBK didn't rank at number one. Not only he came back from a back injury, but in the 90s, Shawn came back from getting beat up by 6 men.
Edge 2004: Returned from neck surgery and went on to become an 11 time world champion, first ever MITB briefcase holder, and one of the best heels of the last fifteen years
You chose *that* Edge comeback?
@@dumbname939 I'm not discrediting Edge's most recent comeback, I'm just saying his 2004 comeback bigger long term effects than this one. His feuds with Matt Hardy and John Cena, the relationship with Lita, becoming the first Mr MITB...they all happened following Edges return to RAW and heel turn. And that's not even counting his feuds with Batista and Undertaker on Smackdown.
CryLittleSister I suppose that one is more important, but the scale of the most recent one cannot be denied
@@dumbname939 Not at all. The fact that Edge returned during one of the hardest times in wrestling history says a lot too.
Admittedly a non-wrestler at the time, but on 10th September 2012, a then 62-year old commentator *Jerry 'The King' Lawler* suffered a *cardiac arrest* on an episode of Monday Night RAW. Jerry was back commentating just 2 months later
This was a great video. It’s nice to see Puro covered. I’d kind of like to see more!
You forgot to mention that Tanahashi is the reason why NJPW is still even around, as he carried that company on his shoulders out of its worst slump, keeping it from going under.
This is a HUGE bet for the future, but it things go the right way, Hiromu Takahashi coming back from his own neck injury could potentially make such a list one day.
I mean, we are talking about the most over Junior Heavyweight in New Japan, he had to leave as champion with his stock was at its highest since coming back from excursion in Mexico, and since he came back in late 2016, he had a tremendous run with loads of great matches along the way.
Oh, and, the reception he'll get whenever he comes back is going to make the building explode. (That's lowkey a pun)
Last thing, as he's a great wrestler, I have no worries that he'll adapt his style. (Something he already started to do before his injury)
Anyway, dope top.
Joli wankul
@@luscorpio3679 Merci !
I kinda feel like Triple H's quad tear should have been on the main list just from the fact that at the time no athlete from any sport had ever come back from a quad tear before him. Ever.
They got knocked down, got up again, you're never gonna keep them down
Didn't Triple H tear BOTH of his quads? His left one in 2001 and his right one at the beginning of 2007? If the latter is true, then Triple H is a goddamn G!
I only have one thing to say about that Chono injury: GOD DAMN!!
The pop Kobashi generated during his come back after cancer is legendary
Daniel Bryan might have been higher on this list if it came out a couple of months later. His heel turn and WWE Championship run has re-invigorated his career yet again.
Great list again Zman!
NEXT. TOP 8 WORST COMEBACKS?
Paige would be spots 1 - 8
@@butthurtz4764
No, no, you're thinking come ON her back.
...
I am so, so, sorry. I am a terrible person.
QuicklimeTime EX get the fuck outta here. Chris pratt made that joke before you.
@@QuicklimeTime I thought Paige likes facials?
brie bella
The video of Kobashi's return from cancer is great.
Have you seen Liger's farewell tour this year? Especially this recent feud with Suzuki that appears to have just wrapped? Holy shit, he's still so good! That feud was great, and Suzuki even managed to get under Liger's skin enough to give us one last Kishin Liger sighting. Which, as a fan that grew up with Liger in 90's in WCW but never got to see his NJPW work from the time, it was my first time seeing that version of Liger. And holy crap! I never, ever suspected that the living superhero had a spike wielding serial killer living inside of him!
Kenta Kobashi. The man who chopped cancer into submission
My favourite thing about that quad tear of HHH's is that he took the Walls of Jericho immediately afterwards.
Chono's neck injury hasn't hindered him from terrorizing Yamachan.
GODDAMN!! xD
Jinder mahal - buried alive , came back alive and then became wwe champion
Is that Ligers theme as the outro? classy. also, that stabbing joke got me, good one
While not on the level of the others, Curt Hennig came back from a back injury for a brief 1992-1993 run in the WWF and then again for a slightly longer WCW run in 1997-1999. I'd say he deserves at least an honorable mention.
Chris Benoit would also deserve to be on the list for his comeback after neck surgery in 2001--but murdering his wife and child before committing suicide tends to take one off of a lot of lists.
Though not an injury, I think the Hardy's and their drug/alcohol addictions at least deserve an honorable mention. Jeff going from Victory Road 2011 to being one of the best workers in WWE and TNA is a great feat, and the documentary they did on the WWE Network is still amazing to watch.
Diamonds are forever, and so is Ric Flair! WOOOOOOOO!!!
Awesome vid Brian!
Love seeing Kobashi & Liger in one of these lists.
Good list overall. If I could add anyone it would be Tazz when he returned from his neck injury in ECW.
Before it he was the Tazmaniac, a face with hair that only had the suplexes that he was known for. But with his return he turned heel, aligned with Bill Alfonzo, used the Tazmission submission move, and developed the bald no nonsense persona that he became known for.
Gonna be honest, this is the first time I ever heard about Austin breaking Chono's neck, and I was very familiar with who Chono was when I was teenage fan back in the 90's . Given the irony of the situation, I would have guessed this would have been mentioned much more frequently over the years when talking about Austin having his neck broken by the same botched move.
As always you killed it. Love this channel, never repackage...buuuut I'm actually posting to see if you were aware of Nuestra Lucha Libre -Season 1 on Netflix. Haven't watched yet but idea sounds good... Any thoughts? Keep up tremendous work.
If Katsuyori Shibata ever makes an in-ring return you'll have to add him to the list!
He came back a few weeks ago
another honorable mention to me is kerry von erich following his motorcycle accident in 1986 and wrestling the remainder of his career with a prosthetic right foot.
I'd say that Kerry Von Erich would rank on here, or at least in the honourable mentions. Losing your foot then carrying on wrestling is a pretty exceptional feat.