12 WWE Wrestlers Who Worked Through Chronic Injury

6. Mick Foley

Mick Foley was physically screwed up before he even came to WWE. He’s spent years working a style that was designed to shock, and to some extent it had helped get him over in WCW and ECW.

But throwing yourself from ring aprons on to concrete isn’t a good idea for a long term career. He signed with the WWF in 1996, and was retired just four years later.

But what he achieved in those four years was truly extraordinary. He got over massively as a hardcore risk taker, and later as a comedic character. There were some genuinely great performances, including his spectacular WWF Title match with Triple H at Royal Rumble 2000.

But the problem was, Foley was way too careless in his willingness to perform stunts. His match with The Undertaker at King Of The Ring 98, in which he took bumps off the Hell In A Cell, screwed him up for months and even years afterwards.

As a result of always working with injuries, Foley put a lot of weight on during his time with WWE and also ended up having some really bad matches. He’s one of those guys who accepted a lifetime of pain for a few moments of true greatness. Was it worth it? Only he really knows.