Former WWE champion opens up about near career-ending injury
A top WWE Superstar recently reflected on a near career-ending injury following this week's Monday Night RAW. Erik was away from in-ring action for several months because of a neck injury before he returned to action in October 2024.
On INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet, The War Raiders member recalled receiving an MRI that revealed a disc herniation. Despite the diagnosis, the 40-year-old WWE star continued wrestling and underwent extensive physical therapy and other treatments to avoid surgery.
"We got MRIs, saw there was herniation in the disc. I kept wrestling, because I was like, well we can just keep treating this with PT. I was talking with doctors. I was doing whatever we did. I was doing PT like 3, 4, 5, times a week. I was getting dry needling, scraping, everything, trying to mitigate all the stuff I was doing. I was doing electric therapy and stuff like that, trying to stimulate the nerves, trying to doing everything I could to avoid surgery," he said.
Later, an awkward bump between the ropes impacted Erik's elbow, triggering a sudden and severe loss of muscle mass in his right tricep, lat, and chest. This near career-ending neck injury sidelined the former WWE World Tag Team Champion until his return to Monday Night RAW alongside Ivar.
"But at the same time, I was wrestling every single week, I didn't miss a match, and then I took another bad fall, just got tumbled up going over the ropes one time and it actually didn't even hit my neck. I hit my elbow on the apron on the way over, and then three days later my tricep disappeared, my right lat shrank like half in size, and then my right pec flattened within days," he added. [H/T: chrisvanvliet.com]
You can watch the full interview below.
WWE star Erik says he returned to the ring in just six months after escaping death
In the same interview with Chris Van Vliet, Erik shared details of his near-fatal bike accident that occurred in 2014. The WWE Superstar revealed that doctors had told him he could have died in the crash.
Fortunately, the former World Tag Team Champion was back to wrestling within just six months following a complex surgery.
"Six months later, I was wrestling again. I had two plates, 18 pins, and screws, and, I don't know, [a] six- or seven-hour surgery putting my arm back together," Erik recalled.
Ivar and Erik dropped their WWE World Tag Team Championship to The New Day on Night One of WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas. Fans will have to wait and see if The War Raiders can once again hold the tag team title in the coming weeks.
