In 2024, professional wrestler Chris Bey underwent an emotionally challenging period after sustaining a paralyzing injury that ended his wrestling career in the ring. His injury occurred in October during a encountering match between ABC and The Hardyz, and it has kept him benched since then.
Appearing on a recent episode of the “Insight” podcast, Bey shared his internal turmoil post his career-stopping injury and subsequent surgery. The possibility of never being able to return to wrestling caused feelings of despair and loss. Bey spoke:
“I didn’t see a world where I came back to wrestling. I was laying there, couldn’t move anything from the neck down. It felt like I had passed away, because there’s all this love for me online, they say you get your flowers when you’re gone.”
“There’s all this love for me online that everyone’s telling me about and everyone’s calling me and having people reach out to me who I’ve never my wildest dreams imagined reach out to me.”
“They’re making video packages about me. It was like I was watching and spectating my life and my life is now over, and wrestling is my life. It was my life. It is my life. It still consumes me. In that moment I was like okay, wrestling is over.”
Doctors gave him a slim chance of ever regaining the ability to walk, ranging from 10 to 25 percent possibility. However, Bey has proven his resilience and determination with a recent clip revealing him standing and walking which has since caught fire on the internet. Bey remains optimistic about his prospects, pointing out that at 29, he can afford to take a hiatus before making a comeback.
In terms of whether he would return to wrestling at some point, Bey left the door open, using the well-known phrase, “never say never”. Meanwhile, he is devoted to his physical recovery. Watch this inspiring video about Chris Bey’s journey after his paralyzing injury in the ring.