William Regal took to social media to post a strong warning to the current crop of wrestling talent. The British veteran, who is now the Vice President of Global Talent Development at WWE, advised wrestlers to avoid moves that caused them to land on their head – or to at least learn how to use bridging techniques.
In the same post, which has now been seen almost three million times on X, Regal revealed that he wrestled with two broken necks during the 1990s. The 57-year-old broke his neck during a match in 1993 and again in 1997 during a car accident. Regal was on his way to WCW’s Spring Stampede with Chris Benoit and his wife, Nancy, when they were rear-ended by a drunk driver, causing their car to flip over several times.
He admitted in the post that he “stupidly never told anyone” at the time, relying on old-school bridging techniques to allow him to keep doing dangerous moves.
“I was taught properly how to bridge and not land on the top of my head. It’s a skill that maybe 99.9% of people don’t know or will ever learn anymore,” argued Regal. “I kept going somehow but knew all the tricks that again people don’t learn now and watch film and just copy.”
The WWE, WCW, and AEW alum referenced the in-ring death of Japanese wrestling legend Mitsuharu Misawa as a tragedy that he hoped would’ve been the last of its kind. Regal thought that Misawa’s death might’ve been a turning point to help end unnecessarily dangerous wrestling practice. However, according to Regal, it has only gotten worse.
Regal’s Name Checks Bryan Danielson in Lengthy Social Media Post, Earns Support from WWE Alumni
As well as Misawa, William Regal also discussed the neck injuries of a modern star very close to his heart: Bryan Danielson. In the post, he referenced the “daily sufferings” of “Bryan”, likely to be his former pupil Danielson, whose incredible career was curtailed by persistent neck problems.
The viral post has won praise from fellow industry professionals, with the likes of Matt Hardy and Piper Niven echoing Regal’s sentiment online. “THE TRUTH IS THE TRUTH Well said, @RealKingRegal,” responded Hardy. “This is solid advice that every pro wrestler from every promotion should read, digest & bank.”
Niven, whose own career hangs in the balance due to a neck injury, emphasized the tiny margins between success and tragedy. “The line between ‘But I feel fine!’ And ‘I just want to feel ok again’ is horrifically thin and you have zero idea how close you are teetering on the edge of it. Please take heed my darlings.”
Was William Regal’s Post a Veiled Criticism of AEW, WWE, or Both?
While Regal didn’t reference any specific matches or wrestlers in his post, some social media users have pointed towards two dangerous spots during AEW’s Worlds End as possible catalysts.
The Avalanche Cutthroat Suplex delivered by Jon Moxley, causing Kyle Fletcher to land on his head and neck, led to quite a stir in the online wrestling community. This was exacerbated by Kris Statlander’s Avalanche Fisherman’s Driver during her world title match against Jamie Hayter.
AEW loyalists balanced the books by pointing to the headline-grabbing spot during the men’s WarGames match at Survivor Series last month. A Doomsday Device manoeuvre on Bron Breakker in the match’s early stages led to the young star landing awkwardly on his neck and head. The seemingly botched move gained significant attention as it was executed by WWE’s reigning world champions, Cody Rhodes and CM Punk.
From a veteran who has seen and done it all during a 40-year-plus career in wrestling, the social media post is not just a warning or a criticism, but a plea to prioritize health over plaudits – especially for the likes of Fletcher, Hayter, and Breakker, whose careers are only just beginning.
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