Injuries happen in wrestling. Mistakes happen frequently, in fact.
It’s just most mistakes don’t leave someone knocked out. And Brie Bella’s fairly recent twice-botched suicide dive certainly didn’t help fans’ willingness to forgive those two kicks to the face of Liv Morgan.
Fans also tend to be emotional in the moments after an injury and want to describe the situation in the broadest, most absolute terms possible.
"For anyone who said it's a 'botched spot' or that Brie was at fault, they are 100% incorrect. No one EVER goes in there with intent to injure their opponent. It was nobodies fault, it was a mis-timed thing." - @THETOMMYDREAMER on Brie @BellaTwins kicks to @YaOnlyLivvOnce on #RAW pic.twitter.com/OoOJdIkHFh
— SiriusXM Busted Open (@BustedOpenRadio) September 25, 2018
I do think it’s fair to place full fault for the situation on Brie. Watching the kicks, the first that connects with Morgan’s head is clearly thrown higher than the previous kicks. The second shot to the face comes so quickly there’s no time for Brie to gauge Morgan’s reaction to the first shot.
It’s an unfortunate moment and Brie is going to be haunted by this one for a while.
Fans looking to defend Brie have latched on to Seth Rollins’ history of moves resulting in injury. But the list they could pull from is too long to single out any wrestler.
Kane is generally known as a safe, steady hand in the ring, but in 2003 he knocked William Regal out cold with a fairly basic bodyslam at No Way Out.
There’s Owen Hart’s piledriver on Steve Austin.
Rollins on Balor (or Sting).
D’Lo and Droz.
And so on.
Hell, even my podcast co-host Ethan Page had his bicep torn by Zack Sabre Jr. kicks (similar to the Yes Kicks) which may have been thrown a little too hard.
It’s an unfortunate reality of wrestling, an activity where the goal is for everything to look like it does hurt while ... you know, not hurting.
Maybe the wrestler Brie is now is dangerous. Or maybe she’s on a shitty run of bad stuff happening and it’ll all be fine in a day or a week or a month.
There’s no way of knowing right now, but I’m not ready to label anyone dangerous just yet.
Let’s all just take a breath and let those immediate big emotions pass a bit.
- Here are the recap and reactions for last night’s edition of Raw as well as the episode’s video highlights.
- For a harsher take on the Brie Bella situation, Geno has you covered.
- Filming at the Hardy Compound?
- Jinder Mahal was an inspiration to Becky Lynch and I don’t know if I can handle it.
- Mia Yim to WWE is a very good thing.
- Here’s hoping for a Joey Ryan appearance at the NWA 70 show, just for newly announced color commentator Jim Cornette.
This week keeps rolling along.
But, for real, who was ANYONE to doubt El Dandy?
Awesome exchange from El Dandy & Angel Azteca!! pic.twitter.com/7sxp4v4sZj
— LARIATOOOO!! (@MrLARIATO) September 24, 2018