WWE icon Sid Vicious suffered one of the most gruesome on-air injuries in wrestling history 20-years-ago.
In January 2001, WCW held its Sin PPV which will forever be remembered for Sycho Sid’s horror leg-break that fans still grimace about to this day.
The 60-year-old was featuring in a match for the world heavyweight championship alongside Scott Steiner, Jeff Jarrett, and a mystery fourth participant – later revealed to be Road Warrior Animal.
During the bout, Vicious had been experimenting with top rope moves at the request of WCW officials.
For his big spot, the American was meant to jump off the middle rope to deliver a big boot to Steiner.
But when Vicious landed, all of his weight went on one leg and caused it to break in half and snap.
The fracture was too graphic for many TV shows to re-air yet Monday Nitro were one of the few to screen replays of the sickening injury.
And speaking in January 2021, former WCW President Eric Bischoff admitted the decision to show the leg-break was tough to make.
Speaking on his 83 Weeks podcast, he said: “Yeah because it was so gruesome. It was tough to watch. I wasn’t sure.
“You want to be real, and it’s something I’ve always noticed. Whenever a wrestler gets busted open or gets hurt in the ring, there’s always a need to show the post-injury surgery or to show the severity of the wound.
“But there’s a certain point where you have to draw the line with good taste, and with something as gruesome as this, it was a tough call. It really was.”
I was told I would never run again. That’s when it hit me that this was going to be a tough deal.
Sid Vicious
Vicious – real name Sid Eudy – spent years out of the ring due to the injury and was told by doctors that he would never run again.
He told PWInsider.com in 2008: “That’s when I found out about it, that’s when they told me. I was told I would never run again.
“To me running is more important than working out. That’s when it hit me that this was going to be a tough deal.”
Vicious was never the same again following the injury but did manage to make a return to WWE in 2012 in the build-up to RAW’s 100th episode.
And it seems fans haven’t managed to shake the memories of the match on its recent 20th anniversary.
One tweeted: “Sid Vicious injury still makes me cringe”, while another said: “It was unexplainable how gruesome it was”
A third added: “Worst injury I’ve ever seen in pro wrestling remains Sid Vicious off the top rope! Nasty.”
