Wrestling Stars in Limbo

• Big E broke his neck in 2022
• Big E currently works as part of WWE's broadcast team

Big E was one of the most popular WWE Superstars in the company at the time he sustained his neck injury in a match on SmackDown. A belly-to-belly suplex from Ridge Holland saw The New Day star spiked on his head outside the ring, and that's the last time he could compete in the ring. Big E fractured his C1 and C6 vertebrae, and since that point, his future has very much been up in the air.

The primary focus is obviously on Big E's health, and he can fortunately walk and live comfortably at this stage. He remains a regular on television by being part of WWE's broadcast team before and after premium live events. However, when it comes to his in-ring career, there are no answers as to whether he will ever be able to wrestle again.

Kevin Owens

• Owens underwent neck and spinal surgery
• The injury was built up over time, but was pushed to the extreme during a ladder match

Like Big E, Kevin Owens is currently sidelined due to a serious neck injury, and he's been open about his possible retirement from wrestling. Neck injuries are one of the worst things that a professional wrestler can go through, simply because the margin for error is so small, and getting cleared after dealing with one isn't an easy task, given the risks involved, especially for someone with the style of KO.

Owens has been open about how he genuinely doesn't know if he will wrestle again, which is worrying news for wrestling fans, as KO still had lots to offer the business. However, it's something he's actively working toward making happen, and there will be a huge pop if he does make it back.

Chris Jericho

• Chris Jericho is rumored to be returning to WWE
• His AEW contract ends this year

While some wrestlers have an uncertain future due to injury problems, Chris Jericho's future is unclear due to his contract. The wrestling veteran is technically still under an AEW contract until the end of the year, but Tony Khan has barely used him throughout 2025, and there are question marks over whether his time in AEW is over.

Fans are now wondering whether a WWE return is on Jericho's horizon, or if he will return to New Japan Pro-Wrestling. The world is open to him, and at this stage, it wouldn't be a shock if he retired, as Jericho has always said he wants to ride off into the sunset without much fuss. There are a lot of possibilities for what's next for him, but there are also not many answers.

Dustin Rhodes

• Dustin Rhodes has undergone a double knee replacement
• He insists his wrestling career isn't over

Dustin Rhodes had hit a groove in the first half of 2025, and it seemed like his career was again on the up, despite how long he's been in the business. Rhodes was holding the TNT Championship and the ROH World Tag Team and Six-Man Championships. He was showing no signs of slowing down until he revealed the unfortunate news that he needed double-knee replacement surgery.

While Rhodes has stated that he intends to get back into the ring, recovering from an injury such as that, especially with both knees, will not be easy. It will be tough for him to get back to the level he'd attained in AEW, which is a shame because he was proving that he still had so much to offer the business.

Will Ospreay

• Ospreay has two herniated discs in his neck that he will be getting surgery on
• Ospreay had been hiding the severity of the issue for 10 months

Will Ospreay is another top AEW star whose long-term future in wrestling isn't clear right now. While Ospreay might be one of the biggest stars on the roster and one of the best wrestlers of all time, the Englishman is another wrestler dealing with a serious neck problem at the moment. Given that he has two herniated discs, it could keep him out of the ring for a long time.

Ospreay could have solved the issue sooner, but he opted to wrestle through the pain and not tell people how bad it was for almost a year. Ospreay has praised wrestlers from WWE for reaching out to help him with the issue, but at this point, it's unknown how long he will be out of action.

The Rock

• The Rock isn't officially retired from wrestling
• He currently works on the board of directors for TKO

The Rock is one of the biggest names in the wrestling business, an industry he always looks to be involved in. However, given how busy he is with other commitments, such as acting and his Project Rock clothing line, it's not always easy for him to commit time to the product. That is why there are constantly question marks surrounding whether he's going to return for one more match or not, as he's never officially closed that book.

Fans still believe there are storylines to explore with Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes if The Rock wanted to, and it would certainly be interesting to see those matches unfold. He is still involved loosely with WWE as a member of the board of directors for TKO, but as far as his future on television, it's unclear if he will wrestle again.

Chuck Taylor

• He has been working as a producer/agent for AEW
• Taylor was initially misdiagnosed, which made the situation worse

Chuck Taylor is a brilliant wrestler who was handed a difficult circumstance with a career-threatening injury. The AEW star is dealing with osteonecrosis, which is essentially known as bone death, and has stemmed from an injury he suffered back in 2023, with this having been a long process that has led to him struggling to wrestle.

The situation was so severe that Taylor retired from wrestling, as it was believed that he wouldn't be able to wrestle again. However, there has since been hope that he could return to the ring as he has been offered a different surgery. Whether he takes that option, and if it works, will remain to be seen, with Taylor's in-ring future up in the air.

Bryan Danielson

• His last match was in October 2024 when he lost the AEW World Championship
• Danielson has never used the word "retired"

Bryan Danielson's future is anything but confirmed at this stage, with the AEW star seemingly having wrestled his last match while still teasing the possibility of wrestling again. He claimed that he would be done when he lost the AEW World Championship, but since then, he's popped up a few times on AEW television, and it certainly seems like there's more gas in the tank for Danielson.

He got physically involved at one point, but he admitted the doctors had not cleared him for everything that happened in the ring. Therefore, there are clearly still some nagging injuries that Danielson needs to address, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see him have another match in the future.