For the first time since his injury in October, Chris Bey stepped inside a ring.
After Karrion Kross wrestled Hammerstone in a match during the Future Stars of Wrestling Benefit for Bey event on Sunday, Bey himself appeared in front of the crowd and walked down to the ring. Inside, Bey was met with chants of “Bey’s house,” with Swerve Strickland in the crowd agreeing. Bey said he loved everyone, including AJ Francis.
CHRIS BEY HAS MADE AN APPEARANCE AT FSW TONIGHT AND TOOK HIS FIRST STEPS BACK INTO A PRO-WRESTLING RING!!! 🥹🥹🥹❤️🙌 pic.twitter.com/TyRPuTzuue
“I love you, I thank you, I am nothing without you,” he told the fans in Las Vegas.
Bey underwent neck surgery in October after suffering a neck injury at a TNA Impact taping and recently spoke to Chris Van Vliet, going into detail about fusing his C6 and C7 vertebrae, as well as fusing his C6 to T1 through the back due to damage done to his neck and spinal cord.
“Never say never,” was Bey’s response after being asked about a possible return to the ring.
Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive is back with tons to talk about including whether Sting should be allowed to induct Lex Luger into the Hall of Fame, AEW Dynamite from Wednesday night, Chris Bey and Homicide health updates, and more! A fun show as always so check it out~!
For the first time since breaking his neck and damaging his spinal cord last October, Chris Bey did an extensive interview where he provided specific details about both the injury suffered the day after TNA Bound for Glory and the recovery, relationships he has made after the fact, and if he feels he will ever wrestle again.
Speaking to Chris Van Vliet for 90 minutes, Bey said he feels “mentally amazing” and that he is “mentally unbeatable” after the craziest last four months of his life.
The injury
Despite being sore from the pay-per-view, he said he was excited going into the post-Bound for Glory bout with The Hardys and that spot where he got hurt is one he’s done a million times.
The injury took place on a neckbreaker where he and Matt Hardy missed each other by “an inch.” He knew something was wrong, but thought it was a stinger. He felt numb, “weird” as it was a feeling he never experienced before and was upset at how the spot looked, not realizing what had happened to him.
“You don’t know what’s wrong. You just know something’s not right,” he said.
He was watching the others do their spots and was preparing to get involved, but he said he was mentally doing something different than what his body was actually doing. He reluctantly said to go to the finish where Jeff Hardy was to give him a swanton, but then asked the ref to have him do something else. Hardy then “missed a leg drop by a mile and pinned me.”
Doctors checked on him and his fingers were shaking, but he couldn’t squeeze them. His arms were hot and he couldn’t feel his toes which is when he realized it was something serious, adding he has never had surgery before, never suffered even a broken bone, and wasn’t sure what he was supposed to be feeling.
As he was taken to the ambulance, he asked Ace Austin to start calling people as news was making the rounds. Austin rode with him to the hospital which was later filled with TNA personnel and talent who had to be told to leave at one point because there was so many of them.
He said he knew the situation was “real” when he was rolled over and saw his new boots, tights and kneepads stacked neatly but never felt them being taken off his body. He was in “so much pain” waiting for the surgeon to arrive after being told they were going to operate on his neck.
The surgery was a fused C6 and C7 done through the front of his neck and a fused C6 to T1 through the back due to damage done to his neck and spinal cord.
“They put me under, I woke up the next day and it was day one,” a phrase he has used since then as he viewed this as the first day of his new life with a new obstacle to overcome.
The recovery & inspirations
He was told the quickest portion of recovery happens within three-to-six months and that they would have a better understanding of his physical situation within a year-to-18 months after the injury. Bey retold the story he mentioned in his first social post since the accident, saying they gave him just a 10-25% chance to walk again.
“Look at me now,” he said.
He said he was grateful to be alive, but that for 24-48 hours after the injury, “I was messed up,” not wanting to believe what had happened to him but that his odds for walking were better than 0%. It was go time after that, inspired by his father’s work ethic and life advice of how you can’t become a victim to your distractions.
The lead-up to the video he shared earlier this year where he got up out of a wheelchair and walked admittedly “wasn’t pretty” and took a lot of therapy, mental will and “a lot of days where I wasn’t better than the day before.” He said his process to walk again started about three weeks before that video and that he wanted to make it look as normal as possible as he didn’t want to be embarrassed by looking shaky.
He said he was in a wheelchair from three weeks after his surgeries until mid-January and overall spent two months in the Detroit hospital, flying home on December 28th. During his stay, he felt like “I was in a time capsule, watching Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas go by” and that everyone was doing their thing, working in wrestling, continuing their lives and he was just “stuck in this bed.”
He said his fingers and hands started to move a few days to a week after the surgery, but he didn’t have dexterity and worked on how to grip things. He said his fine motor skills are still “not great” and that he is working on things like removing bottle caps.
Things began to change on December 3rd when his PT person came in and after stretching, he was able to move his adductor (hip) muscle which is when they begin to get “excited”. He eventually started moving his legs in different positions and his muscles slowly began to re-fire up over time. He eventually made it into a standing frame to begin to prepare his body for being upright and did six hours of PT daily three times a week, adding extra sessions whenever he could.
Support
He recalled a conversation he had with WWE star CM Punk about the odds of walking again who told him, “I think that diagnosis applies to humans and you’re not human.” Several times in the interview, he talked about Punk, mentioning a tattoo he got after a 2023 conversation (“Every day above ground is a good day”) and to approach every day with gratitude.
He also spoke about conversations with TJ Wilson, Adam Copeland and Sean Waltman about their various neck injuries and recovery, saying they are “a rare club of people. We’re all so different and everyone has made it through it.”
He spoke on how much Punk’s shoutout as part of the WWE Raw Netflix debut meant to him, saying he was “surprised, humbled, grateful” and he couldn’t believe through what he was doing, he made that much of a mark on people. He said everyone was blowing his phone up about the acknowledgement and that he couldn’t believe Punk or anyone was thinking about him that much.
“No words for it,” he said.
Bey was brought to tears recalling the support that saw a GoFundMe reach its goal quickly and that continues to see contributions being made to it. He feels that deep down, all of us want to be cared about, even those with tough exteriors.
Since he is unable to earn money doing what he loves and can’t yet do certain things with his hands, the money affords him time “to figure something out. At least, it gives me that opportunity to not have to stress about how to survive and keep a roof over my head.”
He confirmed that TNA covered all medical expenses and that someone from the company (from talent to executives to those who work behind the scenes) checks in on him nearly daily.
“They did so much more than I ever would have anticipated or expected,” adding he can’t understand why people think they wouldn’t have and that family isn’t even the right term to describe how they have taken care of him.
A return, next steps
After getting in the best shape of his life prior to the injury, the 29-year-old said he is back in the gym and has put on ten pounds after losing 30 while hospitalized. Where he once hit over 300 pounds on a bench press, he did 95 recently and felt good about it.
He said he still has “so much difficulty in real life” from simple things like putting lotion on his face to functioning while his girlfriend is out of town. He sometimes thinks to himself about why this is all happening to him and realizes that he is “built for it” and that the injury taught him God “doesn’t give you what you ask for. He gives you an opportunity to prove that you want it.”
On a potential return, he said, “Never say never.” The day after the surgery, he was content and understanding that his in-ring career was likely over and didn’t see a world where he could come back. He felt like he “passed away” in a sense but over time, motivation came from wanting to have a family and being able to both stand and play with his future kids.
“The thought of never being able to achieve that broke me and drove me,” he said, adding that if his in-ring career was over, that was fine. He just wanted to walk again.
He said he recently mentioned to his girlfriend the idea of wrestling again and that maybe if he took five years off, he could come back in his 30s and do what he loves.
“And that’s where the greatest story every told begins,” he said, later saying “If I can do that, I can change the world.”
He said the “greatest story every told” term is his life story from the aforementioned day one as he is unaware of anyone coming back from full paralysis to getting back in the ring.
“Should I be the one to do it, how could it not be the greatest story ever told?,” he asked. “As it is, it’s a great story that has motivated so many people and inspired people to chase their dreams and change their lives. Now I have this catastrophe of an injury, should I overcome this injury and get back to that world? It’s the greatest story ever told.”
WWE
He talked about his lone WWE match on an episode of 205 Live and that people within the company were trying to get him a tryout. He got a TNA offer the next day likely because of the match and “sat on it” for a while before signing which is what he ultimately wanted.
He talked about the WWE/TNA crossover and said it’s beneficial for everyone involved.
Full coverage of AEW Revolution, business numbers, what mathes showed the most interest, match order, PPV buys, live numbers, what the PPV number means, Dynasty card and more
WrestleMania update, MSG angle with Reigns, Punk and Rollins, card and interest level of the show.
New Japan Cup update with notes on every tournament match
Full UFC 313 coverage, looking at the main event decision wwht comes next, fight of the year candidate and business notes.
Lex Luger goes into the WWE Hall of Fame and notes about his life and career from the highs to the lows.
Latest update on the Vince McMahon/Janel Grant lawsuit
The classic Frank Deford story on the life of Mildred Burke
We look at “Queen of the Ring,” deciphering what was and wasn’t real about the movie, the facts regarding the career of Burke, the breakup with Billy Wolfe, the characters in the movie and how they were portrayed and Burke’s significance in the history of pro wrestling.
The most detailed look at the ratings of all the pro wrestling and MMA shows this past week, how they ranked for the week and for the night, competition, how Raw did on Netflix as well as how the other shows did worldwide.
A look at the all-women’s Friday night show at Arena Mexico.
More on the Stardom Tam Nakano angle.
Notes on a week with some of the best matches of the year.
Notes on Dark Side of the Ring for this coming season.
New books out on wrestling.
What pro wrestling legend is Gable Steveson attempting to tie the record of?
Hodge Trophy candidates
Forming boxing celebrity back doing pro wrestling.
Notes on Bruno Sammartino and others with Madison Square Garden longevity.
Full details on the 16 Carat gold tournament
WBD news story regarding sports and how this affects wrestling.
Notes on AEW booing.
Advance ticket sales for WWE & AEW
More notes on the 18-49 record low number for Dynamite on a Wednesday.
More on the Dana White/Nick Khan/Turki Alashikh boxing promotion and who is the person responsible for originally putting them together.
More on the next WWE & UFC media rights talks.
Notes on a time slot change for WWE & AEW shows over the next few weeks.
Idea being discussed for a WWE PPV show.
Netflix and how much WWE is worth to them and the key change coming.
Lots of backstage notes.
This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter Back Issue
The full Trick Williams vs. Eddy Thorpe NXT Underground match from last night can be watched here.
In an interview with No-Contest Wrestling, NXT wrestler Jaida Parker named Chyna, Jacqueline, Jazz, IYO SKY, and Mercedes Mone as her five dream WrestleMania opponents from any era.
Paul “Triple H” Levesque thanked Full Sail University for honoring him with their Industry Icon Award, which recognizes innovators in entertainment, media, the arts, and associated businesses:
Last week I was honored to receive the @FullSail Industry Icon Award. Full Sail gave #WWENXT a home and helped us create industry-defining moments. Will always be proud of our connection. Thank you to President Garry Jones and congratulations to all this year’s honorees.
With today being the 25th anniversary of her debut, WWE produced a Retrospective feature with Trish Stratus looking back at her greatest moments.
WWE ranked Edge vs. The Undertaker (WrestleMania 24) as the 29th greatest match in WrestleMania history.
Other Wrestling
A new episode of Insight with Chris Van Vliet will premiere tomorrow with Chris Bey discussing his road to recovery and learning to walk again after breaking his neck. Bey thanked Van Vliet for allowing him to tell his story:
Thank you @ChrisVanVliet for allowing me to share my story. I never lost consciousness during the injury, so this will include the FULL version of what happened to me that night in Detroit. What does the future hold for me? Let’s find out. I love you all. God bless.
Mercedes Mone vs. Billie Starkz for the TBS Championship is officially on for Dynamite tonight with Mone arriving just in time. Travel has been impacted by a blizzard in Omaha, but all talent advertised for matches on Dynamite are at the show.
Will Ospreay tweeted: “I’m here in Omaha. I’ve got my gear. Put me in coach. @AEW @TonyKhan”
AEW has filed a trademark for “Titanes del Aire,” the new tag team name for Hologram & Komander.
Jeff Jarrett told the Orlando Sentinel that he believes Ospreay is the best in-ring athlete in the world right now:
Will is, I believe, the greatest athlete in the ring today. I was around a young AJ Styles, who amazed me with his athletic ability back in the day. Will is cut out of that same mold and even more so because the athlete you know of today is better, bigger, faster, stronger. That’s just the nature of the beast. Their match [Ospreay vs. Kyle Fletcher from AEW Revolution] was off the charts.
NWA President Billy Corgan and his wife Chloe Mendel Corgan welcomed their third child – a girl named Juno – into the world. The baby was born on March 18 and weighs 9.9 lbs. Corgan told People magazine:
My wife, Chloé is doing well and recovering, and baby Juno is happy, healthy, and nursing with gusto. We are so touched by all the kind wishes of support and love, and thank those who helped Chloé and baby have such a safe, and peaceful, home birth.”
The kids are absolutely thrilled by their new sister, and being 9 (Augustus) and 6 (Philomena) they can’t wait till she’s old enough to play.
The Future Stars of Wrestling promotion has announced Ricochet for its fundraiser to benefit Chris Bey next week.
On Sunday, March 23, FSW Mecca X: Beynefit for Bey will take place at the FSW Arena in Las Vegas. The show will raise money for the former TNA X-Division and Tag Team Champion, who is recovering from a serious neck injury suffered at a TV taping in October 2024.
Last month, Bey provided an update on his condition, stating that he is able to walk again after initially being paralyzed. He returned home two months after the accident.
“I’m so grateful to be alive,” Bey wrote in a social media post last month. “I don’t know what my purpose is, but I know there’s something meant for me to do. For now, I just hope to continue to heal as my body is still in a lot of pain. It’s going to be a long road, but I will not give up. This will be the Greatest Story Ever Told. I love you all.”
Several wrestlers from major promotions will be participating in FSW’s fundraiser. WWE’s Karrion Kross is set to face Hammerstone on the show, while AEW’s Swerve Strickland will wrestle Kenny King. AEW’s Johnny TV, Lio Rush, and Brian Cage are also scheduled to compete. Bey’s ABC tag team partner Ace Austin, TNA’s Frankie Kazarian, as well as NJPW’s TJP, have been confirmed for the event.
The show will air live on TrillerTV.
FSW Mecca X: Beynefit for Bey lineup for Sunday, March 23, 2025:
Kenny King vs. Swerve Strickland
Hammerstone vs. Karrion Kross
John Morrison vs. Lio Rush vs. Ace Austin
Scramble Match: TJP vs. Frankie Kazarian vs. Gregory Sharpe vs. Danny Limelight vs. Ice Williams
Brian Cage vs. Rich Swann
Also announced: Ricochet, The Rascalz, Rhyno, and a special appearance by Rob Van Dam and Katie Forbes
WWE wrestler Karrion Kross will work his first indie show since 2022 and for a good cause.
On Wednesday, Kross was announced as competing at the Future Stars of Wrestling Beynefit for Bey show — an event set for Sunday, March 23rd in Las Vegas, Nevada, that will aim to raise money for Chris Bey who is still recovering from being paralyzed after an in-ring accident last October.
Kross’ opponent has not yet been revealed. It will be his first non-WWE match since taking on Davey Boy Smith at July 2022’s Ric Flair’s Last Match event.
Bey and Kross have wrestled against each other three times before, the last time taking place in June 2019 in FSW that Bey won.
Kross joins former AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland, current AEW wrestler Brian Cage, and TNA’s Trey Miguel as those who have been announced for the event which will stream live on Triller+.
Bey recently posted his first update since the accident in TNA, detailing what happened, his rehab and recovery thus far, and sharing a video of him standing up and walking which is something he said he was given between a 10-25% chance to do.
FSW is excited to announce that current WWE Superstar @realKILLERkross will be appearing at Beynefit for Bey. This is his first appearance inside an FSW ring in more than 3 years. An announcement will be made regarding his opponent shortly. For more info [email protected]pic.twitter.com/rBsdo4wsd5
Wrestling Observer Live is back on Fun Friday and we’ve got a full hour to discuss this year’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards, plus the great news on Chris Bey! A fun show as always so check it out~!
In the first update directly from Chris Bey since suffering a devastating injury last October, the TNA standout revealed everything about the injury, the subsequent surgery and most importantly, a video showing him able to stand up and walk — something he said he was given a 10-25% chance to ever do again.
Bey said he was “laid out paralyzed in the middle of the ring” during he and Ace Austin’s match against the Hardys on October 27th in Detroit, saying it was the scariest moment of his life since he was unable to get up. He said he was also embarrassed, ashamed and scared in the moment.
He was then rushed to a nearby hospital and underwent surgery to fuse his neck (C6 and C7) and spinal cord (C6-T1).
“If it weren’t for TNA and their quick reaction to the accident, I might not be here today,” he wrote, adding how helpful they have been through the journey.
**********
He said he woke up the next day being overwhelmed by the support he received and also devastated with the prospect of his dream career possibly being over after eight years. At that point, he was paralyzed from the neck down and given a 10-25% chance of ever walking again. He wrote he couldn’t respond to anything due to the inability to use his hands.
He spent a week in the ICU before being moved to a Detroit spinal cord rehab facility where he underwent therapy three hours a day or longer for six days a week. He was able to go home on December 28th — a solid two months after suffering the injury — where he is continuing to do therapy.
**********
He thanked his family, his girlfriend, Austin, medical personnel in Detroit, TNA, the fans and anyone “who reached out, donated, bought merch, said a prayer or did any little thing even as simple as sharing a thought about me, thank you. I’m eternally grateful for every single one of you.”
He said there is much more to the story and asked for time to get there and tell it.
As Thursday is his 29th birthday, he shared a video, along with the written post, doing the thing it was unlikely he would ever do again: get up and walk. He said he has been out of his wheelchair for three weeks learning to walk again.
“I’m so grateful to be alive. I don’t know what my purpose is, but I know there’s something meant for me to do. For now, I just hope to continue to heal as my body is still in a lot of pain. It’s going to be a long road, but I will not give up. This will be the Greatest Story Ever Told. I love you all.”
The wrestling community’s support for injured TNA wrestler Chris Bey will continue this March.
At their Saturday show, Las Vegas-based indie promotion Future Stars of Wrestling announced they will be hosting a “Beynefit” show on Sunday, March 23rd that “will feature some of the biggest stars.” More details on the show and those appearing will be announced at a later date.
Bey has appeared frequently for FSW in the past and as recently as August 2024 as their Mecca Grand Champion.
It’s the latest show of support for Bey who was injured in a tag team match with the Hardys during an late-October 2024 TNA TV taping. All that is known for sure is that Bey suffered a neck injury that was serious enough to warrant emergency surgery and that the rehab process began shortly thereafter.
Rob Van Dam did an interview recently where he said he visited Bey and claimed Bey was paralyzed but isn’t anymore and is “getting everything back.”
There have been several fundraisers for the 28-year-old including an active GoFundMe that has raised well over $100,000.
Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive is back with tons to talk about including all the news from the past few days, Chris Bey, Britt Baker, RAW, upcoming line-ups, the end of Chris Daniels’ career, and tons more! A fun show as always so check it out~!
Rob Van Dam shared an update on Chris Bey during the latest episode of his 1 of a Kind podcast.
Bey sustained a serious neck injury at the October 27, 2024, TNA Wrestling TV tapings and underwent emergency surgery that night. According to RVD’s comments, Bey recently returned home after spending two months in hospital. RVD says Bey broke his neck and was paralyzed but is now “getting everything back.” Katie Forbes and RVD live near Bey, and the couple visited him recently.
RVD said:
“Chris Bey happens to live very close to us. Katie and I went and visited him because he made it home. He was stuck in the hospital for like two months. He had a match, if you don’t know, with the Hardy Boyz. I know very little about it, but they were going for a move that didn’t work out safely, and Chris broke his neck and then he was paralyzed.”
He continued:
“I don’t know how much we should talk about, really, but let me just say that he’s going to wait until he’s ready to talk. Of course, I invited him on here. He is much better than I imagined and much better than he was when he was paralyzed. So, he’s not (paralyzed) anymore, and he’s getting everything back. He’s going to make a come back too, a full comeback, I’m sure of it but it’s going to be a long journey, and we’ll probably check in with him a lot because, like I said, he lives really close.”
RVD also shared that he spoke with Bey about Hayabusa suffering a broken neck in 2001 when he slipped on the ropes during a quebrada attempt. Hayabusa was paralyzed but would eventually regain the ability to walk with a cane. They also spoke about Darren “Droz” Drozdov’s injury in October 1999. RVD says he would feel something “almost like survivor’s remorse” around Hayabusa or Droz after their injuries.
“I told him when Hayabusa would come around, and he was in the wheelchair, and he couldn’t move his limbs. I don’t know exactly if he could move his arms or not, regardless, I would have… I guess, the closest thing to can compare this feeling to would be survivor’s remorse. Like, ‘Why him? Like, why not me? How’s he looking at me taking those DDTs and all those crazy high-risk bumps? Is he looking at me like, ‘What an a–hole’? He doesn’t realize I can’t even f—king move anymore? ‘What does he need to stop it?'”
“That was part of the experience when I’d see Droz (Darren Drozdov) as well,” RVD added.
“He’s got an awesome girlfriend to help him too. That’s really important,” RVD continued.
“Brittnie Brooks, she’s a wrestler. She’s a sweetheart and she’s there helping him and I think moved in with him. That’s definitely going to be a big help.”
“I feel good about his current health and his future,” RVD concluded about Bey.
As the end of the year approaches, so does our pro wrestling year in review series with a stop in October and first-time guest Denise Salcedo of Instinct Culture and this very website.
For an hour, Denise and I go through all the big happenings from my favorite month of the year including:
Tony Khan “securing the bag” as he put it, officially signing a multi-year AEW TV renewal with WBD with a streaming/library component
WWE truly going old school with a bloody and violent Hell in a Cell match between CM Punk and Drew McIntyre at Bad Blood
The serious injury that befell TNA star Chris Bey that still remains a bit of a mystery
WWE NXT debuting on The CW
The best of the rest from WWE, AEW, TNA, Japan, Mexico, and the indies
Dave Meltzer and I are back with our Friday episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, talking about all the big news from today’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter as well as news that happened after the issue was published.
The lead story focuses on the serious injury TNA star Chris Bey suffered last Sunday during a tag team match with The Hardys, Bey’s progress, and the current situation.
This weekend’s WWE Crown Jewel from Saudi Arabia is also previewed — an event that will debut two new ceremonial championships made for these shows.
Dave also gives an early look at this month’s AEW Full Gear card, provides injury updates on Vikingo and Rhea Ripley, the latest on the “Ring Boys Scandal” lawsuit, and plenty more.
TNA wrestler Chris Bey has begun the rehabilitation process following emergency neck surgery after an in-ring accident at last Sunday’s TNA Impact TV taping.
The promotion announced the news Thursday, stating the former Tag Team Champion will remain in Detroit, Michigan, “with multiple daily rehab sessions under the direction of specialists. He continues to show daily improvements that bring a smile to the face of those around him and Bey himself.”
Bey sustained the undisclosed injury during a match with Ace Austin against The Hardys in Detroit. Austin has remained there to be with Bey along with other family, friends, TNA wrestlers and management.
Austin gave an update on Bey as part of TNA’s statement:
“I was in the ring with Chris when the incident occurred last Sunday and I’ve been by his side ever since. It was just as normal as anything we’ve done in the ring thousands of times. Everything was alright until it wasn’t. Each moment is precious and I’m cherishing every moment I’ve had in the ring and around the world with Chris, and every moment I have by his side right now. There will be a lot of hard work ahead, but we don’t know any other kind of work.Chris won’t be alone for any of this. He’s going to be surrounded by love and support from every single one of us. The road to recovery is going to be easy as ABC.”
