Despite everyone trying their best to keep things safe – injuries happen in professional wrestling. Some are minor, some can keep you out of the ring for over a year – and some are potentially life threatening. The last of these was the case for Tyson Kidd, when a Muscle Buster from Samoa Joe was nearly the end of his life.
Kidd got off lucky, but the damage would bring his in-ring career to a premature finish, with him unable to ever wrestle again. However, he would find a second life in the industry as a backstage producer – a role which truly helped him to accept his early retirement from the ring a touch easier.
Becoming A WWE Producer Helped Tyson Kidd Cope With The End Of His In-Ring Career
While appearing on the Dropkick Podcast, the former WWE Tag Team Champion would have the following to say about competing in the ring.
“Yeah. There’s a lot of things I do miss about it. But, I got hurt at 34 right before I turned 35. Even then, I knew at some point this stage is going to come to an end. When I got hurt, I was forced to retire. The choice was taken out of my hands. I think with the way I’m wired, I think I’m a little bit glad… I’m not glad, but I can accept the way it happened. If that injury didn’t happen, I might have just kept wrestling past my prime.
At least this way… it’s hard as an athlete. It’s hard to know when is it time to say ‘Okay, now this is your game. It isn’t mine anymore.’ In hindsight, I was a little fortunate that I didn’t have to make that choice, but I had it made for me. Now, I wouldn’t be as zen with it if I didn’t have this role as a producer and this special connection I have with the women. If I didn’t have that, I wouldn’t be sitting here so calmly saying my in-ring career is over.”
Prior to the injury, Kidd was experiencing a career resurgence as part of the NXT roster – where his smooth in-ring abilities made him one of the top stars, alongside the likes of Tyler Breeze, Neville, Sami Zayn, and Finn Balor.
Were you a fan of Tyson Kidd’s wrestling abilities? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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