WARNING: There are some seriously graphic injuries ahead. Like, seriously graphic.
Getting injured is part of the game. Almost any athlete will tell you that. If you play any sport long enough, something will happen to you, but what happened to these athletes, who incurred the most brutal sports injuries ever, is far more horrifying than a common ankle sprain. What you'll find here are some of the most gruesome sports injuries of all time, which run the gamut from broken bones to slit throats (seriously).
Some sports are more violent than others, but even the seemingly most benign, like baseball and basketball, have seen their share of awful sports injuries. Obviously, you're more likely to get your limbs snapped in half in MMA than you are playing hoops, but, as the worst things that have happened in sports show, these nasty injuries can happen any time, anywhere.
On March 22, 1989, one of the most gruesome sports injuries of all time occurred. Clint Malarchuk was playing goal for the Buffalo Sabres when two players collided with him in front of the net. One player's skates caught Malarchuk right on the neck. The hockey star lost three pints of blood on the ice and required 300 stitches. Malarchuk later said he felt as though he might die on the ice.
Anybody even faintly aware of rugby knows the sport can get violent. Nothing will surpass what happened to Wayne Buck Shelford during 1986's "The Battle fo Nantes," one of the most gruesome rugby matches of all time. Shelford and his New Zealand team faced off against a French squad allegedly fueled by massive pre-game amphetamine use.
About 20 minutes into the match, Shelford found himself at the bottom of a human pile-up, where a cleat ripped open his scrotum. Shelford, who also lost several teeth, jogged off the field with a testicle literally hanging out of him, only to have himself stitched up and return to play minutes later.
Soccer Player Paulo Diogo Lost His Finger While Celebrating
In December of 2004, Servette midfielder Paulo Diogo jumped on a fence to celebrate a goal he set up with a well-executed pass. He failed to notice, however, that his wedding ring was caught on the fence. When he jumped down, the ring - and the majority of his finger - did not make the trip with him.
To make matters worse, the game was delayed to look for the missing finger. When it was finally retrieved, the doctor told Diogo that there was no way to sew it back on and they had to amputate the remaining part of the finger. On top of that, the referee yellow carded Diogo for his celebration and subsequent delays.
In March of 2013, during the NCAA Tournament, Kevin Ware of Louisville went up to contest a shot. When he landed, he broke his tibia so violently the bone came out through his skin. The initial shock of seeing a bone poking through skin had players running the other way, praying, and looking like they were gonna throw up. If you are at all queasy, do not watch the video above.
Wresting Star Sid Vicious Breaks His Leg in the Ring
You can talk about how fake wresting is all you want, but there was nothing fake about this injury to Sid Vicious's leg. In January 2001, at the Sin pay-per-view, Sid went to the top rope to land a jumping kick to the face of his opponent Jeff Jarrett. Unfortunately, Sid landed awkwardly, breaking both his tibia and fibia. His left leg was visibly facing the wrong way as he laid in the ring. The injury resulted in three years of recovery and a lawsuit against the WCW.
Soccer Player David Busst Shattered His Leg on Field
In April 1996, David Busst was playing for Coventry City, against Manchester United, when one of the most horrific injuries in the history of Premiere League soccer happened. Busst got his leg caught between two United players and it snapped, resulting in compound fractures of both the tibia and fibula of the right leg. The injury was so graphic, United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel vomited after seeing it.
