Gangrel pushed through far more pain than anyone realized during the latter stages of his wrestling career.
Speaking on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, the former WWE star revealed that he unknowingly wrestled with a broken hip after years of dealing with severe knee problems.
Gangrel explained that he had been wrestling without an ACL or PCL for more than a decade, causing him to become increasingly bow-legged. When he finally sought medical advice, he was initially told he needed an immediate knee replacement, but that the surgery would effectively end his in-ring career.
“I had no ACL or PCL for over 10 years. I got so bow-legged that every walk felt like I was taking a hit.”
Unwilling to retire, Gangrel put off the procedure for another three years. When he eventually returned to the doctor because the pain had spread to his back and hip, further testing revealed a much more serious issue.
Gangrel’s X-Rays Showed He Suffered A Broken Hip
According to Gangrel, X-rays showed that he had previously suffered a broken hip without realizing it and was also dealing with a current fracture.
“He got an X-ray of my hip and said, ‘That was a break at some point last year.’ I said, ‘My hip was broken?’ He said, ‘Yeah.’ Then he pointed to another area and said, ‘That’s fractured right now.'”
The doctor then explained that Gangrel’s damaged knee had thrown his entire body out of alignment, causing his hip to come out of the joint.
“Your knee’s so bad that your hip went out. You had no idea because you just balanced yourself out.”
Despite the diagnosis, Gangrel continued wrestling. He underwent hip replacement surgery in July before having his knee replaced on October 31, but still managed to wrestle a match between the two operations.
Even after the surgeries, Gangrel returned to the ring quickly, working several shows in December before completing a 14-show tour of England in January.
When he returned for a follow-up appointment, his doctor had already learned about the tour through social media.
“He said, ‘I’m never going to clear you to wrestle again.’ Then he checked everything and said, ‘Your body’s good. You’re healed up.'”
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