William Regal has posted a strong message urging professional wrestlers to avoid moves that result in landing on their heads.
The WWE Vice President of Global Talent Development wrote on social media on Sunday that he was “alarmed” by footage he had seen recently.
Regal accompanied the text with a side-profile X-ray image showing a cervical spine fused with multiple surgical screws and plates.
In the statement, the 57-year-old revealed he broke his neck on two occasions in the 1990s, once during a match in 1993 and again in a 1997 car accident. He noted that he “stupidly never told anyone” at the time.
He argued that the specific skill of bridging to protect the head is rarely learned by modern performers. According to Regal, wrestlers often “watch film and just copy” moves without understanding the protective mechanics.
“I was taught properly how to bridge and not land on the top of my head,” Regal wrote. “It’s a skill that maybe 99.9% of people don’t know or will ever learn anymore.”
Regal cited the 2009 in-ring death of Mitsuharu Misawa as a tragedy he hoped would deter dangerous wrestling styles, noting that the issue has only worsened since.
He also referenced “Bryan”, likely former protégé Bryan Danielson, as someone currently “suffering daily” alongside him due to neck trauma. Regal described his own condition as a “daily misery” affecting his sleep.
The veteran performer dismissed the idea that enduring such pain makes a wrestler tough.
“Money and whatever nonsense fame is supposed to be is not worth the pain or supposed two evening glory you get from these ridiculous moves dropping yourself on your head,” he stated. “It’s idiotic thinking.”
Regal retired from in-ring competition in 2013 and currently works in talent development for WWE. He returned to the company following a tenure with AEW in 2022 where he formed the Blackpool Combat Club.
I stay off here but was alerted to something to day that has alarmed me. I don’t read any comments so don’t waste your time trying to argue or justify your very wrong opinions on this. I broke my neck twice,9/93 in ring and a car wreck in ‘97 and stupidly never told anyone. And I… pic.twitter.com/BHxtPm6rjM
— William Regal (@RealKingRegal) December 28, 2025
