During an October 2024 taping of TNA iMPACT, Chris Bey suffered a severe injury during a match pitting himself and Ace Austin against Matt & Jeff Hardy. On the Insight podcast, Bey recalled the spot in question and what he experienced in the moment.
“As soon as it goes wrong, you don’t notice what’s wrong, you just know something isn’t right. I felt a jolt. It was a neck breaker. We missed each other, Matt and I, by an inch.”
Bey felt “a little bit of discomfort” and was checked on by referee Daniel Spencer. Speculating that this was a ‘stinger,’ a minor setback Bey has dealt with before, Bey asked for Spencer to help him get out of the ring before a strange feeling kicked in.
“I was numb. It was a weird feeling that I can’t exactly explain, because I’ve never experienced it before. I just know it was kind of a numb feeling.”
A self-professed perfectionist, Bey was more concerned about the match, as he was an artist who’s “brush made a mark I didn’t want.” As the match progressed, Bey realized the seriousness of the injury when his body was failing to react.
“It’s my turn to get back up and do my next spot. So mentally, I roll over and grab the ropes and sell around. Physically, I’m laying there.”
Realising something was off, the teams rushed a finish which was supposed to see Jeff hit a Swanton Bomb for the win. Though Bey knew how to take the move and was willing his body to brace for an impact, his body once again failed to move. Bey yelled to the ref to tell Jeff not to do the move. Informed, Hardy hit a leg-drop, giving an arch so Bey was safe, to get the win.
Bey was rushed to a nearby hospital as the feeling in his body continued to wane. As he waited in immense pain for a surgeon, Bey knew things were very bad when he saw his gear in the corner.
“I saw my tights and my knee pads and my boots neatly stacked next to me uncut and I never felt them take any article of clothing off of me.”
Bey would undergo surgery and has been working on his recovery ever since in a testament to his dedication and the human spirit. As questions remain about his future in wrestling, Bey’s tale is a grim reminder that even the most common of moves, a neckbreaker, can turn disastrous in the ring.
We here at SEScoops are continuing to wish Chris the absolute best on his recovery.
