Apollo Crews is grateful he still has his career with WWE, especially after suffering an injury on the independents that nearly ended it before it even started.
The former Intercontinental champion spoke about this subject on the latest edition of Ryan Satin’s Out Of Character podcast, where he recalls the serious injury he sustained and how doctors told him he might not be able to wrestle again. Crews adds that he doesn’t wish that experience on anyone in the industry. Highlights from the interview can be found below.
Recalls getting injured on the indies and being told he might never wrestle again:
It was very, very nerve wracking (suffering injury on the independents) because it was one of those — and I feel like I hear this story from a lot of people (that) get injured and I’m wondering now if this is just a thing that doctors say where it’s like, we know this is gonna have more dramatic impact if we tell you that you may not be able to wrestle again but, I probably shouldn’t even be making a joke of that. But I feel like it was one of those things where that’s what I was told where it’s like, ‘Yeah, you might not be able –’ because it’s a pretty serious injury, the patella tendon and I was still on the indies. Just no insurance, doctor bills, I gotta go to rehab. All I know right now is wrestling and doing something athletic, training. Now I’m stuck on the couch, not being able to do anything so it’s a tough time.
Says he hopes no one in the industry ever has to go through that experience:
I don’t wish anybody to have to experience an injury because it’s tough, but it makes you stronger mentally. I think you come back stronger physically so yeah, that was a worry at that time too. I’m like, ‘Dang, okay, injury, doctor says I can’t wrestle again (Crews laughed). Is this plan done?’ But at that time, again, I was so determined to chase this dream of becoming a WWE superstar. There was just nothing that was gonna stop me.
(H/T and transcribed by Post Wrestling)