What happened to Darren Drozdov? How one mistimed move changed Drozdov's life forever

Despite professional wrestling being scripted, superstars still have to perform moves that can only be mastered after years of practice inside squared ring. Over years, fans have seen careers of several wrestlers being cut short due to various injuries. When we think of superstars retiring due to injuries, names of Daniel Bryan and WWE Hall of Famer Edge pop up, who successfully came out on top and returned to in-ring action. n re is Stone Cold Steve Austin, who was forced to retire due to injuries.

Hardcore fans of professional wrestling also know dark side of such injuries, where a wrestler's life completely changes due to one small mistimed move. One such name in wrestling business is Darren Drozdov, whose life took a turn for worse after he was involved in a life-threatening injury. Let's have a look at what happened to Darren Drozdov and how now well-documented 'Darren Drozdov accident' impacted his career. 

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What happened to Darren Drozdov? Darren Drozdov paralysed

Darren Drozdov, who went by his wrestling name, Droz, was just 30 years old when he was on receiving end of a mistimed wrestling move, also known as a botch. On October 5, 1999, at WWF's (now WWE) TV taping at Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, New York, Droz faced wrestler D'Lo Brown. While this was believed to be a decently paced wrestling match, D’Lo Brown went for his signature powerbomb. As it is well-documented, move went terribly wrong and Drozdov ended up severely injuring his neck, becoming a quriplegic.

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What happened to Darren Drozdov? Darren Drozdov paralysed

Surprisingly, WWE Universe was completed oblivious to ill-fated Darren Drozdov accident as company edited out footage from its tapings. It was reported that  company decided to withhold entirety of footage to avoid causing any unrest among ir audience. However, footage of Drozdov being stretchered out of arena was included in WWE’s 'Don’t Try This at Home' video.

Darren Drozdov accident

What happened to Darren Drozdov? Darren Drozdov paralysed and speculations

After incident went public, multiple publications speculated several ories to explain accident. During an interview, Droz himself broke down accident and stated D'Lo Brown was not at fault in accident. 

"I have no hard feelings toward D’Lo because sh*t happens and everyone who gets involved in athletics, including WWE, knows risks that exist. It was an accident." - Drozdov speaking to FOX

Droz later revealed that he h worn a slightly loose t-shirt for match which me it difficult for Brown to manage a strong grip on Darren Drozdov. Moreover, he was unable to generate a proper jump to aid D'Lo Brown during move, according to Droz. 

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Darren Drozdov paralysed: What happened to Darren Drozdov after accident?

A former defensive tackle for University of Maryland, Drozdov reportedly continues to live in South Jersey with his family. 50-year-old needs 24-hour in-home care but still continues to enjoy a normal life. Darren Drozdov told FOX back in 2014 that he remained in touch with most of his college teammates and was a huge fan of Maryland football team. One of his most notable friends is Kevin Plank, CEO and founder of Under Armour. Plank reportedly designed and financed a tank-like wheelchair for Drozdov. Drozdov also reportedly continued working for WWE as a writer and held several unspecified roles. 

What happened to Darren Drozdov? D'Lo Brown discusses life-threatening accident

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