5 Injured WWE stars who could be ready to return

Injuries are a part of any professional sport, and WWE stars suffer injuries just like other athletes. Seth Rollins, John Cena, Cody Rhodes, and Charlotte Flair have all endured devastating injuries at different stages of their careers.

Kevin Owens is currently out with a neck injury, and his prognosis is still up in the air. Kiana James recently returned from a knee injury on SmackDown to act as Giulia's advocate as the Women's United States Champion.

Several stars up and down the card on RAW and SmackDown have missed significant time in 20225. The following five WWE stars could be ready to return to action soon.

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#5. Ilja Dragunov has been out for nearly a year with a torn ACL

Ilja Dragunov was getting his footing on RAW as a face standing up to the hard-charging Bron Breakker. He was drafted to Monday Nights in the 2024 WWE Draft but suffered a torn ACL in late September 2024.

Those injuries usually have a recovery time of six to nine months unless it's a multi-tendon tear or a tricky recovery. The Mad Dragon has been on the shelf for much longer than that timeframe.

Since he hasn't re-emerged yet, Dragunov must be awaiting a creative direction as WWE endures changes every month.

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#4. Rey Mysterio has been used to promote events

Rey Mysterio may still be active at 50 years old, but he's suffered numerous ailments in his later years. It feels like he misses time every year, and 2025 is no different.

The WWE Legend missed his WrestleMania match with El Grande Americano due to a torn groin. He's still managed public appearances for Lucha Libre AAA, even appearing at Triplemania and the Worlds Collide event last week.

Since he's been out for more than five months from his injury, the former World Heavyweight Champion could be ready to return to RAW at any moment.

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#3. Liv Morgan misses the chaos on RAW

Liv Morgan regained the Women's Tag Team titles with Raquel Rodriguez immediately after losing them at WrestleMania 41. Her luck quickly ran out after suffering a dislocated shoulder in a match with Kairi Sane on June 16th.

That was three months ago, and recovery time varies from person to person. Morgan has had shoulder issues in the past, so it may take a bit longer than usual.

Nonetheless, the former Money in the Bank winner could shake things up in the Judgment Day at any point in the near future. The tension grows every week, so why not add yet another agent of chaos to the mix?

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#2. Bianca Belair has appeared on WWE programming despite injury

Morgan wasn't the only former Women's Champion to suffer unfortunate luck in the first half of the year. While it wasn't as serious as a broken neck or torn ligaments, Bianca Belair injured a finger in her triple threat match at WrestleMania in late April.

She still appeared on programming while injured when SmackDown or RAW went to her hometown of Nashville. She also returned to be the guest referee at Evolution 2.

If she can referee a match, it shows her injury isn't a huge deterrent. With Tiffany Stratton needing new challengers, The EST could pop up to help Jade Cargill or turn on her former friend.

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#1. Gunther's physical style took a toll

Gunther had a tough showing at SummerSlam. Not only did he lose the World Heavyweight title cleanly to CM Punk, but he also broke his nose in the physical title match.

Stars have wrestled with protective faceguards before, but the severity often determines if a star can continue to compete or needs more healing time.

The Ring General is notoriously tricky, so his return to the ring could be in the cards in the coming weeks.

Cody Rhodes needs new challengers since he's the Undisputed WWE Champion once again. Moving to SmackDown to shake up the title scene would be best for business and for Gunther.

Edited by Angana Roy