WWE Star Edge Confirms Backlash Injury Is Not Fake With Graphic Photos

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

A common but somewhat misguided criticism of professional wrestling is that it's 'fake'. However, just because it is scripted does not mean it's fake.

The way in which they throw each other about is very much real - and this can inevitably lead to some pretty nasty injuries.

WWE legend Edge is the latest to pick up a grim injury in the ring, which he sustained while fighting old foe Randy Orton at Backlash earlier this month.

Many people thought the wounding may all be a facade or part of a storyline, but the 46-year-old refuted this emphatically by sharing photos of his torn triceps, which he described as 'elbow tartare'. Lovely.

Captioning the photos, Edge - whose real name is Adam Copeland - said: "Some folks have asked if my injury is part of a storyline. It's not. I wish it was. Here's what a torn triceps looks like. Elbow Tartare. Now, nose to the grindstone."

Now, we can't show you the horrific images in full - for that you'll have to click through to Edge's Instagram post - because they're pretty horrific. But this should give you an idea:

Instagram/Edge

Instagram/Edge

Instagram/Edge

So there you have it, hope you're all feeling better for having seen that.

Let Edge's wounds serve as a reminder that wrestlers sustain some all too real injuries in the name of entertainment. One man who has suffered more than his fair share down the years is The Undertaker.

The WWE icon has just called time on his career after more than 30 years in the ring. The 55-year-old announced the decision in critically-acclaimed docuseries Undertaker: The Last Ride, which charts his battle to keep on wrestling as he grows older and his injuries mount.

Throughout the series, The Phenom - real name Mark Calaway - continually toys with retirement, before ultimately drawing a line in the sand in the last episode.

He said: "I believe I'm at a place now, post-Boneyard, which was a hellacious battle against one of the best in the business. Here you are, climbing on your motorcycle and taking off.

"There was a lot of thought and a lot of emotion, one of those being, 'Are you happy enough with that?' It was a powerful moment. You don't necessarily always get those. If there was ever a perfect ending to a career, that right there was it."

He continued: "If Vince [McMahon] was in a pinch, would I come back? I guess time would only tell there. In case of emergency, break glass, you pull out The Undertaker. I would consider it.

"[But] at this point in my career, I have no desire to get back in the ring."

Topics: Celebrity, WWE

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey