Kenny Omega And Other Wrestlers Comment On Stark Warning Issued By William Regal

The age old saying about professional wrestling is this. "It ain't ballet."

It was true in the 1980's and it's still true as we wrap up 2025. At the WWE Survivor Series PLE in November, Bron Breakker nearly suffered a catastrophic injury on a move from the top rope.

At the AEW Worlds End PPV on Saturday night, Kyle Fletcher landed directly on his neck on suplex maneuver by Jon Moxley from the top rope. On the same show, Jaime Hayter was driven neck first to the mat by Kris Statlander in a move that was executed from the top rope.

Pro wrestling will always be dangerous, but a legend has stepped in to warn wrestlers about being too dangerous. Or, needlessly dangerous. That legend was William Regal.

William Regal pleads with wrestlers to be safer in the ring

In a rare post on X, Regal opened up and commented on his constant neck pain amidst retirement and issued a plea to wrestlers to listen to his advice,

"I’m 57 and become less relevant every day, but fame has never been my thing. Most of you doing this STUPID stuff are not going to listen to me, but hopefully a few do. Stop it now if you want a decent quality of life after wrestling, because that part of your life will be over before you know it."
William Regal

Regal continued, outlined his own battle with severe neck pain, and said that future pain isn't worth the short term buzz of a move that forces a landing on a head.

I stay off here but was alerted to something to day that has alarmed me. I don’t read any comments so don’t waste your time trying to argue or justify your very wrong opinions on this. I broke my neck twice,9/93 in ring and a car wreck in ‘97 and stupidly never told anyone. And I… pic.twitter.com/BHxtPm6rjM
— William Regal (@RealKingRegal) December 28, 2025

"I have people close to me now, Bryan (Danielson) being one, who is suffering daily like myself from his neck. It’s a daily misery. Sleep and every other aspect of your life is more than hard ... Money and whatever nonsense fame is supposed to be is not worth the pain or supposed two evening glory you get from these ridiculous moves dropping yourself on your head."
William Regal

Various pro wrestlers have publicly commented on this warning from Regal. Piper Niven opened up with a social media post and echoed Regal's thoughts.

"The line between "but I feel fine" and "I just want to feel ok again" is horrifically thin," Niven wrote on X. "You have zero idea how close you are teetering to the edge of it. Please take heed my darlings."

The line between

“But I feel fine!”

And

“I just want to feel ok again”

Is horrifically thin and you have zero idea how close you are teetering on the edge of it.

Please take heed my darlings. https://t.co/H276qJLfUg
— Slaygent P (@PiperNivenWWE) December 29, 2025

Ivar from the WWE tag team The War Raiders, also commented Regal's message and shared a similar sentiment to Niven.

"Life altering," Ivar wrote on X. "There was a before and an after. Man, I wish I could remember the before."

Life altering. There was a before and an after. Man, I wish I could remember the before. https://t.co/gwy6RNOtF1 pic.twitter.com/kT3v1DYTF3
— Ivar (@Ivar_WWE) December 29, 2025

Finally, former AEW World Champion Kenny Omega, chimed in on the topic and thanked Regal in a post on X. He said that tribalism and whataboutism aren't needed when it comes to the topic of wrestler safety.

Omega said that sometimes wrestlers need a voice from afar to remind them of the risks that the profession has in it.

Regardless of timing or perceived intent, the general message from Mr. Regal remains a positive one. Tribalism, whataboutism, and other ‘isms’ aren’t needed here.

Safety often takes a back seat when a wrestler is locked in and actively chasing the dragon. We all sometimes need…
— Kenny Omega (@KennyOmegamanX) December 29, 2025

Regal had been a fixture of the black and gold era of NXT, but left for AEW in 2022 to manage Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley, and The Blackpool Combat Club. His AEW stay wasn't long as he returned to WWE in 2023. He currently works for that company in a global talent development role.

The Latest On WWE,AEW, & More

MJF Becomes Two-Time AEW Men's World Champion At Worlds End

Jon Moxley Defeats Kazuchika Okada To Win 2025 AEW Continental Classic

AEW Worlds End 2025 Results: MJF Wins World Title, Moxley Wins Continental Classic

Tony Khan Reveals What It Will Take For Women To Main Event An AEW PPV (Exclusive)