Leyton Buzzard’s biggest title match of the year ended with far more than a championship defense. The RevPro Undisputed British Cruiserweight Champion has revealed he wrestled almost an entire match with a completely torn ACL—and now isn’t sure if he’ll ever wrestle again.
Taking to Instagram, Buzzard shared an emotional update following successful ACL replacement surgery, revealing the injury happened just minutes into his championship match against Nino Bryant at RevPro’s 14 Year Anniversary event. Despite the severity of the injury, he chose to finish the match on one leg.
“Now life has killed the dream I dreamed. No AI this time. In the opening minutes of my championship match at Wembley I completely tore my left ACL. I wasn’t gonna let all the hard work be for nothing so I wrestled the rest of the match on 1 leg.”
Buzzard confirmed he underwent ACL replacement surgery a week ago and said the procedure was successful. However, the bigger question now is whether he’ll ever make it back to the ring, especially after suffering serious knee injuries before even turning 30.
“A week ago I underwent successfully ACL Replacement surgery. I don’t know what the future holds for me or if that future will be in wrestling. 2 busted knees before 30 wasn’t what I was hoping for so walking away whilst I still can is looking like a good option. Right now I just want to walk my dog again.”
Before leaving the arena after the match, Buzzard asked for one final moment alone in the ring. Looking back, he admitted he wanted to appreciate everything he’d accomplished in case it turned out to be the last time he’d ever stand there as a wrestler.
“Before going backstage I asked the boys to give me the ring for a minute so I could take it all in and appreciate what I’d done. That’s what’s happening in this picture. In that second I thought to myself if this is it, I’ve done alright, not a bad way to go out. Thank you for everything.”
For now, championship defenses are the furthest thing from his mind. His focus is on recovering from surgery and figuring out whether his body will allow him to continue chasing the career he’s worked so hard to build.
No matter what comes next, Buzzard’s decision to finish the match with a torn ACL shows just how much wrestling means to him. Hopefully his recovery goes as smoothly as possible, and whether he returns to the ring or not, he’ll be able to make that decision on his own terms.
Do you think Leyton Buzzard will make it back to the ring, or should he put his long-term health first? Drop your well wishes and let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
