Injuries are an unfortunate occurence in professional wrestling. Zoey Stark returned to WWE Monday Night Raw on Monday, May 19, only to suffer a serious knee injury in a match against Rhea Ripley and Kairi Sane. It was a horrific moment and the wrestling community rallied around her in the moments that immediately followed.
Zoey Stark was injured during a spot in which she was to hit Kairi Sane with a missle dropkick. During the landing, her foot planted into the mat, causing her knee to twist in a bad fashion. She immediately clutched her leg, screaming in pain. Stark rolled out of the ring and had to be carried to the back by medical professionals.
Ripley and Sane continued the match, with Ripley picking up the win and advancing to the Money in the Bank ladder match on June 7.
Wrestling community rallied around Zoey Stark
Almost immediately after the injury, performers both in the WWE and beyond rallied around Zoey Stark to express their support.
"Wrestling is a beautiful and dangerous sport," tweeted former AEW Women's World Champion, Thunder Rosa. "We give our all everytime we step in the ring and we also risk a lot when we do what we love. Zoey Stark, I love you sister and hope you recover soon."
"I truly hope we get to face each other again when you're ready," Kairi Sane tweeted. "Wishing you a smooth recovery."
"Professional wrestling can be very real and dangerous," tweeted Rhea Ripley. "Tonight continued to prove that anything can happen. Wishing Zoey Stark a speedy recovery."
This is the second serious knee injury Stark has suffered in her time with WWE. Back in 2021 she was injured at NXT Halloween Havoc when she tore her ACL, MCL, and meniscus. This came less than one year after signing with the company and getting some early momentum in NXT.
Stark retured from that injury in July of 2022. She finished up in NXT before being moved to Monday Night Raw during the 2023 WWE Draft. Since then, she's been used sparringly in feuds, including being a major part of the Trish Stratus versus Becky Lynch angle. Most recently, she was teaming with Shayna Baszler and Sonya Deville, both of whom were released during rounds of the latest roster cuts.
As of this writing, WWE has not issued a formal statement on Zoey Stark's injury, and there's no word on a timetable for her return. For more news about WWE and all things professional wrestling, stick with Daily DDT.