06-06-06 ::

Ric Byrne Significantly Injured In Match

In a "First Blood" match against the tough competitor Gotti, Ric Byrne tore the HWA Arena down with his opponent for nearly twenty minutes.  Battling all over the floor and hitting each other with everything from ladders, chairs, security railings, and even the announcer's table, it was only a matter or time before someone got hurt.

It was right at the 9:20 mark, to be exact.  When Gotti threw a desperate clothesline with all of his might, it caused Ric's jawbone to be completely severed on the right side, the impact crushing bone and teeth.  Additional shots with the ring bell also caused a complete break at the left joint of the jaw, along with other damage.  Undeterred, Ric fought on, and eventually even won the match when he dropped Gotti headfirst onto an exposed turnbuckle - but the cost of that victory is his ability to compete for the foreseeable future.

Ric had reconstructive surgery performed on his jaw on 06/08/06, where metal rods were inserted into his jaw to set and maintain the position of the bone.  Additionally, his mouth was wired shut, due to the severity of the damage at the joint.  Less than two weeks after the surgery, Byrne was again visiting an orthopedic specialist as the jaw had once more broken at the joint, compounding the injury.  Doctors estimate that Byrne will be out for a total of just under four months.

We here at Ric's official website wish him the best as he recovers from this frustrating setback!