Ivar of the War Raiders is thrilled to be back in the ring, though lingering effects from his recent injury continue to impact him. Alongside his partner Erik, the duo returned to action in October after significant absences for both men. For Ivar, his time away began in April due to a severe neck issue.
On the Insightpodcast, Ivar provided an update on his recovery, noting significant improvements:
“I’ve got most of my mobility back to my neck. It’s a little stiff now because I have another herniation, but I still have very good range of motion.”
Despite his progress, Ivar acknowledged that some effects of the injury are permanent and will stay with him throughout his life.
“I do have permanent nerve damage and nerve pain in my hands, and that will never go away. That’s something I live with.”
These challenges haven’t stopped Ivar and Erik from reclaiming their spot at the top. On the latest episode of WWE Raw, the War Raiders captured the World Tag Team Championships with an assist from Damian Priest. The victory ended the 188-day reign of Finn Balor and JD McDonagh, a run that saw only three televised title defenses.
Ivar’s battle with permanent nerve damage underscores the physical toll professional wrestlers endure to pursue their dreams and entertain fans. Stay tuned to SEScoops for more updates on the War Raiders as they dominate the Raw tag team division.
WWE Superstar Ivar has undergone Stem Cell Therapy which he hopes will aid with his recovery from an injury that has kept him out for months. On Instagram, Ivar shared some photos from his recent visit to the Rejuvstem Clinic in Cancun.
Ivar has been out of action since May 2024 with his most recent match seeing him lose to Oba Femi at NXT Spring Breakin’ Week Two. On TV, Ivar’s absence was explained as due to an attack by Gallus. The faction attacked him on the May 14, edition of WWE NXT.
This setback has come at a pivotal time in Ivar’s career as his tag-team partner Erik is also out after neck fusion surgery. Rather than simply not use Ivar, as WWE has often done with tag team wrestlers who are on their own, Ivar continued to be used prominently during Erik’s absence. His performances reportedly earned him praise backstage and this singles push even saw him enter the Intercontinental Title picture.
Stem Cells & Wrestling
Several names have turned to the Rejuvstem Clinic for Stem Cell Therapy, including Big E, who has been out of action since March 2022 with a broken neck. MVP underwent treatment earlier this year and said he hopes the treatment will extend his wrestling career.
Shotzi has also taken the trip to Rejuvstem to aid with her recovery from a torn ACL suffered earlier this year as well as years of back pain. WWE Hall of Famers including Rey Mysterio, Kevin Nash, Rob Van Dam, and Adam Copeland have also undergone Stem Cell Therapy.
Stem Cells: What Are They?
Stem Cells have two main features that make them valuable in treatments such as these: they are self-replicating and can become various types of cells. Stem Cells are also considered controversial as there have been debates as to the ethics of research involving the development and use of human embryos. Not all stem cell research involves human embryos.
WWE superstar Ivar has enjoyed a successful run as a singles competitor this past year. His Viking Raiders tag partner, Erik, is currently sidelined with a neck injury, and it’s unclear when he’ll return. Although WWE has presented Ivar as a tag team wrestler, he was allowed to compete by himself and flourished on the main roster.
In an interview with Chris Van Vliet during WrestleMania weekend, Ivar reflected on having to work singles. He noted that he had experience in Ring Of Honor when Erik was dealing with another injury.
“… When we were in Ring Of Honor, we got put as a team. We’re catching fire, and then he gets in a motorcycle accident and tries to ruin my wrestling career. So, here now, I got to do singles stuff in Ring of Honor. So then I get a big push in Ring Of Honor. I’m wrestling the main event of the pay-per-view for the title, and he returns and tries to ruin my wrestling career again,” said Ivar jokingly.
Ivar On If The Viking Raiders Will Split Up When Erik Returns
Despite the success of his singles run in WWE, Ivar doesn’t plan on breaking up his tag team with Erik.
“…We’re a package deal and just like the New Day(Big E, Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) is a package deal. I feel like we’re a package deal,” said Ivar.
Vliet pointed out in response that the Usos had the same mentality for a long time and split up last year. However, Ivar downplayed the idea and explained why the Viking Raiders won’t ever break up.
“…I feel in my heart that we are a team, and we’re in this together. We wouldn’t be where we are today without each other, and I feel just like the new day, we’re not going to split up for anything,” said Ivar. He added, “Maybe each of us has singles stuff on the side, but we’re a team forever.”
Ivar’s singles career has recently been put on hold as he is dealing with an undisclosed injury. It’s unclear when he’ll return, but he’ll aim to keep the Viking Raiders spirit alive until Erik reunites with him.
Viking Raider Ivar was among a multitude of people unhappy with the ‘Viking Experience’ name but that didn’t matter as “one man” was on board with the name.
Ivar, alongside Erik, had established themselves as War Machine and the War Raiders for years before being called up to the main roster in 2019. The move from WWE NXT to Monday Night Raw saw the pair rechristened the ‘Viking Experience’ which was met with a backlash from fans who felt the name was goofy.
Ivar On The Viking Experience
Shortly after the Viking Experience was revealed, a compromise was reached for the team to be named the Viking Raiders, a nod to their previous name. Speaking on the Insight podcast, Ivar discussed how the name came about.
“Vince [McMahon] loves Vikings. So he found out there was a team in NXT that were Vikings. ‘Yes, I want them.’ And he wanted Viking in our name and they couldn’t pass anything through legal. There’s already a Vikings football team, there’s already a Vikings TV show. So none of the names they were trying, whatever they were, were getting through.
“And then somebody, I won’t say who, it was asked in a meeting ‘What are they? Describe them!’ And somebody describes us as ‘they’re this, they’re that. They’re like a Viking… Experience.’ That’s it! They’re the Viking Experience. And not one person was happy or okay with that except for the one man. So we were stuck.”
Neither fans nor those backstage (except for one) were happy with the name.
WWE changing the name amid fan backlash was an example of the company listening to the fans at a time when it felt like that wasn’t happening. Since then, the Viking Raiders have gone on to hold the Raw Tag Team Championships and have established themselves as one of the top teams on WWE’s main roster.
WWE star Ivar has addressed his current status amid all the conflicting rumors going around about his health and wrestling future.
Chatter about the wrestling star’s status began after WWE pulled him from an announced match. At first it was reported that Ivar was just taking some time off from the company and he wasn’t really injured.
Fresh reports since then, however, have contradicted the early statements. A photo posted by Andrews Sports Medicine team on Twitter further confirmed that the heavyweight star was dealing with a legitimate issue.
One-half of the Viking Raiders tag team then took on his Twitter to set the record straight. Ivar confirmed that he is indeed dealing with a legitimate serious injury:
There has been alot of misinformation floating around about me. Let me clearify:
Yes I am injured Yes it is very serious No I have not had surgery
Still trying to figure out all options and what this means for my future.
The WWE star said that he will do everything he can to get back in the ring as soon as possible and thanked the fans for their support through this ordeal:
“No matter what happens, I owe it to everyone who ever believed in me to do everything I can to get back in that ring, under those lights, and infront of the most amazing fans on the planet, see you as soon as I can! That being said, I Want to thank everyone for the out pouring of love and support, not only after finding out I was injured but thru out the last several months, I have heard you all!”
Ivar’s Injury
Ivar was originally scheduled to compete in a triple threat #1 contender’s match for Oba Femi’s NXT North American Championship at next week’s episode of NXT.
However he, alongside the other two competitors of the match Wes Lee and Josh Briggs were taken out by Gallus on this week’s episode of the Tuesday night show.
The company then taped next week’s episode of the development show in advance and excluded the heavyweight star from the lineup. Ivar was also replaced in the ongoing tournament to determine the #1 contender for Ricochet’s WWE Speed championship.
Fightful Select later provided some more updates on the 40-year-old’s health. They claimed that Ivar has ‘long wrestled as if he’s on borrowed time after his double fusion surgery.’
The nature or the severity of Ivar’s current injury is not known. So it’s hard to say how long he will stay out of action or when can we expect him back on WWE programming.
SEScoops will continue monitoring the situation and you can follow us on social media to stay up-to-date with the wrestling star’s status.
More has come to light about Viking Raider Ivar and why the former Tag Team Champion has been pulled indefinitely from all programming.
With his tag-team partner Erik recovering from neck fusion surgery, Ivar has had an impressive singles run on Monday Night Raw and more recently WWE NXT. At the recent Spring Breakin’ event, Ivar challenged for the NXT North American Championship, his first singles title opportunity since coming to WWE in 2018.
Ivar Pulled From Plans
During the taping of next week’s episode of WWE NXT, Ivar was not part of the triple threat number one contenders match he had been scheduled to participate in. Shortly after the taping, WWE revealed that due to an attack by Gallus, Ivar had been medically disqualified from competition and was out of action indefinitely.
Now, more has come to light about Ivar’s situation. On Twitter, the Andrews Sports Medicine account shared their appreciation to Ivar for placing his trust in the hands of their surgical team. The post also had the hashtag #Spine, suggesting Ivar has undergone surgery on his spine.
Thank you @Ivar_WWE for trusting in Dr. Andrew Cordover and his team to help you achieve #VictoryOverInjury!
— Andrews Sports Med (@AndrewsSportMed) May 16, 2024
Andrews Sports Medicine
Ivar is certainly in good hands with Andrews Sports Medicine as some of WWE’s top Superstars have gone under the knife in the Alabama-based institute. Triple H, Cody Rhodes, and John Cena have all had surgery through Andrew Sports Medicine. In fact, Ivar’s tag-team partner Erik made the trip to Alabama last year for his neck fusion surgery. At this time, there’s no word on when either Viking is expected back in the ring.
Following a vicious assault from the returning trio Gallus, WWE Superstar Ivar was one of several laid out at the closing of this week’s edition of NXT. Unfortunately, it seems as though Ivar will not be able to get his revenge anytime soon.
According to WWE, Ivar has sustained an injury following the backstage attack and will be “out of action indefinitely”. Along with Ivar, Gallus took out Wes Lee and Josh Briggs. The three men were set to take part in a triple-threat-match the following week to decide the #1 contender to Oba Femi’s NXT North American Championship.
While Ivar’s status for the upcoming triple-threat match is still up in the air, WWE has decided to remove the former RAW Tag Team Champion from the ongoing Speed Tournament.
The tournament was set to name a #1 Contender to face current Speed Champion Ricocohet. The company announced via social media that Apollo Crews will replace Ivar and face Tyler Bate in the Semi-Finals of the tournament.
Ivar did comment on the announcement, only posting broken heart emojis on X.
At this time, it’s unknown if Ivar’s injury is legitimate or a part of a larger storyline with Gallus. WWE has been faced with a bit of an injury bug as of late, with a seemingly ever-growing list of top talent sidelined with injury. Names include Drew McIntyre, Asuka, CM Punk, Rhea Ripley, and more.
Ivar himself dealt with an undisclosed injury earlier this year, causing him to be deemed “medically unable to compete” on the March 25th edition of Monday Night RAW. The high-flying Viking would return to action soon after.
Ivar’s been flying solo since his tag team partner Erik was injured in September 2023. In November of that year, Erik announced that he had undergone successful neck fusion surgery. Recently, Erik revealed that he is receiving Stem Cell treatment as part of his recovery.
WWE doesn’t need any more injuries on the road to WrestleMania, so any Superstar who goes out of action is going to cause attention. This is exactly what happened with Ivar, but now we have an update.
Ivar was supposed to face Andrade on RAW this week, but Giovanni Vinci had to take his spot. After fan concern started to grow about the Viking Warrior, it is now reported that he will not miss more in-ring action.
Ivar’s Current Status
Ivar concerned some fans after he missed RAW. He posted a photo from an X-Ray, but it seems that is not an indication of his current status.
Sean Ross Sapp posted an update about Ivar on Fightful Select. It is reported that Ivar is going to be okay, and he won’t miss any more time from the ring. That image he posted was an older X-ray, so fans shouldn’t be worried.
Ivar is not expected to miss any extended time in the ring. The X-Ray he posted on twitter Monday was from his previous neck injury.
It was previously reported that Ivar is going to be fine after missing this week’s episode of WWE RAW. Now, 1/2 of the Viking Raiders will continue.
Erik recently underwent C6/C7 neck fusion surgery and is currently in the process of recovery. To help with his rehabilitation, Erik and his wife Valhalla went to get stem cell therapy at the Ways2Well clinic in Austin, Texas.
SEScoops will have more on this story, and many more as more information is known. Keep checking back for more updates and headlines on the stories that you need.
The Viking Raiders’ Ivar wasn’t allowed to compete on the March 25, episode of WWE Raw, but fans shouldn’t expect to see him out of action for long.
In the run-up to the show, Ivar had been advertised to face Andrade in what’d be the second Raw match for the latter since his return to WWE. The former AEW star made his return to WWE as part of the Men’s 2024 Royal Rumble match that’d be won by fellow AEW alum Cody Rhodes.
Ivar Pulled from Raw
Shortly before Monday Night Raw went on the air, General Manager Adam Pearce announced that Ivar had been pulled from the show. Noting that the card is always “subject to change,” Pearce said that Ivar was “medically unable to compete.” He was replaced by Imperium’s Giovanni Vinci.
Ivar is said to be fine, according to sources who spoke to Fightful Select and he is expected to return to the ring soon. Sources did not reveal why the star had been taken out of competition in the first place.
Ivar as a Singles Superstar
It’s a good thing that Ivar won’t be out for long, as he’s been on quite the role as a singles Superstar. With Erik out of action, Ivar has been kept on TV and used regularly. This is quite the change from WWE’s past attitude of pulling both members of a tag team from TV if one member is injured.
Ivar has been impressing the right people within WWE with an October 2023 ‘Viking Rules’ match with Kofi Kingston receiving particular praise. The match, and Ivar’s overall willingness to work without Erik, have left WWE open-minded to using Ivar in a singles capacity in the future.
More WWE men besides Bronson Reed want meat at WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia and they aren’t talking cheesesteaks.
There may certainly be a stop at Tony Luke’s for WWE stars when they do hit the City of Brotherly Love for WrestleMania, but Bronson Reed has his own meat agenda in South Philly. The big Aussie implored fellow men on his roster to speak up on getting a Meaty Invitational cooking for WrestleMania in honor of Big E.
“There are some BIG brothers currently not on this year’s #WrestleMania. I think its time for Big E MEATY INVITATIONAL! If you, the WWE universe want it, let your voice be heard!!!”
Sure enough, Reed had several names answering the call. First was Otis, mentioning his past history with Bronson.
“YEAAA as a Matter of FACT.
“Ohhh YEAAA
“I got sum unfinished business with You Big Daddy Claw…
“As to other BIG MEN on the Roster…
“That’s a lot BIG LOADS in 1 Ring….
“OVER SIZE LOADS in the squared circle
“PURE K@RNAGE!”
YEAAA as a Matter of FACT Ohhh YEAAA I got sum unfinished business with You Big Daddy Claw… As to other BIG MEN on the Roster… That's a lot BIG LOADS in 1 Ring…. OVER SIZE LOADS in the squared circle PURE K@RNAGE! #MEATMANIAhttps://t.co/NYXCyV6vUE
There’s plenty more meat to go around on SmackDown and Raw who could potentially throw their hats in the ring. Omos, Braun Strowman, Bron Breakker, Bobby Lashley, Akam, Rezar, Dijak and Odyssey Jones all have the capability of causing a monster stir in the ring.
Tony Khan had plans for a Meat Madness at AEW Revolution earlier in March, but decided to put that meat on ice when not everyone he wanted was available to compete in the match. Instead, there was a big scramble bout in which Wardlow won.
The Viking Raiders have been absent from WWE television lately. Erik, one half of the imposing team, is dealing with health issues. He is out of action due to a neck injury, but he’s trying hard to repair the damage.
Erik Rowan’s Neck Injury
Erik’s last pro wrestling match occurred on the September 14th episode of WWE Main Event. Although initially slated for the September 18th episode of WWE RAW, he couldn’t take part in that event due to injury.
Erik recently underwent C6/C7 neck fusion surgery and is currently in the process of recovery. To aid in his rehabilitation, Erik and his partner Valhalla went to get stem cell therapy at the Ways2Well clinic in Austin, Texas.
In a recent update, Erik spoke about the toll that over 20 years in professional wrestling has taken on his body. He may be on the injured list right now, but the Viking Raider seems confident that he will return.
During the discussion, Erik highlighted the importance of the source of stem cells used in their therapy. He also expressed relief in discovering that the stem cells were sourced from amniotic donor stem cells, harvested from scheduled C-section procedures without causing harm.
“It was actually the first question I asked – what was the source of the stem cells that are used in treatments in Ways2Well? And I was very relieved to learn it was all amniotic donor stem cells. So, it’s all from a scheduled C-section from a mother’s tissue. It’s amniotic, there’s no harm done in the harvesting, which was super important to us.”
Erik’s Personal Relationship With The Viking Raiders
Ivar, Erik, and Valhalla form the WWE’s Viking Raiders faction. The Viking Raiders were known as War Machine prior to entering WWE, so they have years of time together.
The team will have to take a breather while Erik recovers, but Triple H has made good use of Ivar in the meantime, spotlighting him on several occasions.
Erik and Valhalla, formerly known as Sarah Logan, were married in December 2018 after being together for years. Their family expanded with the arrival of their son, Raymond Cash Rowe, in February 2021.
The exact timeline for Erik’s return to the wrestling ring remains unclear as he progresses through his recovery.
Why Stem Cell Therapy Is Controversial
Stem cell therapy has been a topic of debate due to ethical concerns related to the source of stem cells. The use of embryonic stem cells, derived from embryos, sparked moral and ethical discussions because of the destruction of human embryos involved in their extraction. That led to strict regulations and limitations on the use of embryonic stem cells in different regions worldwide.
Stem cell therapy holds potential for medical advancements and treating various conditions. The ability of stem cells to differentiate into different cell types makes them valuable for regenerative medicine. Stem cell therapy has seen documented success in treating diseases such as leukemia, spinal cord injuries, and specific types of cancer.
While the debate around stem cell therapy centers around the need to consider ethical concerns while recognizing its potential to transform medical treatments, Erik of the Viking Raiders can attest to the fact that stem cell therapy is effective.
Posted January 3rd, 2024 in News, WWE. Tagged: Ivar.
Just one day after having a scary moment during a match on WWE RAW, Ivar has commented on how he’s doing.
The former WWE star took to Twitter this evening to thank everyone for their support following the injury. He wrote the following:
“From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU to every single friend, family and fan who has reached out to me,” he wrote. “My heart is truly touched from all the love and support. Still figuring it all out but I am working hard to recover and be better than ever! Love you all [two hearts emoji] [sign of the horns emoji] [poultry leg emoji]”
From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU to every single friend, family and fan who has reached out to me. My heart is truly touched from all the love and support. Still figuring it all out but I am working hard to recover and be better than ever! Love you all ??? pic.twitter.com/pAgw1eqjRm
The injury happened during an 8-man tag team match on the show that saw The Hurt Business with new member Cedric Alexander battled The Viking Raiders, Ricochet and Apollo Crews.
Ivar did a dive through the ropes to take out several wrestlers at ringside and landed oddly on his right leg. WWE announced after the show that Ivar suffered a cervical injury while doing a suicide dive.
As of this writing, there’s no word yet on the severity of the injury, but Ivar immediately knew that something was wrong.
As soon as he landed, he did an “X” gesture that led to the match ending just a few moments later.
It appears that an abrupt ending to a match during Monday’s episode of RAW was due to an injury suffered by Ivar.
WWE booked an eight-man tag team match on this show live on the USA Network where The Hurt Business with new member Cedric Alexander battled The Viking Raiders, Ricochet and Apollo Crews.
Late in the match, there was a spot where Ivar did a dive through the ropes to take out several wrestlers at ringside. It appeared that he suffered a lower-body injury as he landed odd on his right leg. Moments after he landed, he did an “X” gesture.
This led to Alexander and Ricochet getting back into the ring for the planned finish to the contest held from Orlando, Florida at the Amway Center. Alexander hit a Tiger Driver into a pin on Ricochet and the referee counted to three.
During the process, the announcers pointed out how Ricochet got his shoulder up, which would’ve canceled the pin attempt. Although not confirmed, it appears that this was not supposed to be the finish of the match, but rather a call on the fly to end the match because Ivar was injured outside of the ring.
WWE did show footage of trainers checking on Ivar at ringside as they went to commercial break.
