William Regal Shares X-Ray of Neck, Gives Advice to Young Wrestlers

WWE talent William Regal, currently serving as the on-screen general manager of NXT, has some advice for young wrestlers: Avoid damaging head bumps at all costs.

In a multitweet string, Regal felt compelled to share his advice after seeing a dangerous bump taken by an amateur female performer:

The bump has been circulating around a number of wrestling blogs, as a performer who goes by A-mai-ya Jade takes a German suplex onto a chair. Her head bounces back in an ugly fashion, and she has been diagnosed with a concussion:

"

Thanks everyone who checked on me. The doctors said I have a concussion & won't clear me to wrestle at the moment :( pic.twitter.com/tpQzkqNm5p

— A-mai-ya Jade (@AmaiyaJade) March 13, 2016"

Regal, 47, has not competed since going one-on-one with Cesaro on the Dec. 25, 2013, episode of NXT. He has since taken a backstage role, first on commentary and then moving into talent acquisition/development for the NXT brand.

One of the most renowned workers of his generation, Regal wrestled on a national level for more than two decades. Beginning with WCW in 1992, he had stints with both WCW and WWE in the '90s before moving full time back to the WWE in 2000. He's been with the company ever since in a variety of roles on and off screen, but his work in the ring took a toll.

In 2014, Regal underwent neck surgery that needed a second operation in October. While calling himself "fortunate" to have had a successful career, Regal tweeted out a warning to young talent that being recklessly dangerous is not the way to go about getting a WWE contract:

"

I was fortunate to make it. Talented people haven't. No amount of crowd pops are worth it when less dangerous moves can be done and get the same effect. The last tweets weren't for sympathy. Its a warning to younger wrestlers to save them the problems and prolong their careers.

"

All wrestlers, inside and outside the WWE, would be smart to heed Regal's warning. As we saw with Daniel Bryan, these types of bumps can have long-lasting effects that can wind up shortening a wrestler's career after he or she has made it. If Bryan weren't in small gyms taking ugly bumps throughout his early 20s, maybe he's still in the ring.

Maybe even Regal would be able to work a limited schedule at 47 rather than having to walk away not on his own terms. As we learn more about concussions, these bumps for cheap pops are hopefully going to become less prevalent.

Follow Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) on Twitter.