WWE NIL Athlete Tank Ledger Loses Tooth During WWE NXT Tag Team Match
Tank Ledger is continuing to adapt to the professional wrestling world after signing with WWE via the Next In Line program, and he found out the hard way just how physical things can get on "WWE NXT" this week. Ledger teamed with Hank Walker to take on Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen on the show, and he was caught by a big boot to the face, which caused him to lose a tooth. As can be seen below, Ledger spat the tooth out into his own hands on-camera — then put it into his singlet for safe-keeping before continuing with the match.
"Did he just spit out a tooth?!"
You are a madman @TankLedgerWWE 🤯#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/RkZtUcozg8
— WWE (@WWE) May 10, 2023
Losing teeth is an injury that many wrestlers have suffered over the years, and fortunately it's fixable, even though the likes of Mick Foley and Mark Briscoe have kept them out. Claudio Castagnoli, Chris Jericho, and Natalya have all dealt with dental issues inside the ring, eventually getting them fixed up, which is why some wrestlers opt to wear mouth guards.
Despite the fact he gritted through the rest of the match, Ledger and Walker were ultimately defeated in what was only his second televised "NXT" bout, with Ledger's previous outing also resulting in defeat against Joe Coffey. His previous appearances have taken place on "NXT Level Up," where he has managed one victory so far against Kale Dixon. Ledger signed with WWE in December 2021 as part of the inaugural NIL class and the former footballer went on to make his in-ring debut in October 2022, proving that WWE opening the door for athletes can be a success.