Sports Stars Who Injured Themselves In Fits Of Rage

5. Mikhail Youzhny (2008)

Russian tennis star Youzhny never won a major, but he was a perennial contender. He was also famous for another, more bizarre reason. Whenever Youzhny made a serious mistake on the court, he reacted in a violent manner. However, this time his victim was himself. The Russian beat his own tennis racquet against his forehead. This eccentric behavior also cost him on multiple occasions.

First, at the Sony Ericsson Open in 2008, he drew blood when he gave himself a good whacking (via Sporting News). Later, he repeated the action at the French Open. This time, the impact caused a migraine and caused him to retire from his game. Another incident occurred in 2013 when he annihilated his racquet on the tennis court. Youzhny was a strange character but a compelling one.

4. Amare Stoudemire (2012)

The Knicks met the Miami Heat in the NBA playoffs and lost the first two games of the series. They needed all of their players to step up and be counted but Stoudemire didn’t receive the memo. A wave of fury washed over the basketball star but he didn’t just take a deep breath. No, he decided that the best way to deal with his anger was to punch a fire extinguisher.

This was a terrible idea because extinguishers are a lot harder than the average human hand. He required 15 stitches in his hand after the ridiculous incident (via CBS Local). Luckily, it was his left hand so he didn’t worry about his NBA future. But it was still a terrible decision and also cost his team dearly as they lost the series. Maybe they would have gone out anyway, but his absence didn’t help.

3. Ryan Sweeney (2012)

Another MLB star, another ridiculous self-inflicted injury. Sweeney played for the Red Sox in a victory over the Tigers but stole the headlines for an idiotic reason. Cody Ross replaced the right-fielder in the ninth inning of the game. This prompted fans to think that the franchise had traded him before the deadline. But the player had punched a door and broke a knuckle on his hand.

Mandatory Credit: USA Today Sports

Of course, this injury put him on the disabled list because he couldn’t play. “I feel like I just let the team down if it’s bad,’’ Sweeney said via Boston.com. “I feel terrible right now. Obviously, when you hit something, you just have so much adrenaline going and you don’t know what happened. Afterward, it just hurt.” Finally, he discovered that punching hard objects is a bad idea.

2. Mike Perry (2021)

Perry is one of the UFC’s most eccentric personalities. Fans loved him because of his gung-ho fighting style and shall we say, “authentic” nature. However, he’s prone to ridiculous moments that have landed him in trouble. One of the most concerning episodes in recent history occurred when he kicked through a glass door. The fighter lashed out in a fit of rage but it didn’t end well.

Then, he uploaded a picture of his wounded limb onto social media. “No matter what I do it’s never enough,” the fighter tweeted (via MMA Junkie). “So I act out. Happy to spill my own blood.” His supporters replied to this disturbing message because they wanted him to seek help. It was a tough year for the welterweight because he had several depressive episodes.

1. Devin Williams (2021)

Williams was a key member of the Milwaukee Brewers’ bullpen when he made the worst decision of his career. It came after a night of drunken celebration that went badly wrong. The Brewers won the NL Central title and were set to meet the St. Louis Cardinals in the postseason. It should have been a highlight moment for Williams but he became upset and punched a wall.

The reliever broke his hand in the process. Needless to say, fans thought it was ridiculous. The worst part was that Williams was a very important player for his team. He had an 8-2 record with a 2.50 ERA in 58 games and struck out 87 batters in 54 innings (via New York Post). Williams apologized to the organization and his fans because he was a moron. In the end, he knew it was all his fault.