Top 10 Worst Faked Injuries in Sports
#10: Paul Pierce
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In a 2008 game against the LA Lakers, the Boston Celtics’ Paul Pierce tripped over an opposing team player’s leg and fell to the floor, clutching his knee in apparent horrific agony. His teammates carried him off the court, where he was placed in a wheelchair and wheeled off. Poor guy, right? Well, miracles happened behind the scenes, as Pierce returned to the game a little later, sporting a small knee brace and then completely taking over.
#9: Narcisse Ekanga
During a 2012 African Cup of Nations game between Equatorial Guinea and Senegal, midfielder Narcisse Ekanga decided to exaggerate an alleged injury. But his timing was a little late. Ekanga did actually fall, but upon finding himself on the ground, he glanced around, presumably to see if anyone was paying attention, and then proceeded to roll around like a toddler having a tantrum. The thing is, everyone ignored him and kept playing. Ekanga can be seen writhing like a little slug as the others completely turn a blind eye to his shenanigans.
#8: Tom Williams
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This scandal, dubbed “Bloodgate,” proved to be one of professional rugby’s biggest scandals. In a 2009 Heineken Cup match between England’s Harlequins and Ireland’s Leinster, multiple injuries and substitutions were made. After 2 player substitutions, Tom Williams entered the field, only to be sent out with a bloody injury soon after. It was soon discovered, however, that Williams had faked his injury using an artificial blood capsule. The team was accused of tactical substitutions with the help of their coach and physiotherapist, and fined a hefty sum. The only thing to make this all worse, was Tom Williams winking to his team when it all happened.
#7: Victoria Azarenka
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At the 2013 Australian Open, Belarusian player Victoria Azarenka squared off against USA’s Sloane Stephens. At one point, Azarenka called a medical timeout. After a full 10 minutes of waiting, Azarenka returned and ended up winning the match. Stephens later called the move “trendy”, claiming that many players, whether actually injured or not, were frequently using the timeout at the time. Meanwhile, Azarenka initially blamed her timeout on nerves when asked in the post-game interview, saying she suddenly felt overwhelmed. However, at a subsequent press conference, Azarenka claimed she had sustained a back injury. Think what you will about this one, folks.
#6: Chris Bosh
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The problem with some of these attempts is that the players sometimes forget that there are numerous tv cameras capturing and replaying their every move. In a 2011 game against the Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh took a dive after Bulls player Carlos Boozer seemingly elbowed his forehead. But… did he, really? Looking at the replay in slow motion, it is clear that Boozer’s funny bone barely grazes Bosh’s head, if at all. Bosh then cartoonishly flops down to the ground, alternating between holding the back of his head and his nose. Apparently the blow was so intense that it shot the pain to the opposite side of his head….
#5: Cam Jordan
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In 2022, the New Orleans Saints squared off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Halfway through the fourth quarter, Saints player Cameron Jordan signaled that he was injured. This has prompted quite a bit of controversy, as it was rumored that Jordan was observed being “coached” to fake the injury in order to delay the game. The NFL has been cracking down on falsified injuries, and the team was fined $350000, the coach $100000, and the co-defensive coordinator $50000. These are not meager sums, and the fines are being disputed. Once again, believe what you want!
#4: Brian Walker
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In a college baseball game between Ole Miss and Arkansas, player Brian Walker walked up to bat, swung, and upon hearing the umpire yell “ball” on the first pitch, he suddenly found the ball had magically made contact with his elbow, but it was so quick that we can’t even see it in the footage. Then the show began: walking around in agony. The coach talked to the umpire, the trainer gave Walker a quick elbow massage, and Walker was just strong enough to return to bat. Then he struck out, and a tantrum kicked in as he tried to convince everyone that his hardship was worthy of a sympathy walk to first base.
#3: Mick Pennisi
In a 2012 Philippine Basketball Association game featuring the Petron Blaze Boosters and Barako Bull Energy Cola (awesome team names, by the way), Barako player Mick Pennisi was victim to the wrath of rival player Will McDonald. The latter bounced the ball off of Pennisi’s bald head, prompting the victim to think for a couple of seconds, then flop to the ground in, let’s face it, a hilarious fashion. This is clearly a spur-of-the-moment decision gone wrong.
#2: Mike Ribeiro
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In a 2004 playoff matchup between the Montreal Canadiens and the Boston Bruins, Canadiens forward Mike Ribeiro took a tumble. He then proceeded to writhe in apparent agony, legs flailing while clutching his chest. Sure, he could have been injured. But shortly after this, he was seen taunting rival players from the bench, laughing and grinning like a very uninjured man. Ribeiro denied that any of it was feigned, but Bruins players and fans thought and still think otherwise.
#1: Roberto Rojas
Here’s another athlete who prepared for his performance ahead of time. In 1989, during a World Cup qualifying match, Chilean goalkeeper Roberto Rojas was apparently injured when a flare was thrown onto the field. The exact moment it hit wasn’t televised, but the aftermath was, of course. Rojas can be seen bloodied and writhing next to the smoking flare, and is then carried off the field by his teammates. It was later discovered that Rojas had been far from the flare when it landed, and had bloodied himself using a concealed razorblade. Rojas received a lifetime ban, which was later lifted.
