Brady Booker Saves Thumb After Machete Accident in ‘Survivor 51’
Former WWE talent Brady Booker sustained a severe injury during Wednesday night’s episode of “Survivor 51.”
Booker, formerly known as Bodhi Hayward in WWE NXT, inadvertently sliced off a segment of his thumb with a machete while performing tasks around camp. He estimated that approximately a quarter of the digit was lost.
The unexpected wound sparked immediate worries that Booker might require medical evacuation from the competition just four days into the season-round matchup.
“I’ve always been my own worst enemy,” Booker said while awaiting confirmation of his condition. “It’s always come down to me not thinking and underutilizing the brain I’ve been blessed with.”
Thankfully, campside doctors successfully treated the injury and cleared Booker to stay in the game.
“When the doctor told me I could remain in the contest, it felt like new life,” Booker reported. “It’s a little numb, but I can still touch all my fingertips, the far end, clap, and grip.”
Booker also remarked, “Pain exists, but I’d rather feel pain than have nothing at all.”
His Toka tribe secured immunity, ensuring no members from the group were eliminated and keeping Booker in contention for the competition’s top prize of at least $1 million.
Survivor host Jeff Probst later noted that Booker even treated the severed fragment as a memento. “Brady asked his medical team to wrap the piece of thumb and store it in a cooler for later transport home,” Probst wrote. “What a one‑of‑a‑kind ‘Survivor’ souvenir.”
Since filming for “Survivor 51” concluded ahead of schedule, Booker returned to wrestling duties. He now competes for QT Marshall’s One Fall Wrestling promotion and routinely works dark matches at ROH tapings.
Prior to his time with WWE, Booker competed as Bodhi Hayward, a member of the Chase U faction in NXT before being released in 2022.
