On Thursday morning, former WWE Tag Team Champion Tyson Kidd underwent surgery to repair knee injuries sustained during a WWE Live Event in December. Noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews performed the procedure, which repaired tears in Kidd’s right ACL and meniscus, in addition to a slight MCL tear.

Doctors initially told Kidd he would need to wait until a fracture to his tibial plateau healed fully before surgery could be performed — a wait that could have lasted as long as six weeks. Fortunately, the break is not in a location that affects weight-bearing in his knee.

“By Monday, I’ll have full weight-bearing on my right foot,” the recovering Kidd told WWE.com over the phone from his hotel room in Pensacola, Fla.

The injuries occurred on Dec. 27 in Green Bay, Wis., when Kidd hyperextended his knee during a tag team match that pit himself and Justin Gabriel against 3MB’s Heath Slater & Drew McIntyre. Insistent that he could still compete despite the swelling in his knee, the mat technician got into the ring the very next night in Minneapolis. Although Kidd was not in any pain, WWE medical personnel ordered an MRI that revealed the full extent of Kidd’s injuries, which could have been even worse.
( MORE ON TYSON KIDD’S INJURIES)

“Dr. Andrews told me I was very close to dislocating my knee,” Kidd explained. “A dislocated knee that would need surgery — which I’m sure mine would have, because it would have ruptured tendons and ligaments — would require more than a year of recovery time. Dr. Andrews had no idea how I wrestled the next day. I took that as a compliment.”

With surgery behind him, Kidd is preparing for several months of physical therapy, a challenge the Superstar many refer to as a “workhorse” will attack head-on. Even before the surgery, Kidd began a stringent cardio workout routine and a juice-based diet that has helped him lose 20 pounds and reduce the weight on his right knee during physical therapy. In fact, Kidd snuck in a workout just two hours before his surgery appointment.

“[After surgery], doctors gave me a high-ball [recovery time] estimate of seven to nine months, but my goal at this stage is that I’m going to be back in six,” Kidd affirmed. “They say that 15 percent of recovery is the surgery itself, and the rest of the healing is in your rehab. I’m going to kick right through this thing and come back better than I’ve ever been.” ( KIDD’S SUPERSTAR PROFILE)

Kidd’s confidence in the wake of his surgery is no doubt bolstered by the groundswell of support he’s received from the WWE Universe on Twitter. After the Calgary, Alberta–born competitor posted a photo of himself in his hospital bed Wednesday night, a smile on his face, fans were quick to post their well-wishes using an all-too-appropriate hashtag: #workhorse.
( WATCH: CM PUNK’S KIDD SHOUTOUT)

“The night after the surgery, one of the things keeping me awake was my Twitter feed,” Kidd said. “Even though I’m sitting here resting my knee, the support has really lit a fire under me as I get ready to begin therapy.”

To send your own messages to Tyson Kidd on Twitter, follow him @KiddWWE.