Wrestling may be a predetermined sport, but that doesn’t mean wrestlers aren’t hard
as nails.
They’re tough guys and girls, putting their bodies on the line week in and week out just
for our entertainment.
But some fans seem to ignore this and try and do something they think is funny.
Something like jumping the guardrail and getting involved in a match or storyline.
And sometimes wrestlers take exception to this and hit back.
I am Luke Owen and these are five examples of wrestlers Hitting fans.
Headline: Randy Savage in WCW
If there was just one wrestler you wouldn’t want to jump in the ring with during a big
angle, it’s the Macho Man Randy Savage.
Famously a paranoid wrestler, Savage allegedly used to bring a gun with him to shows in case
anything got out of hand.
So why oh why did this fan think it would be a good idea to jump in the ring during
the 17th May 1999 edition of WCW’s Monday Nitro?
The angle saw Savage attack his rival at the time Kevin Nash and then smear make-up on
him.
A fan then hopped over the barricade - presumably to help the incapacitated Nash - only he was
met by security and a rather upset Randy Savage.
Savage got a couple of shots in on the fan, and even attacked one of the security guards
trying to help out perhaps thinking he was another dumb fan trying to make a name for
himself.
“A few fans hopped the rail, and one got in the ring.
Luckily for WCW, it's always the skinny guys who get past security.
Savage tackled him and held him down without hurting him.”
- Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Newsletter, May 24th 1999
Headline: Eddie Guerrero
A scarier one now that took place during a ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship
between Rob Van Dam and Eddie Guerrero.
Ladder matches are dangerous enough as it is - with multiple injuries happening to various
wrestlers over the years - so the last thing you need is someone taking control away from
the wrestlers.
During the match while Eddie was climbing the ladder, a fan in a hockey jersey got into
the ring and pushed the ladder over.
Thankfully Eddie jumped off and landed on his feet, and then struck the fan with a vicious-looking
right and a kick before security got the guy out of the ring.
“Eddy made sure to punch the guy right in the face as he was being dragged off.
Eddy should have f’d that dude up, because that seriously could have caused a major injury.”
Bryan Alvarez, Figure Four #361, May 27th 2002
Headline: Randy Orton
Randy Orton attacking a fan during a Smackdown house show in Cape Town, South Africa is a
really interesting one, as there are those who believe the whole thing was staged.
As Randy is making his entrance, posing on the turnbuckle, a fan saw his opportunity
to run in and comically deliver a Chyna-like Low Blow to The Viper.
Orton sold this at first - because he’s an absolute pro - but upon realising it wasn’t
another wrestler, proceeding to kick the fan while security dragged him out of the ring.
The fan even did an interview with a local paper calling himself “The Wrestling Machine”
and had hoped the attack would turn him into a big-time wrestler.
So the question remains, was it a work or a shoot attack?
“I can tell you that there are people in the company who are EXTREMELY skeptical of
this one... for a long time WWE has wanted to do an angle that would "fool TMZ," and
lo and behold this got the TMZ treatment on Wednesday.”
Bryan Alvarez, Figure Four Weekly, August 1st 2013
Headline: Triple H
Another house show now, but one from the late 1990s in Germany.
Stone Cold Steve Austin had just pinned Triple H following his Stone Cold Stunner, and then
jumped up to celebrate.
But before he could raise his hands in the air, a fan jumped in the ring and tackled
him to the ground and started punching him.
It was a fool’s errand however as Triple H dropped the fan with an impressive suplex,
and then beat the hell out of him with the help of referee Mike Chioda.
The incident took place in the 90s, but a video of the incident appeared online in early
2016.
In a 2013 episode of his podcast Steve Austin said:
"Triple H - stand up cat - he picked that dude up, slammed him and started punching
his lights out!
He basically belly-to-back suplexed him and punched his lights out - it was hilarious!”
Headline: CM Punk
One of the more famous examples of a wrestler hitting a fan in recent times is CM Punk during
the conclusion of an episode of Monday Night Raw in 2012.
As Punk made his escape into the crowd with the WWE Championship, he turned to face Mr.
McMahon in the ring.
Now whenever you run into the audience at a wrestling show - particularly when it's
someone as popular as CM Punk - there is a danger fans will try and grab you.
Which is exactly what happened, when crowd members began to slap the championship and
Punk himself.
One fan pushed Punk so hard he nearly fell down the steps.
When it happened for a second time, Punk turned around and hit a guy in the face so hard he
broke his glasses.
The worst thing about it, however, is that Punk punched the wrong guy.
Both WWE and Punk released statements about the incident.
“I think the whole situation sucks.
It’s an unfortunate and isolated incident.
I was up in the stands, surrounded.
Somebody said, ‘let’s push him down the stairs'.
I got hit in the ribs three times.
I was getting shoved and I was getting punched...
Then I started getting tagged in the back of the head.
Unfortunately, I lashed out in the heat of the moment and I apologize.
I’m really just glad nobody was hurt.”
- CM Punk, WWE.com, 2012
So those are just five examples of wrestlers hitting fans, and we didn’t even talk about
Sabu, the nWo or Jeff Jarrett hitting a fan at a TNA show.
So if you think we should have someone else on this list, let us know in the comments
below.
And after that find out about five wrestling disasters!
And find out why Hulk Hogan and Steve Austin never had a match at WrestleMania.
Click the videos over there to find out more.
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I’ve been Luke Owen and that was wrestling.