Top 10 Times Real Fights Broke Out in Wrestling
#10: Gilberto Meléndez vs. New Jack
It was an incident that went on to become one of the most infamous instances of real-life violence within the wrestling world. Gilberto Meléndez wrestled for years with a gimmick that hinged upon being basically impervious to pain. That is…until he went up against no nonsense, original gangsta known as New Jack. The old school hardcore legend was keen on no-selling New Jack’s offense, while Meléndez’s hardcore style included headbutting his opponent a bit too hard for the latter’s liking. The result was a queasy assault upon Meléndez by New Jack with a veritable arsenal of weapons. It’s honestly hard to watch, and led to New Jack being arrested for assault after the match.
#9: Sexy Star vs. Rosemary
The term “shoot” is often used to describe an unplanned incident that goes off from that evening’s plan or script. And occasionally, that “shoot” can involve some real-life violence. In the case of our next entry, it involved a very real arm bar applied by luchadora Sexy Star against fellow wrestler Rosemary while both were competing for the Triple A promotion in 2017. The maneuver resulted in Rosemary suffering a reported dislocation before submitting, while Sexy Star suffered an immediate backlash for her actions. The latter was stripped of her championship, and took a hiatus from the business, transitioning to both boxing and MMA after the incident.
#8: Rikidōzan vs. Masahiko Kimura
The world of professional wrestling has seen its fair share of legitimate tough guys, but few from the old school were as fearsome as Rikidōzan and Masahiko Kimura. Both came from real-life fighting backgrounds (sumo and judo) and competed often throughout their careers. One particular night turned into a shoot, however, during a match for the Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance championship. Rikidōzan’s “karate chop” finisher was the plan, but the former decided to attack Kimura for real, striking and rendering him unconscious. Rikidōzan would go on to kick Kimura when he was down, and reneged on his promise for a rematch. This added fuel to speculatory theories that Kimura was somehow responsible for Rikidōzan’s real life murder in 1963, although this has never been proven.
#7: Perry Saturn vs. Mike Bell
Squash matches don’t occur nearly as often as they used to, but there was a time when this was a preferred way to get over fresh talent, by having them annihilate paid performers colloquially known as “jobbers.” One such intentional loser was Mike Bell, who was booked to fall to Perry Saturn, then fresh to the company after leaving WCW. An early botch led to Saturn taking a fall on his head, and-although everything seemed to be ok-Perry was NOT a happy camper. He decided to go into business for himself, punishing Bell by shooting on him and tossing him out of the ring. Saturn was punished for this action, with WWE creative saddling him with a gimmick where the wrestler fell hopelessly in love…with a mop.
#6: Stan Hansen vs. Vader
Pro wrestling, like any sport, can be prone to injuries. For many in the business, however, the show must ABSOLUTELY go on, no matter the cost. Vader and Stan Hansen were two such diehards, devotees of the old school who were legitimately tough. The pair were performing in NJPW back in 1990, and the match went south before the bell even rang. Hansen accidentally broke Vader’s nose during his entrance, thanks to an errant swing of a bull rope prop, and it was officially ON. The pair brawled for real until Hansen struck again, this time with an accidental thumb in Vader’s eye. This resulted in the eye actually coming out of the socket, only for Vader to plug it up and continue the fight. Un-Real.
#5: Koko Ware vs. The Patriot
Wrestling fans of a certain age will likely remember Koko B. Ware as a lovable babyface, whose matches alongside his mascot Frankie brought smiles to fans around the world. No one was smiling during this exchange, however, as Koko Ware (minus the B) was squaring off in a match against The Patriot. Ware was clearly working a squash here, yet The Patriot surprisingly gets Koko in the corner with some offense. Maybe this was planned, or maybe it wasn’t, but what’s certain is that Koko becomes enraged, and attacks Patriot without mercy. Real punches, real kicks, a tremendous lariat and more become the order of the day, and Koko even slaps The Patriot after the fact, for good measure.
#4: “Dr. Death” Steve Williams vs. “Wild Thing” Steve Ray
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Sometimes, wrestling fans get to see why things go wrong in the ring, while other times it’s all about some heated drama backstage. Money was the root of evil here with this match between “Dr. Death” Steve Williams and “Wild Thing” Steve Ray, reportedly because the latter owed money to Herb Abrams from the UWF. Abrams decided to call a Doctor, Williams answered the phone and took Ray to task in a work/shoot that’s still debated today. Some sources claim this was staged to build heat for a still-fledgling promotion, while others maintain that Dr. Death’s brutal manhandling of Ray was on the orders of Abrams. Whichever side you believe, it did make for compelling television.
#3: Akira Maeda vs. André the Giant
It’s difficult to imagine anyone trying to make André the Giant do anything the 8th Wonder of the World didn’t want to do, but Akira Maeda wasn’t your average pro wrestler. A fiercely independent and fiery individual, Maeda was in the middle of major disagreements with Japanese wrestling icon Antonio Inoki when the former was booked to lose against André the Giant while competing in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Maeda gave André all of his usual offense, but the Giant was having none of it, so Akira decided to deliver some real kicks, in an attempt to make André fall. The standoff was so awkward that Inoki was forced to enter the ring and cancel the match.
#2: Daniel Puder vs. Kurt Angle
There’s no denying Kurt Angle’s pedigree as an Olympic Gold Medalist and certified pro wrestling legend. Daniel Puder was no slouch, however, a proven MMA competitor and trained wrestler with plenty of skill to his credit. These two resumes came to a head during an infamous segment where Angle was challenging contestants in WWE’s “Tough Enough” competition to shoot wrestling matches on live television. Puder got the better of Angle, and it came down to some quick thinking and fuzzy counting on the part of WWE officials to get Kurt out alive. This deed didn’t go unpunished, as the company brought out enforcers Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit and Hardcore Holly to chop Puder into submission during that year’s Royal Rumble.
#1: Great Antonio vs. Antonio Inoki
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The Great Antonio was a strongman, an absolute bear with immense physical presence. However, even the toughest of men realize one very important piece of advice for self-preservation: do NOT mess with Antonio Inoki. The man who once fought Muhmmad Ali was one of the toughest of all time, so when The Great Antonio thought it would be wise to no-sell Inoki’s offense…well, he paid the price. Inoki attacked Antonio without mercy, beating him within an inch of his life with strikes and kicks that are so real, the impact still causes us to wince today. Ouch.
