8 Wrestlers Who Were Nearly KILLED By Fans
6. Pedro Zapata
One fateful spring night in Florence, Alabama saw a vengeful fan wind up in an Alabama slammer, after he lunged stabby-end first at Mexican wrestler Pedro Zapata (known elsewhere as Oki Shikina).
On 16 March 1962, 750 rampaging fans packed into the Florence Armory to see a tag match pitting Zapata and Mario Galento opposite Guy Mitchell and the "biggest wrestler in the world" Happy Humphrey - who stacked over a pound for every soul in the building. Midway through the battle, one particularly overzealous spectator - putting it mildly - launched himself into the ring, before lunging at Zapata with a knife.
Before the referee on hand could restore any semblance of order - not an easy task in the face of a baying, blade-wielding mob - he was, like all paper wrestling refs, knocked unconscious by a single strike. Zapata managed to send his attacker into the ropes before he too collapsed.
He was promptly rushed to hospital, where he was admitted in a critical condition with nine stab wounds to the back, shoulder, and forearm, and a severely slashed thumb. Thankfully, he made a full recovery and would continue wrestling for the next two decades. Meanwhile, his assailant was arrested and charged with attempted murder.