8 Wrestlers Who Were Nearly KILLED By Fans
4. Blackjack Mulligan
Pedro Morales was such a beloved babyface during his prime that his fans were willing to die for his honour. Or kill, as was the case with one drastic, blood-soaked incident in Boston, MA, in 1971.
On the night in question, the people's hero went up against Blackjack Mulligan, a leather-chapped chap chaperoned by veteran manager Ernie 'The Grand Wizard' Roth. Mulligan was only four months into his career, but his demeanour and alliance with Roth had already made him a figure of hatred. Opposite the adored Morales, and in front of a usual rabid Boston crowd, there was never a chance sparks - or shanks - wouldn't fly.
And fly they did. Before Mulligan had even entered the ring, a fan launched the guard rail, and plunged a knife into the cowboy's thigh. As the floor began to redden, ostensible good guy Gorilla Monsoon ran to the heel's aid. If the stab was shocking, the break of kayfabe was doubly so; any doubts whether this was all part of the act evaporated in an instant.
The situation was pretty dire, but it was actually even worse than it looked. The knife thrust into Mulligan's leg had been coated in pig fat to cause as much damage as possible. As well as spilling pints of blood, he was also infected from the tainted weapon. Luckily, he kept his life - but he did lose the match.