Keeping up with a live wrestling show that takes place almost every night, you’re bound to run into some hiccups along the way. Pyrotechnics don’t go off at the right time, the audio/video for a certain superstar is played for the wrong entrant, and the occasional botched move, which you’re more than likely to see added to the next edition of Botchamania.
It happens. The important thing is to shake it off and move on. Accidents happen, right?
Well, yes. They do happen. Unfortunately, a fan deciding to make himself a part of the show by illegally hoping the barricade and approaching the ring is no accident. It’s an act of sheer selfishness, an individual hoping to get up close and in person, and become a part of the show, despite knowing this could end them up in a heap of trouble.
Keeping Wrestling fans out of the Squared Circle
Our latest culprit, a bald individual that believed himself to be the mystery partner of Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns, for their battle against the Wyatt Family, at Night of Champions. As Reigns made his entrance into the ring, a man suddenly appeared behind them, chest puffed out, decked in Shield-like garb. Before Reigns and Ambrose had a chance to react, security swiftly entered the ring and took him down.
Video courtesy of Wrestling Unity
The moment provided a laugh, as Bray Wyatt sat on the turnbuckle, chuckling and pointing towards the fan, asking if that was who they were tagging with. Even Ambrose took a moment to point and say, “That’s not our guy!” But the reality of it is, this is a dangerous situation and one that needs to be addressed. Sooner rather than later, as it’s been occurring on a regular basis during these last few months.
In late August of this year, at a live event, a fan was able to log-step a few chairs, acting as if the floor was lava, and hopped the barricade wall. He managed to tap Ambrose on the back before a security guard delivered a deadly-looking clothesline to the ground. The fan was handcuffed and hauled away, as Ambrose looked on and had some fun at his expense.
Video courtesy of WWE Fans
While the fan was alleged to be a crazed lunatic (ironic, right?) attempting to stab Ambrose, reports later came out that he was simply attempting to tap him on the back in order to get his attention.
Earlier in the same month, during another live event, Roman Reigns was victim of a fan assault. During a match between he and Bray Wyatt, a dingus sitting near front row launched a Money in the Bank replica briefcase and hit Reigns in the back of the head. The scary incident forced the match to stop temporarily, as the fan was quickly pounced upon and dragged out of the arena. A dazed and confused Reigns collected himself in the corner, as Wyatt kicked the briefcase out of the ring, in disgust.
Video courtesy of Rw Jc
The video itself is the aftermath of the carnage, where you see security handling business and Wyatt standing over the ropes, staring down the culprit. As the fans booed the fan who would later be ejected, chanting “Kick him out”, it later came to the attention of the general public that this attack was not only a vicious one, but premeditated as well.
Before Night of Champions, the latest attempt at a fan intervening and making himself a part of the Monday Night Raw broadcast was a fan who jumped over a guard rail during Seth Rollins entrance, earlier this month.
Video courtesy of Jenxi HD
Mid-way down the ramp, Rollins was accompanied by a man dressed in nu-metal attire and sunglasses, strutting his stuff alongside the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. What’s worse is that it took for John Cena to yell out for help, and the referee of the match to leave the ring and detour the fan to security. Not only that, he has to wave his arm around in an attempt to catch the attention of those responsible for dealing with this matter.
And what could be the most bizarre moment in the history of Smackdown tapings, a pack of fans managed to not only get into a WWE ring, all at the same time, but actually perform a move or two and escape through the crowd. Back in April, during tapings in London, several fans believed to all be in on the invasion entered the ring during a main event match and proceeded to break all hell. One fan had enough time to deliver a Rock Bottom to one of his peers, pose on the ropes, and make his escape before security could grab him. Meanwhile, John Cena, Cesaro, Daniel Bryan and Tyson Kidd all stood around, looking as confused as the rest of the audience.
Video courtesy of thrilla72
All of the incidents mentioned in this article have occurred in 2015. Most of them in the last two months. And this doesn’t just scrape the tip of the iceberg when it comes to fan assaults. Back in 2013, during a live event in South Africa, Randy Orton was punched in the balls as he was celebrating a win. That’s right. A fan had enough time to enter a ring, deliver a low-blow and anticipate a reaction. Orton sold the attack at first, believing it was a fellow superstar, but when he turned around and realized it wasn’t, he saw red.
From Eddie Guerrero being pushed off a ladder by a fan in Canada and John Cena almost being hit by a tennis ball, to all the moments in WCW that include a referee handling business, these types of incidents have no place in the ring, or anywhere around it for that matter.
It’s easy to say, amp up security and stick a guard at each guard rail. Beyond the metal detectors at the entrance of the arena, the bag checks for bombs and weapons and now more security than actual superstars, the WWE could risk looking more like a threatening environment than an actual family, PG event. They could continue their procedure that took place with this last incident, which was to sentence the individual to ten days of prison time. As excessive as that may seem, perhaps this is an example that had to be made. Now, fans don’t just risk a life-time ban from the arena, but prison time and a mark on their personal record.
While it may appear to be harmless when it happens, and most fans don’t have bad intentions when all they want is to be a little closer to the action, it’s still a danger to anyone’s well being when a random person approaches you. It’s better to be safe, than to be sorry.
To the sane fans out there that enjoy the show, have a good time and go home with stories to tell, keep being you. To those that think it’s perfectly fine to perform an illegal act and think you’ll go unpunished, it’s time to grow up, or WWE Superstars may have to go back to throwing punches.
