'Don't Try This at Home, School or Anywhere' says an advertisement from the WWE. But how do you teach this to a 20-year-old grown man?
'Don't Try This at Home, School or Anywhere' says an advertisement from the WWE. But how do you teach this to a 20-year-old grown man?
Brandon Hoffman from Pennsylvania accidently killed his girlfriend's 18-month old son after performing The Undertaker's 'Last Ride' move on him.
Bryson Shoemaker suffered fatal head injuries and possibly a broken neck after he was slammed onto the floor by Hoffman, authorities said to the media.
Hoffman was babysitting on Tuesday at his sister’s apartment in Lycoming County while his girlfriend, Sierra Shoemaker, was at work. But following the incident, instead of calling 911, Hoffman tried CPR on Bryson and then convinced his sister's boyfriend to take Bryson to hospital in his car.
Hoffman has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child.
The WWE for its part was quick to blast Hoffman and subtly distance itself from the controversy. "There is no excuse for a 20-year-old grown man to assault an 18-year-old child, no matter what," the pro wrestling organisation said in an official statement. "Using a flimsy excuse about emulating a wrestling maneuver does not absolve Brandon Hoffman of this abhorrent crime. The death of Bryson Shoemaker is a tragedy, and WWE offers its condolences to the child’s mother, Sierra Shoemaker."
Friends have started an online fundraising campaign to help pay for the child's funeral.
Here's a video of how The Undertaker performs the move. Clearly, it is extremely dangerous if performed by untrained individuals, and worse, on a 1-year-old child.
While this incident once again puts the spotlight on the dangers of performing moves used in professional wrestling, it will also bring criticism for the WWE. The WWE has, over the past few years, banned chair shots to the head, a punt to the head used by superstar Randy Orton, and a stomp in the back of the head used by current WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins - all in an attempt to make professional wrestling safer and more acceptable to the mainstream audience. But incidents like this continue to put back the media glare on professional wrestling.
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