Pro wrestler breaks skull after horrific top rope accident (GRAPHIC VIDEO)
Professional wrestler Shawn Phoenix suffered bleeding from the brain and permanent hearing loss after a top rope dive went awry, landing him on concrete during an independent wrestling show in the United States.
It is a well-known fact that the world of professional wrestling is scripted, but the injuries which come hand-in-hand with sports entertainment very much aren't, as an independent wrestler Shawn Phoenix discovered at a recent live event.
The 27-year-old suffered extensive trauma, including the potentially severe brain injury, when he attempted to dive from the top rope of the ring onto his opponent who was laying on top of a wooden table outside of it.
This is a relatively common move, or 'spot', in professional wrestling. The performers are trained to break their fall on the table to avoid injury, though in such a high risk environment there is very little margin for error.
Phoenix miscalculated the jump and slammed his head into the concrete floor, instantly knocking him unconscious and requiring immediate medical treatment. He was rushed to hospital where he stayed for six days.
Broke my skull, was bleeding from my brain...but I was released from the hospital in six days. I'm unbreakable.
— Shawn Phoenix (@xShawnXphoenix) December 19, 2018
He has since branded himself as "unbreakable" on social media.
“The accident. Broken skull. Bleeding from my brain. Permanent hearing loss in left ear. I walked away. I am UNBREAKABLE,” wrote the wrestler on his Instagram.
Phoenix also participated in a Q&A on news aggregator website Reddit, where he explained the incident further.
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"I am an adrenaline junkie, unfortunately it didn't work out the way I wanted to," he said.
"I only remember being on the top rope, then waking up on the floor. Imagine the worst headache you've ever had.
"Then imagine getting hit in the head with a baseball bat with said headache every time someone spoke or I looked at the lights."
