Wrestlers Who Got Into Fights With Fans

Chris Jericho has at least two fights with fans on record.

In February 2009, cell phone footage circulated of Chris Jericho getting physical with a group of fans after a house show in Victoria, British Columbia. The video shows a female member of the crowd confronting Jericho, who shoved her leading to a scuffle. Jericho is shown cursing at security, demanding that they do their job.

Local news outlet The Times Colonist reported that the fan and her boyfriend were arrested but released without charges. WWE issued a statement (per WrestleView) claiming Jericho was provoked by the fans while asking them to move away from his car. A month later, PWTorch revealed that Jericho nor any of those involved would be charged due to conflicting eyewitness accounts.

At the AEW's first show on tour after the COVID-19 lockdown in July 2021, a contract signing was showcased for MJF's Five Labors of Jericho. While Jericho made his entrance, a fan walked up the ramp and removed his shirt. He was tackled by security, with Jericho and even Justin Roberts getting a few shots in. An irate MJF challenged the "fat, white-trash hicks" in the crowd to step in the ring so he could fight them.

Wrestling Headlines revealed the attacker was an Internet troll who made several threats and bogus claims around the show. Fightful reports that in an interview with "The Zaslow Show," Jericho commented on the situation saying "It happens, guys get drunk and want to be part of the show, but it's not a good idea."

NWO members The Outsiders and Syxx made a guest appearance at MTV's Spring Break program in March 1997. During the festivities, the group were armed with oversized syringes loaded with paint intended to be used solely on-stage. Syxx aimed his syringe to the stands and doused the crowd in blue paint. In response, a fan threw a rock at the group and struck Nash in the head. An angered Nash charged the crowd, which parted before him like the Red Sea, watching on as he took down the culprit. Upon realizing it was a teenager, Nash released his grip. Local police took the youngster away, with Nash affirming that he would be pressing charges.

Scott Hall is shown in footage telling event staff that if they aren't provided proper security, they'd walk off. MTV hosts Ed Lover and Doctor Dre laughed over the clip during a recap, with Lover calling it "the best thing I've ever seen in my life."

In a 1997 retrospective of WCW hosted by Kayfabe Commentaries (h/t Wrestling Recaps), Nash discussed the incident and legal battle. The teenager and his father sought damages for the events that ended up being broadcast on nationwide television. They had failed to disclose to attorneys that the young man was arrested and served community service for the incident. Nash was ordered by the court to pay $1 to the "victim" and to issue an apology, which ended up being written in red crayon.

During a WWE tour of South Africa, Randy Orton defeated Big E in Cape Town in July 2013. While celebrating his win performing his signature pose from the second rope, Orton was caught-off guard by a fan entering the ring and low-blowing him. Cell phone video shows Orton selling the move, likely believing it to be an angle, until realizing the perpetrator was a fan. Security forced him to the ground, with Orton punting his head. Big E was reportedly also furious, being separated from the intruder by security. Footage of the incident was uploaded to WWE's official YouTube page, though it cuts to black before Orton is shown striking the fan.

eNCA revealed the attacker as Tshepo Sekhabi, a 20 year old local kickboxer who had recently quit his desk job in Johannesburg. Known in the local independent circuit as Jozi the Wrestling Machine, he released a promo on Orton with a black eye fresh from the attack. Sekhabi pleaded guilty in court and was ordered to either pay a 500 Rand fine or serve a month in jail. After admitting fault for the attack, Sekhabi was granted a three-year suspended sentence and barred from WWE events.

WWE made a public statement on the matter, revealing Orton to have suffered a minor groin injury. When asked by Gorilla Position about the encounter at a SummerSlam red carpet press event, Orton called the incident "pretty crazy" and described Sekhabi as a "little, skinny runt."

The September 8, 1997 edition of "WCW Monday Nitro" saw Dean Malenko take on Psicosis with Sonny Onoo in his corner. Officiating the match was Mark Curtis, who started his career wrestling at outlaw independent shows. Although trained in multiple styles and a gifted athlete, Curtis hit his ceiling as he was a skinny, 5'6" tall nerdy-looking fellow and seemed to realize it. He still found ways to contribute in the industry, serving a backstage role and refereeing matches.

The two competitors had an athletic affair typical of the division's golden era, as they had at the previous year's "World War 3" pay-per-view. During the match, a fan rushed into the ring and Curtis struck him in the temple with a knee lift. Curtis grabbed the intruder's head and secured a front facelock, immobilizing him. Malenko and Psicosis each got a kick in while arena security defused the situation. Commentators mocked the fan throughout the match. Tony Schiavone and Jim Cornette claim that the assuming-looking Curtis' quick thinking led to him being nicknamed "Shooter" by those in the locker room.

A month after the match, Curtis was diagnosed with stomach and bowel cancer. Curtis, whose real name was Brian Hildebrand, died nearly two years to the day of the incident. Former colleague Mark Madden wrote about Curtis days after the 20th anniversary of the "shoot fight," saying "Brian was no one to f*** with when s*** got real, as a fan found out."

In May 2018, Impact Wrestling and California's Big Time Wrestling co-promoted One Night Only: Cali Combat in Salinas. Among the local and nationally-regarded talent on the card was Devin Danger, a member of the regional independent scene most associated with his faction Bite Club.

While making his entrance with his tag team partner, Danger extended his hand to a little girl in the crowd for a handshake. Snapchat footage uploaded to Twitter by user @newfoundmass shows Danger retracting his arm and spitting his gum on her, going on with his entrance. As payback, the girl's father approached Danger from behind and began clubbing him, with event security shown separating the fan.

After the event concluded, Danger tweeted that he apologized to the family and said his gum landing on the girl was an "accident." Danger would further elaborate, as The Mirror reports that he and his family were being threatened because of the incident. He said that "my lack of judgment and being a father myself I can completely understand your position." Danger extended his apology to Impact and BTW, saying the controversy put a "negative light on two promotions I not only respect but admire."

The Daily Star reports that Harry Smith gave his take on the incident in a tweet, saying "Well you shouldn't spit on anyone let alone a kid and not expect them to fight you."

While on tour with NJPW in June 1995, Sabu defended his IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against Eddie Guerrero, who performed as the masked Black Tiger II. While making his entrance, Sabu's keffiyeh was ripped off his head by a fan. Incensed, he leapt over the guardrail and delivered a beatdown to the person he believed committed the act. After jumping over the barrier and delivering some choice words to the "perpetrator," Sabu would go on to successfully retain his title.

A second-generation Lebanese-American by way of his mother, Sabu's heritage is weaved into his persona with moves such as the "Arabian Facecrusher" referencing this. Beirut and Beyond describes the keffiyeh as "not a fashion statement," but a symbol of "Arab pride." To have an article of clothing, especially one with cultural significance, disrespectfully torn off would warrant anger in most even if Sabu's response was somewhat intense.

On an episode of "Keepin' It 100" featuring Sabu, Disco Inferno described the footage as one of the funniest things he had ever seen. Sabu revealed that the keffiyeh was an heirloom from his uncle The Sheik, who deemed him worthy of no longer having to "ride on his coattails." To have his new headdress torn off left the champion "embarrassed," prompting him to lash out. The actual person who took the scarf ran off with it while a poor fan was caught in the middle of his ire, with Sabu admitting he felt bad after realizing he got the wrong guy.

While The Hart Foundation were being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2019, Bret Hart and Natalya were tackled in the middle of his speech. Identified by CBS News as Zachary Madsen of Nebraska, the attacker is known to have had a criminal record including stalking charges. The broadcast was disrupted with security and a group of wrestlers including The Revival, Hart's nephew Harry Smith, and MMA athlete Travis Brown carrying Madsen out of the venue. Fancam footage shows Dash Wilder getting in a punch on the attacker, knocking Madsen loopy. After the commotion, Hart was able to finish his speech with the incident removed from the cut available on the WWE Network.

Sportskeeda reports that Madsen was handed over to the NYPD who charged him with trespassing, assault, and interrupting a sporting event. The NY Post quotes Madsen as telling the police officers "I just felt like it was the right moment," after being detained. Hart was checked into the hospital citing discomfort in his newly-replaced hip after the fall. Later in the weekend, the team would go on to post a photo with Hart in a now-deleted Twitter post, as reported by Wrestlezone. In a promo leading up to their tag team title match at Wrestlemania 35, Scott Dawson would refer to his partner as a "knockout kind of guy."

In October 2022, Hart would manage the rechristened FTR in a match versus Homicide and Jay Lethal for Big Time Wrestling in Brooklyn.

CM Punk is no stranger to interacting with the audience, often lacing insults during his promos and even singling out a fan for his haircut at a house show. In the midst of his 434-day WWE Championship reign, Punk was set to perform a GTS on Mr. McMahon on an October 2012 episode of "Raw" until Ryback made the save. Paralleling his infamous escape after first winning the championship, Punk fled to the crowd.

While edited out of the clip available on WWE's YouTube page, the live broadcast caught Punk entering a physical altercation with a member of the audience. A closer video captured on mobile phone shows that Punk was shoved in the back of the head by a fan with a white shirt. In the heat of the moment, Punk struck an innocent bystander identified by HLN as Charles Schmidt. The victim suffered slight bruises on his face and a broken pair of sunglasses. In spite of the damages, he wouldn't press charges with WWE issuing a public apology to Schmidt. In a statement from WWE.com, Punk discussed hearing calls among the stands to push him down the stairs and apologized as he "lashed out in the heat of the moment."

In an appearance on ESPN's "Highly Unquestionable," Punk discussed in-ring scraps with fans saying "I won fair share of those." While revealing that a kick to the head would put most disorderly fans away, Punk closed the interview saying he doesn't condone it.