75-year-old referee dies after taking piledriver in Mexico

Wrestler's prop saber injures spectator at Japan event

Tiger Jeet Singh, the pro wrestling legend whose prop saber injured a spectator during a Tokyo event, pictured in his prime. [Singh's social media]
Tiger Jeet Singh, the pro wrestling legend whose prop saber injured a spectator during a Tokyo event, pictured in his prime. [Singh's social media]

A referee died in Mexico after being subjected to a dangerous move during a pro wrestling match, and in Japan a spectator was injured when a legendary villain wrestler swung a prop saber into the crowd. The incidents have put a spotlight on safety management in pro wrestling, where the sport's characteristically aggressive theatrics have now led to real casualties.

According to Japanese outlets Sports Hochi and Sponichi, a male spectator was struck in the head by a saber wielded by Tiger Jeet Singh, 82, of India, at a pro wrestling event held Friday at the National Yoyogi Stadium Second Gymnasium in Tokyo to mark the 40th anniversary of Kudo Megumi's debut.

Singh attended the event as a special guest. The incident occurred as he re-enacted the villainous persona he had made famous on the Japanese pro wrestling circuit, wading into the stands and swinging his saber. The injured spectator suffered a cut to the forehead, received first aid on the spot and was taken by ambulance to a hospital. The event organizer issued an apology after the incident and said it would review its safety management procedures.

Singh was the defining foreign heel of Japanese pro wrestling in the 1970s and 1980s, notorious for charging through the crowd with his saber and known for his rivalry with the late Antonio Inoki. The Tokyo appearance was his first visit to Japan in about 14 years.

Hijo de Fishman, the wrestler whose move on a referee caused a fatal injury during a match. [Hijo de Fishman's social media]
Hijo de Fishman, the wrestler whose move on a referee caused a fatal injury during a match. [Hijo de Fishman's social media]

The Mexican incident preceded the Japan event. At an independent pro wrestling show held Oct. 6 in the state of Hidalgo, Mexico, wrestler Hijo de Fishman performed a piledriver on referee Gerardo German Pineda, 75, who wrestled under the ring name El Buho. The move involves lifting an opponent upside down — head pointing toward the mat — and driving them headfirst into the floor.

Pineda lost consciousness after taking the move and later died. A subsequent autopsy determined the cause of death to be traumatic brain injury. Hijo de Fishman was arrested on suspicion of negligent homicide immediately after the incident, but was later released after reaching a settlement with the victim's family, according to reports. Local media said the settlement amount was approximately 585,500 pesos.

The two incidents differ in country and severity, but together they underscore the need for far more rigorous safety protocols whenever non-wrestlers are involved in scripted sequences. Dangerous maneuvers directed at referees or audience members must be thoroughly vetted in advance, and when improvised, extra caution is required to prevent unforeseen accidents.

Pro wrestling is a form of sports entertainment in which outcomes and sequences are choreographed in advance. Wrestlers undergo specialized training to execute those sequences safely — but referees and ordinary spectators cannot be expected to respond at the same level. The incidents in Mexico and Japan serve as a reminder that the more aggressive the spectacle, the more the safety of everyone involved must come first.


yjc@heraldcorp.com