Thursday, April 3, 2014

The time Hulk Hogan almost killed Richard Belzer on live television

He then proceeds to put a game Belzer into a front headlock — known mostly today as a guillotine choke in MMA, but which Hogan calls a sleeper hold — and cinches it in. “You just tell me, brother, when you want him to quit screaming,” he says to Mr. T. Hogan vamps for the crowd, narrating the technical aspects of the assumedly nonlethal hold. Belzer’s arms go limp, but Hogan doesn’t notice. When he releases Belzer a few seconds later, much to the surprise of the Hulkster and everybody in the audience, Belzer flops onto the floor, his body totally lifeless. His head hits last, smacking the aforementioned hard floor audibly. “He’s all right,” says Mr. T, still sitting sullenly on the couch 15 feet away. “He’s just sleepin’.” 
... 
The crowd is unsure whether they’re watching something real or staged. As the reality sets in, the gasps come in waves. Finally, Belzer wakes up, and Hogan gamely slaps his cheeks and yanks him to his feet. As Belzer lifts his head, you can see a puddle of blood on the floor. Belzer looks like, well, like a man who’s suffered head trauma.
Here's the video: