10 Pro Wrestlers who have been arrested

It could happen to anyone. One too many drinks, or a nasty argument with a spouse, or just general malaise can make people snap and do the wrong thing.

Pro wrestlers are no exception to this phenomenon. In fact, with their constant, hectic road schedules and public profile, they might have to watch their step more than the average person.

Here are ten professional wrestlers who have ended up in the back of a police car. Some are hilarious, some are tragic, but all are true.

---

#1 Tenille Dashwood/Emma: Shoplifting

It's hard to fathom why anyone would think Dashwood would bother to try and steal an iPhone case that cost only twenty dollars, but that's exactly what happened.

Dashwood, still employed with the WWE at the time, was shopping at a Wal Mart store and used the self-scan checkout. She neglected to scan the iPhone case with her other items and was stopped by store security.

Oddly, she was arrested and charged for what seems like a simple misunderstanding. She agreed to community service and the charges were dropped. It's possible local law enforcement wanted to make an example of her because she was a pro wrestler.

#2 Big Van Vader: Assault of a talk show host in Kuwait

Vader, the Mastadon, just doesn't look like someone you want to mess with. At over four hundred pounds--very little of which was fat--his power bombs shook the ring posts. The man is so tough that when Stan Hansen knocked out his eyeball during a match he popped it back in and finished the contest.

However, the man who plays Vader, Leon White, is known as a sensitive, kind soul who wouldn't harm a fly unless provoked. So when he attacked a Kuwait talk show host for asking if wrestling was fake, Vader believed he was acting according to the script.

Unfortunately, WWE management failed to let the talk show host in on the scene, and the man was terrified for his life when Vader put hands on him and shook him about. The Mastodon was arrested and charged with assault and battery, as well as making insults--a crime in Kuwait. Fortunately, he was able to pay a staggeringly low fine and was set free.

#3 The Big Show: Assault and battery

Paul Wight is over seven feet tall and weighs over four hundred pounds. Why in the world would anyone pick a fight with this walking mountain?

But that's exactly what happened at a hotel after a WCW event. Big Show, who was going by the name of The Giant at the time, was being heckled by a fan who was on the large side himself. The Big Show politely asked the man to stop harassing him, and the fan responded with a shove to the chest.

Big Show responded with a vicious right hook that broke the fan's jaw and landed him in the hospital. The police arrested Show for assault, but when video surveillance of the incident was played in court all charges were dropped, as the judge ruled it was self-defence.

#4 Jerry "The King" Lawler: Reckless endangerment

Jerry Lawler once received a speeding ticket near the Memphis airport. While he could have easily paid the fine and went about his life, Jerry instead decided to rip up the ticket, throw it in the police officer's face, and then proceeded to run over the man's foot with his car!

Most people would have ended up being charged with assault on an officer or worse, but because Lawler was so well loved in Memphis he was only charged with Reckless Endangerment, a misdemeanour, and allowed to pay a fine.

#5 Ken Patera: Destruction of property and assaulting an officer

Modern fans are probably not familiar with former Olympian Ken Patera, who primarily used a 'strong man' gimmick for most of his career. Patera was legit one of the strongest men in the world in his prime.

So, when he was denied service at a fast food restaurant after hours, he decided to vent his anger by lifting a rock--witnesses described it as a boulder--and tossing it through their plate glass window. Patera fled the scene, and when police showed up at his hotel room to investigate, he got into a brawl with them. He served over a year in prison, which derailed a lot of his momentum in the WWE and probably hampered his career.

Still, it must have been quite the sight to see a giant man lift up a boulder and toss it through the air like a frisbee.

# New Jack: Assault with a deadly weapon

Using blunt implements to beat your opponent senseless is a wrestling trope, but when you start using bladed weapons that's crossing a line.

During a match with an indie wrestler in Florida, New Jack inexplicably began to stab his opponent with either a knife or a sharp bit of metal, depending on which version you believe. Fans were stunned and the poor victim was taken to a hospital. New Jack was charged with assault and held on bond, but the victim chose not to press charges so long as New Jack trained him and took him on tour.

New Jack agreed, but as soon as he was released from prison he ran for the state border--without the man he'd agreed to train.

#7 Vince McMahon: Drug distribution

The boss, the chairman of the board, and the man who changed wrestling forever once got on the wrong side of federal authorities.

They believed that McMahon was pushing steroids on his employees, and the trial made international headlines. The prosecution had an ace in the hole they thought would surely land Vince in jail; Hulk Hogan.

Hogan at the time was working for Vince's rival WCW, and the prosecution believed that Hogan would be quite bitter toward his former boss. However, when he took the stand, Hogan testified that McMahon had never pushed drugs on anyone as far as he knew.

Vince would be cleared of all charges, but oddly showed little gratitude toward Hogan. After the trial, he would run Hogan down and insult the former WWE champion, which Hogan surprisingly blew off. Hogan believed that Vince was angry about the Hulkster not ending his career in WWE, and decided to be generous and forgive the ungrateful man he had just kept out of prison.

#8 The Juicer Art Barr: Sexual assault

For those not familiar with the Mexican wrestling scene, Art "The Juicer" Barr was Eddie Guerrero's tag team partner and close friend. His actions in Oregon led to pro wrestling being banned in the state for many years.

During a wrestling show, he sneaked off with an underage fan for some amorous adventures, but she did not want to participate in the dirty stairwell of an arena. Barr didn't take no for an answer, and forced himself on her instead of taking her to his hotel room.

Barr would plea bargain down to a lesser charge, but Oregon still decided to ban pro wrestling events from the state after the incident. When WCW hired Barr sometime later, they attempted to conceal his identity by making him The Juicer--a poorly conceived Beetlejuice rip off.

#8 William Regal: Relieving himself on an airline stewardess

For a man who seems so cultured and refined, it's hard to imagine William Regal being guilty of this crime. However, for many years Regal battled drug and alcohol addiction. During a flight to a WCW event, the extremely drunk Regal stumbled to the lavatory to relieve himself. Unfortunately, he left the bathroom door open, and when a stewardess tapped him on the shoulder to tell him to close it, he turned around and caught her in his stream.

Regal then blacked out and woke up in Alaska, where the flight had been diverted explicitly to remove him. He was charged with several misdemeanours and allowed to pay a fine. Regal has since become sober and is quite candid about his sordid past deeds while under the influence.

#10 Scott Hall: Assaulting a comedian, and many other incidents

Pro wrestling's poster boy for bad decisions and drunken misbehaviour, Scott Hall has had numerous run-ins with the law. From public intoxication to assaulting the very EMTs who were trying to save his life, Hall is no stranger to the back of a police vehicle.

However, things got especially heated during a stand-up comedy routine by Jimmy Graham. Graham made a joke about Owen Hart's tragic death, which Scott Hall believed crossed a line.

Owen Hart was one of the most beloved, mischievous, and celebrated performers of all time, and you can't find one single wrestler who has bad things to say about him. Owen's death was still fairly recent at the time of the comedy act, and Scott Hall had been close friends with Owen. He beat and strangled Graham on stage and was charged with battery, although the charges were later dropped.

There you have it; Ten wrestlers who have been arrested.

---

Send us news tips at [email protected].