An arm wrestling stunt on last night’s NRL version of the Footy Show has gone horribly awry as one of the contestants had his arm reportedly broken and the bicep muscle torn away.
The segment featured former NRL players Wendell Sailor and Ben Ross arm wrestling. However, not long into the tussle viewers were treated to an alarming crack and Ben Ross soon writhing around the studio in pain.
Warning: not for the squeamish.
Someone is heard to scream at the moment, “Fuck, his arm is snapped in half”. On top of Ross’ screams of agony, Wendell Sailor is also seen to be very visibly upset.
Host of the program, Paul Vautin, quickly realised something was awry and went straight to a commercial break. Ross was rushed immediately to hospital by ambulance and his condition this morning is still unclear. However, there has been news reports that Ross had suffered a fractured arm.
Ross, however, has tweeted from Sydney’s Royal North Shore Hospital this morning, “Thanks for everyone’s messages of concern and also wishes. Will know full extent of the break etc soon”.
Speaking on Channel Seven’s Sunrise program this morning, Wendell Sailor said: “I’m not a doctor or a physio. When it went I thought he might’ve just pulled a tendon. I felt so bad … it was terrible. I know he’s got a three-year-old daughter.”
He said that the injury can be quite common in arm-wrestling circles. Quoting an arm wrestling judge, Sailor said: “He said it’s one of those common occurrence that happens in arm wrestling. Think about it, you get in there and you’re arm wrestling, pushing different ways and angles. He lent his whole body weight onto it.”
A Channel Nine spokesman has been quoted as saying: ““It was all done properly … it was just an unfortunate accident.”
