Entertainment
American Gladiators star’s horrendous concussion ‘swept under rug’ after head was split open-Sabrina Barr-Entertainment – Metro
‘I was literally scared that I could be in a wheelchair – or worse.’
‘I was literally scared that I could be in a wheelchair – or worse’ (Picture: ESPN+/Twitter)
A former star of American Gladiators has recalled the horrifying injuries he sustained on the show, including suffering a concussion on his first day with his head split open.
The reality competition launched in the US in 1989 three years before its British counterpart, a reboot for which is launching on the BBC later this year.
American Gladiators aired until 1996, ahead of a short-lived revival in 2008.
One of the original stars of the cast was Deron McBee, known by his moniker Malibu and his surfer persona.
A new ESPN film titled 30 for 30: The American Gladiators Documentary has lifted the lid on what it was like to star on the programme behind the scenes, with McBee recollecting the pain he endured at the very start.
The now-62-year-old took part in a ‘Human Cannonball’ on his first day, which involved a fellow participant called Tarzan swinging on a rope and colliding with him, with only a football blocking pad to help stop himself from being knocked down from a platform.
The star was allegedly warned about carrying on with the show by his doctor (Picture: ESPN+/Twitter)
The documentary detailed how McBee’s head was split open following the collision, subsequently leading to a concussion, The New York Post reported.
The gladiator was said to have needed to undergo surgery to realign his forehead after the incident.
‘None of the producers or directors came up and talked to me about it. Nobody wanted to say what happened and it was like they wanted to sweep it under the rug,’ he claimed.
However, McBee’s doctor allegedly urged him not to take part in American Gladiators any more.
‘My doctor said, “Listen, you sustain one more hit like you got, you’re going to be in a wheelchair paralysed because your brain is slowing,”’ he told the publication.
American Gladiators aired from 1989 to 1996 (Picture: Getty Images)
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web
browser that
supports HTML5
video
‘I begged him to let me go back to work.’
The athlete described his time on American Gladiators as ‘cutthroat’, explaining that despite his fears of life-changing injuries, there was the risk of being easily replaced.
‘[The attitude was] “because if you don’t do it, we’ll just get somebody else to fill your boots”… I had these things in the back of my mind. I was literally scared that I could be in a wheelchair – or worse,’ he stated.
In a clip from the documentary, McBee recounted the incident as he said: ‘Human Cannonball was a nightmare for me. The very first day, we had this event and I can’t even tell you how intimidating it is to be looking 30 feet away, you’ve got a football blocking pad and this guy weighs 200 pounds, swinging on a rope trying to kick you off.
‘My left knee hit my head, I gave myself a concussion, I split my head open. It was bad. I literally had to convince the surgeon to release me to go back to work, and he had said, “No you can’t, because if you get hurt again, you die. Your concussion was that bad.” But as bad as that crash was, it got me famous and people talking about that show.’
In addition to his head split and concussion, McBee also suffered broken ribs and a torn bicep due to his antics on the programme.
Metro.co.uk has contacted the parent company to American Gladiators’ production company for comment.
30 for 30: The American Gladiators Documentary Part 1 is streaming on ESPN Plus in the US.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
MORE : Two new godly Gladiators join cast of reboot – and one has an extraordinary Guinness World Record
Entertainment – MetroRead More
