The Monday Night Football game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills was halted in the first quarter when Bill safety Damar Hamlin suddenly collapsed on the field. Medical officials rushed to the field and initiated CPR, automated external defibrillation, and other treatments. He was eventually given oxygen and IV before an ambulance was brought on the field to transport him to University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
It was later reported that Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest and was in critical condition.
While it appeared that players were being asked to warm up and resume the game, Bengals coach Zac Taylor and Bills coach Sean McDermott met and took their teams to the locker room. The game was eventually canceled.
Speaking to Booker T on the Hall of Fame podcast, Ric Flair praised the NFL for their handling of the situation and explained why fans are unlikely to see the same thing happen in wrestling.
"Just to be in wrestling, here's the thing nobody gets, the other night we witnessed a real tragedy with the football player and the NFL, they made the most awesome call I've ever seen watching NFL. They stopped the game. They thought about it, went back out, and actually gave that young man so much respect, and his family. They made themselves look good. In our business, where guys are jumping off a goddamn top rope on tables, ladders, chairs, and shit. Somebody gets hurt, show goes on. It's the most insensitive business in the world. There is no one person to blame for it, it's just wrestling. We as wrestlers have let that happen. We have. Do you know how many times people came to me and (Hulk) Hogan in the 80s and said, 'let's unionize? How many times do you think people have asked me to walk out? You know why we didn't? We would have been replaced, number one. Been blackballed, number two, and number three, don't think you can't be replaced. Everybody can be replaced. It's our own fault we don't have that. It's not one person that makes these decisions. We have ourselves to blame. Have you ever heard of a show being pulled, except for when (Chris) Benoit passed away? It took something that drastic to pull a show. It just doesn't happen. Guys get hurt and the show goes on. We've done it to ourselves," he said.
WWE Over The Edge 1999 infamously continued after Owen Hart passed away during the show following a harness malfunction that caused him to fall from the top of the rafters.
Damar Hamlin has progressed since Monday when he was in critical condition. His breathing tube has been removed and he is able to breathe on his own. Fans can donate to Hamlin's toy foundation for kids by clicking here.
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