Former WWE wrestler stops armed robber in Florida

Shad Gaspard, WWE hero.
Shad Gaspard, WWE hero.

Shad Gaspard, a former WWE wrestler, halted an armed robbery over the weekend … a feat no less impressive even though it turned out the robber was armed with only a BB gun.

According to Pro Wrestling Sheet, Gaspard was at a Coral Springs, Florida convenience store when a man demanded Gaspard buy him a beer. When Gaspard refused, the man pulled a gun on him. At that point, Gaspard thought, “[Expletive] this … I’m not dying in Florida,” and then things turned very ugly for the would-be robber.

Per Pro Wrestling Sheet’s report, Gaspard took the gun, which turned out to be a BB gun. He then chased down the escaping robber, slammed his head into the door, and then immobilized him with a rear naked choke hold. Gaspard’s friends, including his former tag-team Cryme Tyme partner JTG, all of whom had been outside in a car, then called the police.

“I thought it was a real gun the entire time and honestly, I just didn’t want anyone to get hurt,” Gaspard said. “I just kept thinking about how I wanted to make sure I got home to my son.”

TMZ later published a photo of Gaspard with the store’s clerk:

Shad Gaspard and clerk. (Via TMZ)
Shad Gaspard and clerk. (Via TMZ)

Good news all the way around, then, as a potentially catastrophic situation ended as peacefully as possible.

Gaspard wrestled in the WWE on and off from 2005 to 2010, including stints in Wrestlemania and alongside John Cena. More recently, he’s appeared as an actor in movies such as “Get Hard” and TV shows such as “Key & Peele.”
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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports and the author of EARNHARDT NATION, on sale now at Amazon or wherever books are sold. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter or on Facebook.