'Why on earth?' Shocking fatal incident involving 'lethal foul play' → No criminal punishment? "I was certain I'd face prison time, but the reason is..."

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

A twist has emerged. A professional wrestler who killed a referee in his 70s by performing a forbidden move, the piledriver, on the ring has narrowly avoided prison through a settlement with the bereaved family regarding compensation.

U.S. professional wrestling outlet 'WrestlingINC' reported on the 13th (Korean time), "El Hijo del Fishman reached an agreement on victim compensation with the family of the deceased referee, Gerardo Pineda," adding, "Fishman, who was arrested on charges of negligent homicide and faced the risk of a prison sentence, has been able to avoid criminal punishment thanks to this settlement."

According to local journalist Antonio Nieto, Fishman agreed to pay a total of 580,525 pesos (approximately 41 million won) in compensation to Pineda's five children. Nieto explained the dramatic nature of the agreement, stating, "If even one of Pineda's five children had not agreed to the terms, the settlement would have fallen through, and Fishman would have been formally indicted and nearly served a prison sentence." As of now, neither Fishman nor the bereaved family has issued a separate public statement regarding this agreement.

The tragedy occurred during a Lucha Libre Indie match held in Hidalgo State, Mexico. Pineda (75), a referee who had guarded the ring for many years under the ring name El Fucho, was officiating the match between Fishman and MASCARA Sagrada NG.

However, during the match, Fishman, a second-generation wrestler, performed the piledriver move on referee Pineda. The piledriver, which involves lifting an opponent upside down and slamming them to the ground crown-first, is a dangerous technique strictly prohibited by many organizations, including Lucha Libre, due to the high risk of fatal injury to the neck and spine.

Referee Pineda, who took the move directly, collapsed on the canvas and was unable to move at all. Although an ambulance arrived at the scene, he ultimately passed away. Witnesses stated that spectators at the scene believed it was part of the professional wrestling show's choreography. The controversy intensified as immediate action was delayed because they mistook Pineda for acting out pain after collapsing, compounded by issues regarding inadequate on-site medical staff deployment.

Immediately after the incident, Fishman was urgently arrested by police on charges of negligent homicide. Questions remain as to whether the technique that caused the tragedy was pre-scripted and whether the referee in his 70s had given prior consent to the dangerous move. Although footage of the piledriver has not yet been released, it has been confirmed that match highlight videos include a scene where Fishman delivers a bodyslam to referee Pineda just minutes before using the lethal technique.

Fishman and Sagrada have drawn the referee into the show's conflict dynamic while reenacting their long-standing rivalry relationship that dates back to their fathers' era. However, by performing an unreasonable forbidden move on the white-haired veteran referee, they took a precious life. Although they avoided prison through a large settlement amount, it appears difficult to escape fierce criticism from wrestling fans worldwide and moral responsibility.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original