16-year wrestling veteran Erik “Crazii” Shea has been working the local Virginia scene for a long while. This weekend, he made headlines, but perhaps not in the way that he would have hoped. In order to sell his crazy persona, Erik regularly breathes fire by spitting alcohol into the air and lighting it as it leaves his mouth. On Saturday, during a Code Red Wrestling event, the alcohol fell back into Erik’s face and set him ablaze. Shea later admitted that he didn’t take the normal precautions during the stunt. “I guess I just got comfortable with it, like it was my best friend. We had an argument and fire won.”
Shea was carried out of the arena by a volunteer fire chief and an EMT, and they flew him to a burn center in Pittsburgh. After being treated, Shea was released with second and third-degree burns. He told local news My Buckhannon that the burn was “the most pain [he’s] ever felt.”
My Buckhannon also reported that Shea’s girlfriend, wrestler Alura O Shea, got into a car accident while following Erik’s vehicle after the burn. They report that Alura hit a black bear that was crossing the road at the time. The bear ran off after the incident, and Alura’s car was towed away. Alura was not injured after striking the bear.
My Buckhannon has published pictures of the wrestler before and after the incident, which can be seen here. Fair warning that the after image is rather graphic.
