Indie News: Wrestler accused of domestic violence during WrestleMania weekend
What’s the story?
It has not been a good few months for the man known as ‘Mr. 450’, independent wrestler John Yurnet. After suffering a serious injury on his 205 Live debut last year, he has now been accused of assaulting his girlfriend in an incident that took place over WrestleMania weekend. The Orlando Police Department has not issued a warrant for Yurnet’s arrest, but the department is looking into the matter. This story was reported by Pro Wrestling Sheet.
In case you didn’t know...
John Yurnet is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler better known to the wider grappling community as ‘Mr. 450’. Primarily working in the World Wrestling Council (WWC), Yurnet has made a number of appearances on WWE TV over the past few years. Yurnet has primarily been used as an enhancement performer, losing to Bull Dempsey, Baron Corbin and The Authors of Pain on NXT along with a loss to Mustafa Ali on 205 Live.
The heart of the matter
According to the report obtained by Pro Wrestling Sheet, on April 1 Yurnet entered the room he was sharing with his girlfriend and told her to leave immediately. As she was gathering her belongings (that Yurnet had thrown into the corridor) Yurnet is reported to have followed her into the elevator, where the Puerto Rican grabbed the woman by the throat and attempted to choke her.
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The assault continued in the lobby and out to the woman’s vehicle, where Yurnet is reported to have ripped one of the car’s wing mirrors off. As of writing, there is no warrant issued for Yurnet’s arrest due to insufficient evidence, although the police are hoping that an employee at the hotel may be willing to provide a witness statement.
The Orlando Police Department has also stated that they have been unsuccessful in their attempts to contact Yurnet, although Pro Wrestling Sheet reports that Yurnet’s lawyer has admitted the verbal confrontation but vehemently denied any physical altercation, claiming numerous witnesses can back up this claim.
What’s next?
Unless further evidence is presented or a witness comes forward to speak against Yurnet, it is unlikely that any further action will be taken. Whilst the accusations are strong enough to be taken seriously, the fact is that unless evidence surfaces there is little that can be done. On the flip side being accused of something as serious as this when innocent is potentially extremely damaging, and as such it may be in Yurnet’s interest to clear the air as quickly as possible.
Author’s take
Without that evidence it is difficult to take a genuine stance, as the adage of ‘innocent until proven guilty’ juxtaposes with the historical complications surrounding allegations of this kind. Women have been ignored and ridiculed when bringing up such things for far too long, and every single allegation must be taken seriously. The only hope is that the truth comes out and justice is achieved.
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