Georgia wrestler accused of stabbing opponent 14 times

<p>A professional wrestler from Georgia, accused of stabbing his opponent 14 times with a prop during a match, has been arrested on a charge of aggravated battery.</p><p>Both wrestlers in the local Thunder Wrestling Federation event told police the prop was brought in as part of what in wrestling is known as "hard-core," where it is not uncommon to see such props as knives, chains, bats and barbed wire.</p><p>The event's promoter said it wasn't supposed to be hard-core.</p><p>Police charged Jerome Young, 41, of Smyrna, Ga., who goes by the ring name of New Jack, with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. He was being held under $40,003 bond Tuesday in the Duval County Jail. A court appearance was set for Nov. 2.</p><p>Young told police he and his opponent, William Jason Lane, 37, of Fruit Cove, planned before the match to use a piece of metal to inflict some injury. Lane, treated and released at Shands Jacksonville hospital, told officers he wasn't sure what happened but that "this is a dangerous sport," according to a police report.</p><p>Lane did not want to talk about the incident Tuesday, but a woman who said she was his girlfriend told The Florida Times-Union that the event was supposed to be hard-core but not violent.</p><p>"It wasn't supposed to happen like that. But it did, and he got hurt pretty bad," said Meghan Hancock.</p><p>Promoter Maurice Williams said he doesn't promote hard-core. "We wrestle. You won't see any barbed wire bats and chains."</p><p>Williams said wrestlers will be checked closely before future bouts.</p><p>"There will be nothing ever coming near Thunder again," he said.</p><p>Witnesses, including a Brunswick, Ga., police officer who videotaped the match, said it looked like it went past a routine wrestling match. Another witness said it looked like one wrestler lost control when he thought the other was "intentionally trying to hurt him," according to the police report.</p><p>A fan scooped up the metal object, which has not been recovered by police.</p><p>Jail records Tuesday gave no information on Young's legal representation.</p><p>___</p><p>HASH(0x2865920)</p>