Sam Newman reveals The Footy Show stunt that ‘almost killed’ him
For years The Footy Show was known for its ridiculous stunts and one TV moment almost took screen stalwart Sam Newman out, with the cast forbidden from talking about it. Until now.
Fiona Byrne
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Sam Newman has revealed he could have been killed in a TV prank that went horribly wrong.
The cast of the now defunct Footy Show was sworn to secrecy about the seriousness of Newman’s injuries after he fell out of a boxing ring during a stunt match between Shane Crawford and boxer Antonio Tarver in 2011.
After the bell Crawford took a swing at Newman determined to drop him.
“He made for the ropes. As he dived out, it was probably two meters high, the boxing ring and he has hit these steel steps on the way down with his head,” Crawford told the You Cannot Be Serious podcast.
Newman said he was knocked out by the fall.
“I hit my head on the steel steps and I spent until 5am (in hospital) with an MRI and a cranial inspection by David Marsh, the Richmond (football club) doctor who sent the image to Germany. They thought I was mentally impaired.”
The cast was ordered not to reveal the seriousness of Newman’s fall.
“We weren’t allowed to tell anyone,” Crawford said, with Newman telling people at the time he had cracked a rib.
“He almost killed me, almost,” Newman said.