Members of the New York media are expressing outrage that an injured Cam Skattebo got in a brawl on 'WWE Raw.' Screen grab: WWE
By Ben Axelrod on

Cam Skattebo had a front-row seat for John Cena’s final episode of WWE Raw.

Not only that, but the New York Giants rookie running back took part in a mid-show brawl, which was especially curious considering that he’s less than a month removed from suffering a season-ending open tibia fracture, ruptured deltoid ligament and ankle dislocation.

The segment in question occurred following the opening match at Madison Square Garden, in which Cena, Rey Mysterio and Sheamus defeated the Judgement Day (Dominik Mysterio, Finn Balor and JD McDonagh). After the match, reporter Jackie Redmond interviewed comedian Andrew Schulz (naturally), who proceeded to introduce a “a real New York legend to be” in Skattebo, who he was sitting next to.

As the interview returned to Schulz, it was quickly interrupted by Dominik Mysterio, who is currently one of WWE’s top heels. After Mysterio asked Skattebo how many years it’s been since New York’s last championship and whether or not the former Arizona State star could count, a shoving match between the Judgement Day and ringside celebrities broke out, with Skattebo squarely in the middle of it.

While pro wrestling’s outcomes are predetermined, the physicality is very much real. And if trained performers can suffer legitimate injuries during scripted matches, then it’s fair to wonder why an un-trained running back less was involved in such a segment just weeks after suffering a catastrophic injury.

That was certainly the sentiment that echoed across New York on Tuesday morning. Unsurprisingly, many in the Big Apple were unhappy to see the Giants rookie running back in a shoving exchange with a group of pro wrestlers considering his current physical status.

“You got one good leg, bro,” Chris McMonigle said on WFAN on Tuesday morning. “I don’t want to get on Cam Skattebo. I don’t want to get on Abdul Carter for wanting to have fun and going to a WWE event and having a good time and being a part of the storyline. It’s one of these things, you’re a young kid and you just became an NFL player. You get asked to do these things, you’re probably a wrestling fan, it’s fun. But, like, you just had a devastating injury and you’re on your feet pushing professional wrestlers. Like, that is so Jets-ian. The optics are so bad.”

WFAN’s Danielle McCartan also noted that Giants legend Micahel Strahan took issue with Skattebo’s stunt during Tuesday morning’s episode of Good Morning America.

Do a quick Google search for Cam Skattebo’s name and you’ll find the 23-year-old is already a New York tabloid darling. But while most of the coverage throughout his rookie season has been positive, that clearly wasn’t the case with regard to his WWE cameo.

About Ben Axelrod

Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.

View all posts by Ben Axelrod