This article contains graphic material.
You remember that scene in David Cronenberg’s The Fly when Jeff Goldblum, sweaty and angry from halfway becoming a giant fly, partook in a gentleman’s game of arm-wrestling with a fellow barfly? Well, I do! He snapped the barfly’s forearm in half and left walked out, the man’s screams the equivalent of an explosion behind Goldblum as he walks away.
Well, that basically happened in real life.
In what appears to be New Zealand’s version of Lip Sync Battle, retired National Rugby League forward Ben Ross faced off against another rugby star, Wendell Sailor of Queensland State of Origin (that’s a rugby team name, if you’re confused). The event was part of an “Iron Arm Challenge” on the NRL Footy Show for the Men of League charity.
The two competitors seemed evenly matched at the start of the matchup; their arms flexed, and Ross actually appeared to have a slight edge over Sailor. In a split second, though, Ross’ arm snapped. In the aftermath, the audience looked stunned, unable to process what had happened.
Serious warning for the squeamish: Watch at your own risk.
This is hardly the worst thing to happen to Ross since retiring from the NRL in 2013. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that in 2009, Ross suffered a broken neck, only to play for a few more season. So whether he suffered a broken arm or torn bicep here, we think he’ll patch up nicely.
As for Wendell Sailor, has anybody checked his science lab for faulty teleporters? I have a feeling he’s becoming a giant fly.
H/T Reddit | Screengrab via notthatguy777/YouTube