Former WWE Hall of Famer ‘Hacksaw’ Jim Duggan has faced his share of adversity, battling cancer on multiple occasions and also dealing with heart issues in the past. However, the first ever Royal Rumble winner faced another challenge on the night of December 8th when a stranger entered his home uninvited.
Speaking to WrestlingInc, ‘Hacksaw’ Jim Duggan described the terrifying scene. According to Duggan, an intruder broke into his home around 6:45pm on December 8th. The intruder, a man believed to be in his 20’s, entered through Duggan’s front door.
The 68 year old WWE Hall of Famer took the intruder down on his own before he grabbed his .44 caliber pistol and held the individual at gunpoint. Duggan noted that he and his wife Debra heard neighbors yelling after the intruder entered their home, so they kept their Christmas lights off and told the man to be quiet.
“Thank God We Didn’t Shoot Him” – WWE Hall Of Famer ‘Hacksaw’ Jim Duggan
According to Duggan, the intruder seemed hysterically frightened, and claimed that someone from a nearby home was going to come and kill him. After hearing this explanation, Duggan kept his hand on the intruder’s back and kept his gun in his lap until police could arrive at the house.
Duggan told WrestlingInc that the intruder was fleeing other individuals due to a separate legal matter, and that he was seeking refuge from those he thought were coming to attack him. He knocked on multiple doors looking for help before he climbed over the Duggans’ fence and let himself into the unlocked front door. The WWE Hall of Famer did not press charges against his intruder, letting the Kershaw County Police apprehend the man.
After the incident was over, Duggan said, “Thank god we didn’t shoot him” as he was someone in need of help.
During a September interview, Duggan described his relationship with Vince McMahon after the former WWE Chairman retired amidst an investigation into alleged sexual misconduct and hush money payments.
Duggan was the first man to win a Royal Rumble match when the concept was introduced in 1988. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2011.