Independent Wrestler Dies After Being Injured In Unsanctioned Wrestling Event In Oklahoma

Wrestling is something that should always be left to the professionals, but there are those who can’t help but imitate it, and it can lead to very unfortunate circumstances. A 25-year-old independent wrestler by the name of William Ogletree was in the ring for an unsanctioned match this past weekend when he suffered a serious injury. After a couple of days in the hospital, Ogletree passed away after it was revealed that his brain activity had ceased.

According to the Oklahoman, Ogletree was wrestling at a staged wrestling event on Sunday at Oklahoma City’s Blue Note Lounge. The event was unsanctioned and unlicensed, which means it was taking place without any state approval whatsoever.

William’s uncle, Joseph Ogletree, stated that his nephew was in a match on Sunday when he took a maneuver called a “spine buster.” It is a move that has one person (Ogletree) run at their opponent, who then lifts them in the air and slams them down flat on their back with a lot of force.

The uncle stated that he was not even aware that Ogletree had started participating in or even knowing much about professional wrestling. He knew that William had an interest in it, but he didn’t realize it went any further than that.

Everyone who can contribute anything even a dollar this is @weenisacoolband (Wills) Go fund me https://t.co/moVK8CVMCc

— Craig frm Craigslist (@jenjenthehutt) August 30, 2017

After being injured at the event, William Ogletree was taken to the OU Medical Center, where he remained for a couple of days. As of Tuesday, he was still in critical condition, but by that afternoon, he had no brain activity at all.

As reported by Wrestling Inc., all professional wrestling events in the state of Oklahoma are required to be licensed by the state athletic commission. Joe Miller is the administrator of the Oklahoma State Athletic Commission, and he stated that Sunday’s event was not licensed at all.

The event was put together by B.L.O.W. (Balthazar’s Ladies of Wrestling), which has a head promoter of Leslie Hensley. Hensley said they are investigating the situation, as is the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office and the police.

Miller issued a statement, but neither Hensley nor the Blue Note Lounge said anything at this time.

“It’s a very bad deal. We’re at the very beginning of investigating this and trying to put all the pieces together.”

First Assistant District Attorney Scott Rowland said that it is too early to tell at this point, but pending the investigation, criminal charges may end up being issued.

William Ogletree was a stand-up comedian and even played the guitar for a local rock band called the Hitt Boyz. The young man from Oklahoma had a lot of irons in the fire and simply wanted to take part in something else as well, and that is why he became involved in wrestling. It is likely that he was hoping to make it on the independent scene, but unfortunately, his death came far too soon due to things not being done the right way by those organizing the event.

[Featured Image by WWE]