Former WWE Wrestler Severely Beaten In Front Of His Home Over Parking Spot

A former WWE wrestler was severely beaten in front of his home in Mar Vista, Los Angeles, California on Tuesday and neighbors said it all apparently began over a parking dispute.

CBS Los Angeles reports as many as six young men beat 59-year-old Tom Magee, who wrestled for WWE from 1986 through 1990 — then known as the World Wrestling Federation.

“Tom came and encountered the young men, and it proceeded to a fight,” said Kendall Noxxel, a friend of his.

Magee suffered a broken jaw, broken eye socket and concussion.

“It was sort of a conflict over who was allowed to park in this spot,” Noxxel said.

A neighbor who was a witness but didn’t want to show her face on camera described the horrendous scene.

“They were literally kicking him, punching him in the face and in the head,” said the neighbor.

She said six men were involved in the attack. When neighbors came out to see what was going on, the men took off.

When they rushed over to Magee, they said he was incoherent.

“To me, it was attempted murder. If we wouldn’t have come out here I don’t know if he would be alive. To look at his face if you saw his face right now and saw what they were doing to him, he’s really lucky to be alive,” the neighbor said.

The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating. Thursday afternoon, they said two men were taken into custody. They were identified as Justin Lee, 20, and Degrate Bryant, also 20.

Both have been booked on charges of assault with a deadly weapon.

Magee has been released from the hospital and returned home to recover.

Here is CBS Los Angeles’ report on the story, which includes an image of Magee’s battered face following the attack.

Magee first made his name as a strongman from Canada in the early 1980s, winning the 1982 powerlifting world championship and finishing in the top five at the World’s Strongest Man competition three times. In 1985, he began training for the ring with the legendary Stu Hart. The six-foot-four, 245-pound grappler received acclaim after a match very early on in his wrestling career, where he took on Riki Choshu in the main event of a major All Japan Pro Wrestling show on February 22, 1986. Dave Meltzer said of his first match in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter: “He was the greatest combination of strength and agility the business had ever seen.”

Magee was given the nickname “Mega Man” and named third runner-up for the Pro Wrestling Illustrated Rookie of the Year in 1986, which was won by Lex Luger.

After wrestling in Japan, Magee took his impressive physique and athleticism to WWE in 1986. In his debut match, he beat Bret Hart on October 7, 1986, in Rochester, New York at a television taping. Since it was a dark match, this bout is legendary for how much it is talked about versus how few people have actually seen it. According to Hart in his 2007 autobiography, he made Magee look fantastic to the point where Vince McMahon declared he had found his new world champion when they returned backstage.

Magee began wrestling consistently in January 1987, largely facing jobbers. He remained undefeated through the winter and spring, but McMahon gradually cooled on the young prospect. On June 17, 1987, a similar prospect made his debut in Wichita Falls, Texas: Jim Hellwig, who entered the company as Dingo Warrior and soon became known as Ultimate Warrior.

Magee would be seen only sporadically afterward. After a six-month absence, he wrestled a handful of house shows in Canada in January 1988, defeating “Iron” Mike Sharpe. On December 6, 1988, Magee returned to action for a single match, facing Arn Anderson at a WWF Superstars of Wrestling taping in Daytona Beach, Florida that he won via count-out. You can see that match here, which only aired in Canada with French commentary.

Magee turned heel in April 1989 and started being billed as “Mega Man Magee.” He then faced Tim Horner in a series of house show matches. Magee’s final action came in New Zealand in April 1990, where he defeated a wrestler by the name of Royal Viking in multiple encounters.

During his run in the company, Magee never appeared nationally in the United States. While he appeared on some house shows that were televised in local markets, he was never introduced on WWE’s national TV shows, like Superstars of Wrestling. WWE’s magazine. did, however, once feature a brief profile labeling Magee as an up-and-coming star. There is also a profile on him in the WWE Encyclopedia.

Magee left wrestling in 1990 and moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. He appeared in some movies in 1990 and 1991, most notably a film titled “Stone Cold,” involving a fight scene with the film’s lead actor Brian Bosworth (who was a former NFL player).

Later, Magee worked as a personal trainer at the world famous Gold’s Gym in Venice Beach, California.

Here are some photos of Magee in recent years.