Fox reporter slammed to mat in live wrestling demo: 'That felt like being thrown off a skyscraper'

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: A live TV segment turned unexpectedly intense when Fox News reporter Abby Hornacek found herself flat on the mat after a wrestling demonstration went a little too real.

The reporter was appearing on 'Fox & Friends Weekend' on Saturday, March 28, to promote an upcoming RAF Wrestling event when things escalated from interview to full-contact action in seconds.

Abby Hornacek slammed to the mat

Hornacek had been chatting with RAF middleweight champion Kennedy Blades about the event when she agreed to help demonstrate one of Blades’ signature moves, the suplex.

Admitting her hesitation, Hornacek said, “I’m so nervous,” just moments before stepping in.

What followed was quick and dramatic. Blades lifted her cleanly, twisted her body mid-air, and drove her down onto the mat with force, producing an audible thud that drew startled reactions from those watching nearby.

Despite the impact, Hornacek quickly reacted with humor. “Ohhh! Amazing. I don’t think I can be a wrestler,” she said as she got back up, clearly shaken but smiling.

Instead of showing any real distress, Hornacek leaned into the moment.

“Alright, the mic pack did not survive, but I did, luckily,” she joked, holding up her damaged equipment.

She reassured viewers that the fall looked worse than it felt, saying, “I know that looked worse than it was, but it was a lot of fun.”

Still, she admitted the experience wasn’t exactly gentle. “That felt like being thrown off a skyscraper,” she added, a line that left the studio crew laughing.

Abby Hornacek later shared the clip on X with the caption, “Got suplexed by an Olympian today, so that was cool.”

Live suplex leaves studio anchors shocked

Back in the studio, co-host Griff Jenkins asked the obvious question: “Are you okay?!” Hornacek didn’t miss a beat, replying, “I feel great. I feel like a million bucks.”

She even capped off the segment by giving Blades a high-five, showing there were no hard feelings after the hard landing.

The Fox panel seemed thoroughly entertained by the unexpected turn of events. Co-host Charlie Hurt called it “the greatest promo” he’d ever seen, while Rachel Campos-Duffy agreed, saying it was the “best promo” she’d witnessed.

The segment doubled as a preview of what fans can expect from Blades in her upcoming bout, where she is set to face Milana Dudieva.

If the live demo was any indication, her opponents may have reason to be concerned.

Blades, a decorated wrestler, brings serious credentials to the ring, including a silver medal in freestyle wrestling at the 2024 Paris Olympics and a bronze at the 2025 World Championships.