FIGHT TRAUMA
Iconic drag wrestler, 31, who cameoed in Hollywood film left paralysed after breaking neck in ‘freak accident’ in ring
The icon showed of his moves in a film featuring The Rock
A LEGENDARY drag wrestler who cameoed in a Hollywood film has been left paralysed after breaking his neck in the ring.
Lee Mitchell, known as the icon Mitchell Star, heard his vertebrae snap when his opponent landed on his head during a bout last December.
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The 31-year-old, from Hopton-on-Sea, Norfolk, dubbed his life-changing injury a "freak accident" - while doctors said he was moments from death.
Lee was fighting in a match at Colchester's Charter Hall on December 1 when he tried to wrestle his rival, who had dived outside the ring.
He said: "One of the thing you're taught in wrestling is if somebody is going to do a dive, then their body is in your hands.
"It's nothing that hasn't been done a thousand times before.
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"As he jumped off the top rope, I got underneath to catch him but I was a bit too close.
"From a six foot drop, he landed straight on my head."
The ring star said he was hit by overwhelming tingling sensations and numbness when trying to get up.
Paramedics transported him to Colchester Hospital and was instructed to stay completely still - a move that saved his life.
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Lee was then taken to Ipswich Hospital's spine unit where he stayed for two weeks lying on his back wearing a rigid neck brace.
By miracle, he slowly began moving his arms again, and was allowed to be in a seated position.
He said he's "a couple weeks off being healed".
"By itself, it's gone from being at a 45 degree angle pointing down to almost straight," Lee added.
Despite being told his vertebrae disc was just centimetres away from severing his spinal cord, the wrestler vowed he wouldn't abandon the sport.
At the World Association of Wrestling (WAW), he said: "If I'm able to wrestle again, I will do everything I physically can to come back.
"I'm working on mobility now and then I'll practise walking with aid, and then walking unaided.
"It'll be a lot of training and hopefully I can make a comeback.
"I said to myself if I was never going to wrestle again I'd have nothing to get better for."
The star's passion for the ring was sparked at the age of 16, when he first started watching the sport.
He signed up to WAW in Norwich to start training.
In 2019 the wrestler even showed of his moves in the Hollywood movie Fighting with My Family, which features the Rock and Florence Pugh.
It came after the production crew used WAW to film in.
Lee is recognised globally for his talents, having performed across Europe and reaching as far as Australia.
He was also the first wrestler to fight in Africa who was openly a member of the LGBT community.
The ring legend will undergo a scan in nine weeks which should highlight where he needs his next surgery.
Lee said he could have an operation now that would allow him to "live a normal life" but would erase his chances of wrestling again.
"I'd rather wait the nine weeks and hope to do what I love again." he explained.
"I'm staying and optimistic, although I have my ups and downs."
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The wrestler said his job have his life "purpose", "confidence" and he "owes everything" to it.
A GoFundMe has been set up for Lee to help with his recovery and can be found .
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