Author: Perry Saturn and his story of intervention have become legend amongst wrestling fans. This narrative has circulated through wrestling circles for years: “Perry Saturn intervened in an attack on a woman.”
That’s exactly how the story has been told. There were no more details—only that simple statement. For years, that was all many knew. The imagination could run wild with those words, but the actual events turned out to be far different from what most pictured. There was no dramatic resolution or witty exchange after the fact. All Perry Saturn received for his actions were serious injuries and years of profound hardship that followed.
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Perry Saturn and the 2004 Incident in Atlanta
In April 2004, Perry Saturn was driving his girlfriend to work in Atlanta when he witnessed an assault in progress. Two men were attacking a woman. Given his military background as a former Army Ranger—he had enlisted at age 17—Saturn did not hesitate. He intervened directly, engaging the two attackers.
During the physical struggle that ensued, Saturn sustained serious injuries. In his YouShoot interview with Sean Oliver, Saturn provided his own account: “I did stumble upon two guys attacking a girl. I intervened, and I didn’t think about anything before.”
Saturn described the chaotic nature of the confrontation. One attacker fled immediately. In the struggle with the second attacker, Saturn used his own blade in self-defense: “I grabbed my blade and I just lunged at him with it and stabbed him, and then, the cops were there.”
The physical toll became apparent only after the immediate shock wore off. Saturn explained the delayed realization of his injuries: “I’m guessing I must have gone into shock from everything, so it’s really kind of hazy.”
He continued, "One guy was on top of the girl, the other guy behind him. I pushed the pile and one guy ran. The other guy—in my mind, I thought he punched me. I remembered that it hurt really bad, my eyes were watering, and then I felt like he punched me again."
Saturn suffered shot wounds to his neck and shoulder. Most critically, the trauma resulted in damage to his cervical vertebrae—his C-5, C-6, and C-7—requiring surgical intervention. Saturn was missing his collarbone entirely, with medical specialists needing to place a steel plate and three stainless steel screws in his neck to stabilize his spine.
The medical emergency was life-threatening. Saturn recalled: "I didn’t really understand what happened until that Sunday. They had to fly my doctor from Birmingham to do the surgery because in my neck, all the inflammation was crushing my spine. They had to get a special doctor in to do the surgery—they couldn’t have somebody there in that hospital. I was a hair either way. I could have probably been dead."
When paramedics arrived at the scene, Saturn didn’t initially comprehend the severity of his condition. He was arguing with emergency responders, telling them: “‘I don’t need to go to the hospital for being punched,’ because I didn’t even really know what was going on.”
From Hero to Homelessness: How Perry Saturn’s Heroic Act Led to Years on the Streets
When the adrenaline subsided completely, the physical pain for Perry Saturn became overwhelming; pain so intense it fundamentally altered the trajectory of his life.
He turned to methamphetamine as a way to manage the chronic pain. The dependence that followed consumed him entirely. Within a relatively short period, he found himself homeless, struggling to survive on the streets.
Saturn himself described this turning point: “Yeah, that was the beginning of the end, you know? That’s when I really started getting bad on stuff, because I couldn’t hardly do anything. I was in a halo, my arm in a sling, you know, and just a pity party. I felt bad for myself.”
The sequence of events is stark: Perry Saturn intervenes to stop an assault, sustains life-threatening injuries that come within inches of causing paralysis or death, develops a substance dependency while coping with chronic pain, and subsequently experiences years of homelessness.
From Rock Bottom to Redemption: Perry Saturn’s Honest Account of His Recovery
In a 2010 interview with wrestling historian Bill Apter, recorded at K&S Wrestlefest, Perry Saturn opened up about this period. Apter was visibly surprised to see Saturn, as many in the wrestling community had believed him to be deceased. Only a year earlier, Saturn had achieved significant sobriety and was rebuilding his life with his new wife, Lisa Marie Kuhlemeier, whom he married in 2009.
There remained a light at the end of the tunnel.
BILL APTER: “You got shot. What were the circumstances?”
PERRY SATURN: “Somebody shot me. What do you mean?”
BILL APTER: “Where was this? In, like, Philadelphia?”
PERRY SATURN: “Atlanta.”
BILL APTER: “In Atlanta? Okay. And so, from that time, you were—what were you doing after you, uh, after you got better from that?”
PERRY SATURN: “Well, I’m just now gettin’ better. I developed substance abuse. What people do when they’re down, you do stupid things to make it worse. You know? So I hated the world. You know, I was pretty messed up from being shot, and, uh, instead of just, like, buckling down and gettin’ better, I started doing meth by the tons. It took over my whole life.”
BILL APTER: “What do you remember from that time?”
PERRY SATURN: “Being high a lot. Just, you know what, you know that the stuff you’re doing is not helping you, but you can’t change, or you’re not willing to change, I don’t know what it is. Where you have to get to a point where you have to make a change. I guess what I remember most—big secret here—I never told anybody this, so, but—”
BILL APTER: “You’re telling it to the world now.”
PERRY SATURN: “I remember thinkin’ of Perry Saturn, you know, and not even knowing that…like, I couldn’t even imagine being that person. This [person struggling] was such a different person that it was hard for me to even believe that I was that one person, you know, and until I could come to a realization that I could be who I was, I wasn’t gonna be able to change things.”
BILL APTER: “How did that happen?”
PERRY SATURN: “Well, I was homeless for two years, and that’s a pretty rough life. I got clean for a little while, and I got an apartment, and since I got an apartment now, things are going well, I started using again, and I was back on the streets for another six months, and then I just couldn’t do that anymore.”
BILL APTER: “Right.”
PERRY SATURN: “So I had to make a change.”
What stands out in this exchange is Saturn’s focus on himself and his personal struggles, rather than seeking recognition for his intervention. He could have emphasized the physical aftermath—a steel plate and three stainless steel screws securing his cervical vertebrae. Yet he never does. He never attempts to capitalize on what could be viewed as a heroic act.
Many individuals would have avoided such a situation entirely. It remains an uncomfortable truth that inaction is far more common than intervention in such circumstances. Psychological research refers to this as the Bystander Effect.
The Bystander Effect (also called Bystander Apathy), as defined by psychological literature: “a social psychological phenomenon that refers to cases in which individuals do not offer any means of help to a victim when other people are present. The probability of help is inversely related to the number of bystanders.” The greater the number of bystanders present, the less likely any individual will take action to assist.
Risking personal safety to intervene on behalf of a stranger demands extraordinary courage—something that cannot be expected of most people. Yet by all available accounts, Perry Saturn acted without hesitation when confronted with the situation before him.
His willingness to act is what distinguishes him from others in that moment. More importantly, it demonstrates genuine heroism in its truest form.
When questions arose about the authenticity of the story, Saturn addressed them directly. In his YouShoot interview, when asked about claims that the story was fabricated, Saturn responded simply: “I just saw the scar so clearly it’s not made up.”
The physical scars remain visible testament to the events of that April day in 2004.
Where is Perry Saturn Today?
Following his recovery from substance dependency, Saturn gradually returned to the professional wrestling ring. He wrestled his first match in over seven years on October 15th, 2011.
Throughout the following years, Saturn continued appearing in independent promotions. He defeated Arik Cannon and Sir Bradley Charles in a Triple Threat Match for the 3XW Pure Wrestling Championship on April 27, 2012, in Des Moines, Iowa—his first championship victory in over a decade.
In March 2013, Saturn appeared at Jerry Lynn’s retirement event through Heavy On Wrestling in Minneapolis, Minnesota, competing in an opening six-man tag team match that his team won.
According to wrestling records, Saturn’s documented matches in 2013 included a May 24th appearance at RPW Lights Out in Merrionette Park, Illinois, where he teamed with Raven as part of The Flock, defeating Brady Pierce and Mad Man Pondo.
His final documented professional match came on July 12, 2013, at an IPW event in Waterloo, Iowa, where Saturn and James Jeffries defeated AJ Smooth and Ryan Slade to capture the IPW Tag Team Championship—a fitting conclusion to his in-ring career that saw him winning gold in his final competitive outing.
Since stepping away from full-time wrestling, Saturn has dealt with significant health challenges resulting from his career and the 2004 incident.
In September 2016, during an appearance at a House of Hardcore event, Saturn spoke with Bill Apter about his ongoing recovery. He revealed that he was managing a traumatic brain injury—diagnosed as moderate TBI—which limited his daily activities. The condition resulted in recurring migraines and memory difficulties. Saturn credited his faith and family support as instrumental in navigating these ongoing health issues.
In January 2017, Saturn posted a video on his Facebook page describing the severity of his situation, expressing concern about potential homelessness due to mounting medical expenses. A GoFundMe campaign was subsequently launched on his behalf, which raised over $40,000—resources that helped him maintain housing stability during that period.
In more recent years, Saturn has maintained a quieter presence. In May 2024, during an interview with Sportskeeda, Saturn shared that he now lives in Minnesota, where he owns a home and has chosen to remain. He indicated that while he has largely withdrawn from the public eye, he occasionally appears for interviews and wrestling-related discussions. Saturn mentioned owning two pit bulls, noting that their presence has made him less visible to curious locals in his small Minnesota community.
Throughout 2024 and into 2025, Saturn has made selective appearances for interviews and reunions with former wrestling colleagues, including a February 2025 appearance where he and former Flock member Lodi reconnected. These rare public moments suggest Saturn continues to maintain connections within wrestling circles while prioritizing his health and family life away from the industry.
In September 2024, Saturn discussed the impact of his concussion lawsuit against WWE, expressing his belief that his participation may have affected his prospects for WWE Hall of Fame consideration. However, he indicated contentment with his current life trajectory, focusing on his recovery and the ongoing management of his health conditions rather than seeking industry recognition.
Saturn’s journey, from his moment of intervention in 2004, through years of struggle, to his current stable existence in Minnesota, illustrates both the resilience of the human spirit and the profound costs that can accompany acts of courage.
These stories may also interest you:
- Amazing Acts of Heroism by Wrestlers Outside the Ring
- Shad Gaspard: A Hero, Brother, and Friend Forever
- Perry Saturn and Mike Bell: When Things Turned Ugly!
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