Fox News reporter Abby Hornacek is speaking out to say that nothing is bruised except for her ego after a wrestling champion slammed her on the mat on live television.
Hornacek, 31, said on Instagram that she was “humbled very quickly today” as the video of her being suplexed went viral hours after the segment aired, earning over two million views and thousands of comments.
The Fox Nation host was taken down by professional wrestler Kennedy Blades at the Real American Freestyle wrestling event in Tampa, Florida, during Saturday morning’s segment on Fox & Friends Weekend.
“Got suplexed by an Olympian today so that’s cool,” Hornacek wrote on Instagram.
During Sunday’s broadcast, Hornacek called in to tell her co-hosts how she is feeling after her viral moment, saying: “My mother was also very worried…I actually feel great.”
She clarified that “Kennedy Blades is a true professional,” and that she was not hurt at all.
“I felt like I was being hoisted off of a skyscraper,” she said. “I was disoriented in the air.”
Hornacek added, “I don’t know if I expected it to feel like that.”
The viral video showed Hornacek explaining that Blades — who is the RAF Middleweight champion — was “nice enough” to demonstrate her signature move, the suplex, on her.
The two women squared up as Hornacek admitted, “I’m so nervous.” A moment later, Blades lifted her up around the hips and flipped the journalist over her shoulder, slamming her face-first on the floor.
Hornacek’s body made a loud thud on the wrestling mat and several onlookers at the event were heard gasping at the takedown, but the journalist appeared unfazed.
“Amazing!” Hornacek laughed while rolling over. “I don’t think I can be a wrestler.”
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She then told her Fox & Friends co-hosts, who were watching on the broadcast with horrified faces, “The mic pack did not survive, but I did, luckily.
“I know that looked worse than it was, but that was a lot of fun. I think I’m going to stay off the mat from now on,” she added, telling Blades: “That felt like being thrown off a skyscraper and I don’t know if I want to do that again.”
The reporter then added that she felt “great,” saying: “I feel like a million bucks.”
As the clip of the move went viral, Blades clarified in an interview at the event that she “made sure to do the technique correctly” so as not to hurt Hornacek.
“There’s techniques to everything. If I didn’t turn at the end, she would have landed on her neck,” the wrestler said.
