Pickleball Player Savagely Kicks Opponent In The Face, KO’s Him During Handshake After Losing Match

Pickleball may have the reputation of being a “soft” sport, but that could now change after footage of one player brutally KO’ing his opponent on the pickleball field went viral. Check out the video below:

NEW: Pickleball player knocks out an opposing team member after the game had concluded during a tournament in Mexico.

Who said Pickleball wasn’t a contact sport?

Peter Shonk was seen celebrating when he knocked the paddle out of the opposing team member’s hand at the Quintana… pic.twitter.com/ZJ7aVWJMZl

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) November 18, 2024

I guess that’s what happens when you combine an overly-excited winner with an extremely sore loser. Especially when the former inadvertently (?) knocks the paddle out of the sore loser’s hands during the post-game handshake. Although in fairness to the victim, Peter Shonk, he did seem to be bending over to pick up his opponent’s paddle for him, but was met with a brutal kick to the face for his efforts.

Shonk later gave an interview to The Kitchen Pickleball’s blog, where he said: “I was just fired up after the win. I went to tap his paddle, and it fell out of his hand. I immediately bent to pick it up [for him] — no bad intentions — but what happened next shocked everyone.”

Apparently Shonk was left unconscious for 3 hours and needed to go to hospital. Despite what happened though, he’s refusing to press charges.

“I have a family, two healthy businesses, and I play pickleball for recreation and challenge. I don’t have time to waste with this guy.”

Top guy. Although you’d hope the assailant would be grateful and/or remorseful enough to apologise but that doesn’t seem forthcoming yet. I guess he can think about that while serving his inevitable suspension from the pickleball world.

For the rugby player banned for 8 games after sticking a finger up his opponent’s bum, click HERE.