It’s the golden rule of sports: never, ever celebrate too early.
Why? Because you run the risk of looking like the world’s biggest goose, especially when it costs you the match.
Watch WWE NXT WARGAMES 2021 LIVE on Main Event available on Kayo, Monday 6th December from 12pm AEDT. ORDER NOW >
Someone should have enlightened a Cuban wrestler at the Junior Pan-Am Games about why it’s never a good idea to raise your hand before it’s all said and done, because he found out the hard way.
As there were just seconds to run on the clock, the Cuban thought he had the match won against his Brazilian counterpart.
Thinking it was all over, he turned to face the crowd and briefly clapped in celebration.
WATCH THE VIDEO IN THE PLAYER ABOVE
It also didn’t help that the Cuban wrestler’s coach was waving a towel in a jovial manner, thinking his pupil also had defeated his adversary
But what he clearly forgot is that it’s not over until the fat lady sings, and at that point, she was going through her final vocal warm-ups before a show-stopping finale.
With the Cuban’s back turned to him, the Brazilian wrestler leapt to his feet and took down his opponent much like a lion stalking its unsuspecting prey and subsequently tearing it to pieces.
The clock wound down just in time for a final takedown from the Brazilian, and his coaches leapt to their feet and let their arms wave in what can only be described as aggressively joyous.
It was an instant head-in-hands moment for the Cuban, who looked at the referee out of sheer desperation in the hope time had expired before he was sent to the mat.
The Cuban coach was visibly fuming with what had transpired before his very eyes and made sure to let his student know about it, angrily gesturing towards him as the wrestler cut a distraught figure on his knees.
Let’s just say it almost certainly would not have been a happy ride home for Team Cuba, while the Brazilian camp will be celebrating all night long with the samba spirit.