He once beat someone up with a baseball bat, when he had two broken arms
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In 1977 a man called Shelly Saltman released a book titled Evel Knievel on Tour, a biography that painted a somewhat-unflattering portrait of the daredevil. Amongst other things, the book claimed that Knievel used anti-semitic slurs, cheated on his wife, and abused both prescription drugs and alcohol. Knievel was incensed upon learning of the book's contents and set out to prove to Saltman he wasn't a violent, unhinged crazy person by … tracking him down and beating him half to death with a baseball bat in a parking lot. That seems counterproductive, but whatever works for you.
But here's the truly insane thing — at the time of the attack, Knievel had two broken arms. In a 1998 interview with Vibe Magazine, Knievel admitted that, when the attack took place, he had both his arms in casts thanks to a recent crash that had nearly killed him. Not wanting two broken arms get in the way of whupping Saltman's behind, Knievel had one of his cronies hold him in place as he awkwardly swung the bat at his head. Saltman survived the attack with a fractured arm.
Saltman sued Knievel and was awarded several million dollars in compensation, money Knievel refused to pay … while simultaneously having a limousine take him to and from his community service sentence, and bragging about how he'd do it again. Saltman would later claim he bore no ill will to Knievel, since the incident basically ruined the daredevil's career and cost him his lucrative endorsements. That said, he was apparently still annoyed enough that he attempted to sue Evel's widow, when he passed away in 2007.
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