"I can't breathe!" - IShowSpeed has a close call while bench pressing and starts panicking

sportskeeda.com:

YouTube sensation Darren "IShowSpeed" returned to his channel on March 21, 2023. After hosting a brief Just Chatting segment, the streamer decided to bench press live on stream.

He began with light reps, but after noticing that he could easily lift it, he increased the weight of the barbell. However, things did not go as planned, and IShowSpeed had a close call while lifting the heavier weights.

After doing one set, IShowSpeed placed the barbell on his chest. He exclaimed in panic and immediately called for help, stating that he was unable to breathe:

IShowSpeed revealed his in-house gym at the 01:45-hour mark of his broadcast on March 21. He then set up bench press equipment and decided to start with some light weights. He stated:

The former Twitch streamer easily lifted it, and viewers urged him to improve his form. He responded:

After making some adjustments, Darren increased the weight on the barbell and attempted to lift 245 pounds. However, he soon realized he couldn't do it. He then replaced a few plates and rallied himself by saying:

Timestamp: 01:47:25

IShowSpeed was able to bench press this time. However, after doing just one rep, the YouTuber failed to lift more. As a result, the heavyweight rested on his chest, and he exclaimed that he couldn't breathe.

The content creator positioned the bar so that he could crawl from beneath it. After safely getting out, Darren was out of breath and claimed that he "almost died":

The Ohio native's livestream ended a minute later.

IShowSpeed's bench press attempt quickly gained traction, with over 252 people commenting on it on YouTube. Here's what they had to say:

While one viewer warned to never bench without a spotter, another community member claimed that Darren was "faking it"