Your Opinions on the Rash of Young Wrestlers Dying

[Dave2112]

Over the course of last couple of years, we've seen more and more pro- or former-pro-wrestlers dying at a relatively young age.

This thread is intended as an open debate as to why you think this is. I am not a big fan of professional wrestling, although I'm familiar with a lot of it's history, and I don't claim to have any answers or particularly brilliant insight into this. I thought I'd throw this one out to those of you who are into it and ask why you think so many of these athletes are dying so young.

Is it the effects of heavy steroid abuse? I don't follow the sport much and I'm not aware if there are any policies regarding steroid use.

Or is it the toll of the physical abuses to the body over time? Again, I'm not a big fan, and I think we've all gotten to the point where wrestling has been accepted as scripted for entertainment and storylines. That's not the issue. BUT, regardless of the reality of the sport, I can give credit to the fact that these guys are in serious shape and do take a punishment doing what they do. Moreso than in other sports, you're getting your body slammed into on a constant basis. I remember reading somewhere that sports doctors equate the abuse a body takes from three professional wrestling matches to, roughly, a minor car accident.

So what do you think, wrestling fans? Drugs? Abuse? Or is it just plain old coincidence? Something to think about.

 

[DEV]

That's a bit damn harsh. They didn't wake up one morning and decide they wanted to take painkillers. They took them because they had to at first and gradually it took to them as a habit. Like all addictions really.

It really is a shame that many wrestlers have died so young (including my faveourite British 'Davey Boy Smith' Bulldog. I hope they rest in peace.

***Post refers to comments from another user that were deleted

 

[jugner]

It's steroids I would think, if you notice, the only wrestlers that live to be older are the ones that aren't huge, muscled up and such.

 

[desdemona]

Steroids or occult/undetected heart disease 🙁

Anabolic steroid abuse can lead to some major problems (besides some of the obvious side effects). Liver and bone marrow damage rank at the top of the list, not to mention the cardiac side effects. We use stanazolol (Winstrol) in veterinary medicine. I usually reserve it for end stage kidney disease (it can stimulate more red blood cell production in anemic animals) or for the elderly, large sized dogs who have lost a lot of muscle mass in the rear legs and can no longer get up without assistance. I always caution owners and make sure they are aware of what the drug is and does. I did have an owner accidentally take a pill - she majorly panicked but was able to induce emesis and thankfully ejected the pill.

And about pain killers...I would suspect that these guys are probably sufferers of chronic pain - which can be controlled but not eliminated. I would at least hope a responsible physician prescribed their first time use. After that..well, it's a wicked monkey to battle.

 

[giggleygirl25]

In my humble opinion it's probably alittle from column A, a little from column B...etc...the physical toll that the wrestling takes on their bodies probably helped to deteriorate them. i vaguely remember a story on 60 Minutes about professional football players who after they stopped playing had severe problems (mostly arthritic in nature) with their bodies, i don't think it's just a wrestling thing, i think it's fairly widespread across most sports.

 

[TKpervert]

I'll go with drugs (steroids) and the need to excel.
Like dropping a Dodge Hemi into a '62 Falcon.

 

[TklDuo-Drew]

Some of the deaths in the wrestling world have been drug-related, as most recently with Kurt "Mr. Perfect" Henning, Mike "Crash Holly" Locklind, and The British Bulldog. Yet, all tragedies can't be blamed on drug-use. I still haven't heard anything yet on The Big Boss Man other than a heart attack.
But what about other sports such as Football, Baseball, and Basketball? Drug abuse is running rampant in these sports, there just aren't as many casualties in the media. And these guys are suppose to be heroes to the kids? Oh yeah, I forgot, they're too busy flinging chairs at the fans. Even the wrestlers wouldn't be stupid enough to do that!
And what about some of these musicians like Layne Stanely, Shannon Hoon, and the fella from Sublime who all died of a heroin overdose? Does this mean ALL musician are drug addicts?
Stop all this "They're all drug addicts" crap, we fans are getting sick of it.


Drew

 

[Mimi]

While some of the deaths have been attributed to drug and/or alcohol abuse (including pain killers and steroids), certainly not ALL have. Some have died from completely natural causes that just happened to take them a bit younger (cancer, heart failure, anuerisms), and some have died in accidents beyond anyones control. Lazarus is a wrestler himself, retired now at only 31, with numerous health problems: bad back, several broken noses (which now attribute to his severe sinus problems), kidney malfunction, swollen prostate, nerve damage, and one heart attack already. He has NEVER done steroids and is NOT a drug addict. Aside from experimenting with pot when he was younger once or twice, he's never DONE drugs, either. That is a cheap low blow, and an inaccurate, ignorant stereotype.

I think the fact we've lost so many wrestlers in the past two years or so has been more attributed to coincidence than anything. We've been losing a lot of non-sporting celebrities too, lately, and many of them quite young (Laura Branigan and John Ritter). And we've lost some other sporting greats (Tug McGraw) as well. For some reason death has just been hanging heavily in the air for the past year or two. It's been quite sad to lose so man...especially many so young.

Mimi

 

[naveltkltr1350]

Yeah, drew said it best. Not everyone is a drug addict. If thats so, then the guys who have died in the nfl, nba and mlb were too. I doubt Korey Stringer was a drug addict. How bout Reggie Lewis? huh? Owen Hart fell from the rafters and hit his head and died..so that must mean he was on drugs and didnt do his stunt correctly. naw. Not everyone is a drug addict in entertainment.

Tron, i read that you played in the NFL. Im curious, what team(s) and what year(s) did you play in the NFL? I had a friend play in the late 90's with the Saints and da Bears. Just curious to see if i have a card of yours or not.

 

[Mimi]

That was an incredibly crass and callous thing to say. Because they were wrestlers they are of absolutely no importance what-so-ever? Nevermind if they devoted time and money to charity. So what if they were role models or mentors to children. Being a loving father and husband is worthless. Amazing.

So tell me, exactly what profession does one have to be to gain worthwhile status in this life? I'd like to know what to shoot for, so that my time here on earth is not a complete waste. I didn't realize we all were such lost causes before.

I never thought you had that in you, Biscuit. I'd better shield this thread from Lazarus. I don't think he would like being told he's "useless".

Mimi

 

[Dave2112]

The first response to this thread was that I was "damn harsh" and have had a few saying that they'd like the "drug addict" stereotype to stop. Let me reiterate that I had no opinion on the matter either way when I posted this thread. As I said, I honestly don't know and was curious as to what those who have more knowledge on the subject think.

This thread was never intended to compare wrestling with any other sport, or how the athletes compare to others when it comes to fan relations, retirement ages or anything else. Finally, I'm aware of Owen Hart's accident (which had nothing to do with anything other than an accident) and wasn't thinking of guys like him when I brought up this question.

 

[TklDuo-Ann]

The first response to this thread was that I was "damn harsh" and have had a few saying that they'd like the "drug addict" stereotype to stop.

Actually, Dave, that refered to another post that was deleted because of its content. I've put a note in the post you refer to so it will (hopefully) help avoid further confusion.

AFA My own opinion, no matter what the cause of death is in each case, I consider it a loss. It doesn't matter to me who someone is or what they do for a living. All death is a loss to others. I think the fact that there have been so many lately is simply the way the cards fell. But, I'm sure it's a wakeup call to others to keep themselves as healthy as possible...in every way.

Ann

 

[Biscuit]

I believe in...

personal accountability.

Old bat who got burned because McDonalds dared to serve it hot - Your own damned fault, for chrissakes. It's Coffee!

People who slip on the ice in front of a mom&pop store then sue - It's ICE! How bout you just don't walk on it, dipshit.

Wrestlers knowingly enter into a profession fraught with bodily damage, and take what it gives them.

My own profession is nationally ranked as being the second most dangerous in terms of hospital visits. Are there ways to minimize the risks...certainly. Do I do them all, you betcher ass I do. However, there ARE dangers. I'm not an accountant, after all. People get hurt, rather badly, every day in my industry. It's an accepted part of the game, even for the amateur, much less a pro.

It's not about wrestlers personally, or other professional athletes, but rather the malaise of finger pointing that goes on in the US today. Cowboy up, for chrissakes, and own your life. Or pick a safer profession.

😉

 

[Azrael]

Has anybody happened to take a gander at the girth on some of these relatively young wrestlers that've been dying? I did once, but stopped when I was afraid the folds of fat were going to suck me in! With a few noteworthy exceptions, such as the case of Owen Hart, most of the causes of death have been listed as "massive heart attack."

Sure, that's not the case in every instance, but take out the instances where it is and I don't think anybody would've given the number of deaths in and of itself enough thought to post this topic.

Let's see... gross obesity and sudden, brief bouts of extremely strenuous physical activity. Over a period of years, if not decades?

I'm afraid I don't see the mystery, I've been blinded by the super-sized golden arches.

 

[Lazarus]

Much too far now....

Name one....

ONE....

wrestler, besides Yokozuna, who was "massive" or "fat"....

Mr. Traylor had lost upwards of 130 pounds from where he was in 1988-1990....

He was also in damn near the best shape of his life...

 

[The Sean Man]

It's true...most of the recent wrestler deaths have been guys who were in great shape. Crash Holly, Bulldog, Curt Hennig...these guys were in primo condition.

The Sean Man

 

[desdemona]

Ok...I know nothing about wrestling. Period. Or that much about professional athletes for that matter. My opinion comes based on hazarding a medical guess. But I'll add this for perspective:

I've seen several cases in the past 6 months where a healthy, normal weight cat has come in for a simple health problem - one case of allergies, one case of stomach upset. Both cats were in good health - no major findings on physical examination, no heart murmurs, body condition fine for their size. Both were less than five years of age (both had been owned since they were kittens). Both received steroid injections (not the anabolic muscle building kind, but corticosteroids like prednisone). Both were dead within a week from congestive heart failure. Boom...lights out. We've seen like 25% of the cat population keeling over from undetected cardiomyopathies (underlying disease of heart muscle). It reminds me of the Olympic athletes who have passed away suddenly due to cardiac disease (like the Russian skater a few years ago....can't recall his name). For me, I advocate more screening of the healthy - detection of these things goes beyond a mere stethoscope for a clean bill of health. Since I know nothing about the above mentioned athletes, I'm sorry if my comment about steroid usage was out of line or showed my ignorance. I'm merely talking from a medical standpoint as to what contributing factors I can see as potential problems.

 

[BigJim]

"Big" guys

To be strictly fair there are a few guys out there who could be described as this, even though none match 'Zuna for sheer bulk.

Name one....

ONE....

wrestler, besides Yokozuna, who was "massive" or "fat"....

Well none match Rod, but there are a few who were a bit big around the middle.

Chris Pallies. Had muscles, but I wouldn't say that's all he had.

Bob Remus (Not exactly obese by modern standards, and carries more muscle than is apparent, but he's no garden rake.)

Can't make up my mind about Mark Lamonica. Is he the same as Remus you reckon, or is her carrying thirty or fourty pounds of the wrong sort? He's no Sid Eudy of course, but he doesn't look as trim as he could be.

John Tenta. He was strong and I'm sure as hell he hit the gym to keep going as long as he did, but this guy was close to Rodney Anoia for size and shape.

Fred Ottman. Getting on for the same size and shape as Tenta, but about forty pounds lighter if memory serves. No wonder they were teamed up for a while.

Leon White. Pretty similar to Tenta, but I think he was shorter.

Ray Taylor was pretty big about ten or twelve years ago. By the time he came back after ditching that horrible blue shirt he'd lost about thirty or forty pounds though.

Not sure about Andre. I think when a guy is that humongous he always looks fat. Mind you, Gonzales didn't. What do you think Laz?

Scott Bigelow? Plenty of muscles, but not the leanest guy I've ever seen.

Michael Shaw was pretty big. In fact it's about the only gimmick he ever had.


Now the thing that should be born in mind here peeps, is that all but one of these people (Andre) are still alive to my knowledge. It's a statistical fact that pro-wrestling causes more injuries to it's participants than ice hockey and American football put together on a per capita basis. Pro-wrestling is the hardest activity you can find for a human body to withstand next to parachuteless free-falling.

So it's no wonder that so many of it's participants have suffered from things like massive heart attacks. 99% of bumps absorb the impact right across the back of the heart. If the guy weighs two hundred and fifty pounds then it's going to deliever one bastard of a jolt to it. How many bumps does he take in one match? Twenty? Fifty? More if it's a big PPV match. Have five to eight matches a week for 10 years and see how all those cumulative jolts fuck your body up. They hurt!

In my opinion there is no harder occupation on the body than pro-wrestling. In recent years the sport has become a lot harder, although rings have become more springy. I think that may account for the amount of people who have died young recently. Not a proven fact by any means, but I think it's a good possibility.



Laz :- What has Brian Harris ever done besides his match at Summerslam 94 with the Taker? Any idea?

 

[Lazarus]

Aye....

Brian Harris was VERY big in not only ECW-(Extreme Championship Wrestling), with Tammy Sytch for awhile, but was an SMW-(Smoky Mountain Wrestling) mainstay for many years.

Andre had a life threatening disease, and could, nor should, be blamed for his weight at the time of his death.

I was just refering to "Big" guys who had died, not still alive yet.

Gonzales was just tall and skinny, about 7' or 7'1", if I remember right...

 

[BigJim]

Re: Aye....

Brian Harris was VERY big in not only ECW-(Extreme Championship Wrestling), with Tammy Sytch for awhile, but was an SMW-(Smoky Mountain Wrestling) mainstay for many years.

Sadly I never got to see the Taker V Taker match. I thought for a while that this was Glen Jacobs first appearance in the WWF, but apparently he was the second Diesel when Nash, Waltman and Hall jumped ship to WCW.

Andre had a life threatening disease, and could, nor should, be blamed for his weight at the time of his death.

I was just refering to "Big" guys who had died, not still alive yet.

Gonzales was just tall and skinny, about 7' or 7'1", if I remember right...

No, I wouldn't have said his weight was responsible. His size was in my opinion, but for his height he wasn't that overweight. Certainly not as much as many who live to 70 or 80.

Ah, with you about the alive and dead thing. As you see above I agreed with that anyway.

Gonzales was bigger than that I think. If Calloway is about six foot nine or ten, Gonzales would have to be somewhere around 7'6 or 7'. He towered over him in 93 during their feud.

 

[Lazarus]

Jacob's first appearance in the WWF was as the "wrestling dentist, Dr. Issac Yankem, DDS."

Unfortunately....

And that taker/taker match, you didn't miss much....

Brian was about 4 inches shorter than mark, and when they stood side by side, the height difference showed...

 

[BigJim]

I knew about Yankem, but didn't know it pre-dated the second Diesel episode.

What was Adam Bomb's identity, do you know?

 

[Lazarus]

His name....

is Brian Clark, and he and Bryan Adams-(Crush)- formed the tag team Kronik in WCW, and for a little while in WWF.

Glen was also the Unabomb in SMW, shortly before the DDS gimmick.

 

[BigJim]

I nearly got to meet Clark once. He was gusting at my training school, but I missed that session.

 

[KoocheeKoo]

My opinion....it's the same opinion and feeling as when anyone dies far too soon, regardless of the circumstance or reason....sadness.

I was teary-eyed upon learning Miss Elizabeth had passed away...only a few miles from my home. I felt extreme sadness the day Kerry Von Erich took his own life....the same sadness I felt the other day when learning Ray Traylor aka Big Bossman had died.....the same sadness when learning singer Karen Carpenter was dead, that Laura Branigan had died...that racers Davey Allison and Dale Earnhardt were dead....the day I learned John Ritter was gone.

I'm in my early 40's, and have lost so many friends, heroes, idols and loved ones from my childhood...some due to disease, some to accidents, some to destructive personal behavior, and some who took their own lives -- quite a few died at a young age....died far too soon. No matter who they were, or the circumstance of their passing....the common feeling upon learning about it was extremec sadness. 🙁