2005.11.15

Wrestling has lost another star. Eddie Guerrero passed away on Sunday. You can read the AP story - here.

Excerpt from Andrew "Test" Martin:
"A doctor explained it to me like this: Every time you take a fall in the ring it's like getting rear-ended by a car going 20 mph, so how many bumps in The ring a night do you take? Multiply that by how many times a week you work all year long. That's a hell of a lot of whiplash and pain... Look at me. I break my neck in the ring had to have two discs taken out of my neck and a steel plate put in and was told at the time by Johnny Ace when I asked if my job would be in jeopardy, 'We don't fire people with injuries like that.' Hmm, that's funny, because two months after surgery I got fired because I wasn't working... So all the guys who don't want to lose their jobs, what do they do? Pop a couple of Percocet or Vicodin and mask the pain because god forbid they say they are hurt and lose their job... I just turned 30, my back aches everyday, I have a metal plate in my neck, and yes I got in the business at the right time and have a lot of nice things, but is it all worth it? ... Don't take your life for granted it's a gift. Don't go to bed mad and tell the people you care about you love them because you never know."

A few years ago, I was wrestling virtually every weekend. I was working 5 days / 40 hours per week. On Saturday, family time was limited because I had to be out the door and on the road for a wrestling match by 2 PM. It was generally somewhere between 1 and 3 AM when I got home - took a shower - and went to bed. On Sunday, I was too tired and stiff to really play or enjoy the day with my family. I was in a considerable amount of pain.

I agreed to help coach Ickey Woods Cincinnati Sizzle football team. I put my wrestling career on hold. As soon as the Sizzle season came to an end, my son's season began. Wrestling events are generally held on weekends. His games were on weekends. I chose to attend his games over wrestling.

After his football season ended, I agreed to help coach his wrestling team. After his wrestling season ended, I started coaching with the Cincinnati Sizzle again. As soon as the Sizzle season ended, I started coaching high school football. Additionally, my son entered his second season of football. The high school season just came to an end a three weeks ago. My son's season ended one week ago. Mini-Omega has already attended tryouts for a local basketball league. Those practices begin soon.

I am beginning to ramble. Cut to the chase... putting my wrestling career "on hold" was the right decision. Because of wrestling commitments, I missed time with my wife and son on about 95 weekends out of 104 in a 2-year period.

Would I have loved to wrestle for WWE? Yes.
Would I have loved to wrestle on PPV? Yes.
Would I have loved to have my own action figure? Appear in video games? Yes. Yes.

As thrilling as all of that sounds, I would rather be around to watch my son grow up. Eddie Guerroro lived the dream. He wrestled for WWE. He headlined PPVs. His likeness appears in video games and as action figures. He did not live to see his youngest daughters 4th birthday. Sadly, this is the nature of the wrestling business.