Reported by Bob Magee of WrestleView.com
On Monday, October 30, 2006 at 5:39 AM EST

AS I SEE IT
Bob Magee
Pro Wrestling: Between the Sheets
PWBTS.com

From Joseph Shay:

"Your As I See It column for this week (10/23/06) impacted me greatly. It is nice to see someone with a love for professional wrestling that runs as deep as yours. I have been a fan and a lover of pro wrestling since I was a young boy and have always felt compassion for the men and women of the sport.

I definitely agree with your concerns over Kurt Angle, for I have seen his story transcend through wrestling history even beyond Eddie Guerrero. I will admit to you that I have never met most of the wrestlers that I am a fan of, being that I am from Washington State and geography prevents me from having the connection that Midwest and East Coast people have with wrestling, especially now that Portland Wrestling is fairly defunct but, I digress.

I do agree with you, and I will tell you I cried when I found out about Eddie's death as I cried when I was 4 or 5 and read of Kerry Von Erich's death and of Miss Elizabeth's death. Drug culture and wrestling do not mix and I wish that some conclusion could be reached far above the WWE's drug policy that would prevent the sadness that comes with the loss of fallen greats. I do agree that it is harder when one has turned one's life around to see it end at such a peak but, alas, that is the sadness of the demons of drugs and for Kurt's sake as well as for the fans that care I hope he has managed his demons and will live to wrestle another day."

Thanks for your thoughts.

I've written about the "drug culture" in wrestling more than a few times in this column. I've awakened and turned on my computer to read about all too many deaths of all too many wrestlers we all know all too well.

Professional wrestling treats its performers like commodities....to be used and thrown away. Even the WWE drug policy that was enacted after Eddie Guerrero's death has turned out to be...to put it
politely...somewhat less than we all hoped it would be.

Instead of Guerrero's death creating a sea change in the way that wrestling promotions allow their performers to manage pain, and to take care of themselves...its legacy seems to be the most tasteless angle of 2006, that of the continued use of Guerrero's death for ratings and PPV buys.

From Harold Pawlik:

"I like your latest article on PWBTS on Angle and why you care so much. I would hate to see Angle die since I'm a huge fan of his, he is like my hero. I was also a fan of Eddie Guerrero's and Brian Pillman's, just died why too young, and I would hate to see the same thing happen to Angle.

I think Angle should have taken 2-3 years off, get some help and come back with a scaled down schedule like the Undertaker's. I hope him working for TNA and wrestling maybe only 3-5 times a month, will help him but I'm still scared he might die or end up crippled. I think Angle should watch
Pillman's DVD to see what could happen if you don't slow down and take some time off. My prayers are with Angle, that nothing bad happens to him."

2-3 years off isn't realistic...not in a business where wrestlers only have so many years to perform before their bodies give out.

Six months off? Maybe. Certainly far more than the few weeks he took off. More than that, be transparent about what is being done to treat his addiction, and what is being done to monitor his health. If TNA and Angle are going to assure us that his health is being monitored...tell us how, when, and why. If they're going to be so public about treating him, then go ahead and provide details. Don't hide behind being a privately owned company.

Here's another letter...and I apologize for losing the name of this reader:

"It is with great interest that I read your columns, and while I have found no small amount of insight and entertainment while reading them, I am often dismayed by the e-mails sent in response to what I have recently found enjoyable.

Like a great many wrestling fans, I watch a great deal less than I once had. Too, I am relying more on the internet for the lastest results, general information, current feuds, and so on; and am relying less on cable television, mail order videos, and live events. Nowadays, the storylines that a great deal of us are most 'plugged into' are those of PPV buyrates, overnight ratings, contracts, and 'backstage' personal issues of performers.

While this may not be a strong statement, it is a statement nonetheless on the fact that many of us are interested moreso in how 'over' someone may be than we are with the storyline in which the promotion has their character embroiled. Thus, the Kurt Angle situation is quite interesting on a lot of levels. While this performer has given an inordinant amount of himself through his in-ring performance over the years, the toll that it has taken is simply his cross to bear.

The myriad stories of individuals such as Curt Hennig, Rick Rude, Eddie Gilbert, and Eddie Guerrero make good copy. That this business takes its toll on those who have made it their living has never been in question, however the spoils are far more lustrous than most of us could achieve at our day-jobs. These people are more than well rewarded for their efforts, and while this may be a dirty business, no one was told that they could not walk away. No one was compelled into this industry, and no one was told that there was glamour in dying young."

No one was compelled into it. But no one told many of these wrestlers about the physical and emotional toll that performing would take...on their bodies, minds, and spirits. No one told wrestlers that they'd have to become experts in growth-enhancing chemicals, on how to beat tests for them...or that they'd be taking painkillers continually because of the bumps they take, the road they travel, and the life they lead in general.

From "Chuck B.":

"Hey Bob, fine column you have.

I'm sorry, but I have to say this. It is kind of naive of you if you believe that Eddie Guerrero was clean and sober at the time of his death. I was always a huge fan of his, and it was a damn shame he died, but he couldn't have been clean and sober when he died. If I remember correctly, wasn't there a growth hormone that was found in his body? I could have sworn reading about that somewhere, that there was an autopsy done on him and there was some sort of growth hormone found in his body. I remember seeing his eyes during backstage promos and they were glossy as hell. And just because someone says they are clean and sober doesn't mean that they are telling the truth.

And I will turn the other corner here. I don't believe that TNA has a true drug policy. With [names and comments edited due to the writer's lack of ability to substantiate claims] on their roster, there is no way they have a true drug policy. Maybe they have some sort of counselor in case if someone decides to spill the beans about their drug problems (like what happened with Raven last year, supposedly), but still. If there was a point to this rant, I guess it would be to open your eyes and ears and don't believe everything wrestlers, promoters, etc. say. Because it was you who have said that if we take what promoters say with absolute face values, that does make us marks. Well, take care!

Promoters and wrestlers believe that Eddie Guerrero was clean and sober at the time of his death. I believe that, and don't think I'm being naive. Now, if we're counting growth-enhancing drugs, there might be very few wrestlers in WWE or TNA that could honestly count themselves as being clean.

As for questioning what promoters say, that's why I'm suggesting someone within TNA come clean on the details of what they're doing for their wrestlers. I don't take what they say for granted...trust me. Momma's little boy didn't just fall off the turnip truck here...

From Bob Uzarski:

"So I read your column about Kurt Angle; and yes I do see your point, but at the same time I do not understand why Kurt Angle is the guy who gets all the concern. I believe in my heart that it is because he went to TNA and that just pisses WWE fans off.

If you look back in WWE history there are plenty of wrestlers who abused pain killers and continued to work a hellish WWE schedule, and no one ever said a word.

You talk about the death of Eddie Guerrero but truth be told you should be talking about Brian Pillman. Because Eddie Guerrero not only took painkillers as well as excessive alcohol. Brian Pillman would be the tragedy that would better suit your case.

But I think everyone needs to look at Stone Cold Steve Austin when they start talking about Kurt Angle. Stone Cold worked for WWE with a broken neck... had surgery but didn't stay off TV... he relied on pain killers to get by, and continued to attack people while he should have been in rehab after surgery.

Then years later after not being able to wrestle a regular WWE schedule, Stone Cold would still wrestle once or twice a month. Stone Cold's style is a lot more dangerous than Kurt Angles because there was alot of outside the ring brawling, chair shots, and the Stunner actualy compresses your vertabre when you hit the mat....

So why is Angle in TNA such a bad thing? TNA tapes a months shows in one night... that gives Kurt a MONTH to recuperate after a match. In WWE he sometimes got as little as 10 hours. I am a athlete with a bad back. When I play basketball I am usualy in some pain. But because I don't play in the NBA where I have to play everyday. I can use the two or three days inbetween to loosen up, streth, and heal before I play again. I don't EVER use any kind of pain killers... I don't even like over the counter drugs. So I personally know what a few days rest can do for the body. With a month off, Kurt can look into other ways to deal with his pain including massage, acupuncture, acupressure, aromatherapy, yoga, meditation, and so forth. So I believe everyone needs to just let things play out and see how Kurt deals with this NEW situation he is in. TNA is going to do what is best for Kurt because they do not want this to reflect bad on them."

There are alternative pain management strategies, and thank you for mentioning them. WWE would do well into hiring additional staff to use these techniques (yes, I'm aware that they have a staffperson who serves as sports therapist for the talent).

The fact that Angle went to TNA doesn't piss me off...and I don't think that's the reason fans are concerned. I think it's because of his high profile as an Olympic medalist, his in-ring talent...and the fact that it's not that long after Eddie Guerrero's death, making the issue fresh in our minds.

If you're in the United States, and reading this, please be sure to vote tomorrow in the US mid-term elections. The stakes are too high for any voter to stay home and allow others to make choices over who will legislate life and death matters for them.

Until next time...

If you have comments or questions, or if you'd like to add the AS I SEE IT column to your website, I can be reached by e-mail at bobmagee1@hotmail.com.

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