Nick Mondo Retires

[Guest Jay Z. Hollywood]

From NickMondo.com

 

Commentary No.28: 11/10/03: Important Comments

 

This is going to be a little shorter than usual, but for a reason... I'll be doing a fan chat tomorrow, and I'll write another, more in depth commentary later this week.

 

There's really no way easy way around this, so I'll cut to the chase: I won't be returning to wrestling. This is something I've had plenty of time to think over, and I'm sure it's the decision I'm going to stick with. Basically, there's two reasons why I've come to this decision. The first I'm sure is pretty clear to everybody...my physical health. I'm the last person who's going to whine and complain about injuries and pain, but I will admit that I'm feeling the effects of the years I've spent taking risks in the ring. No, it's not terrible. I still get around just fine, and I still can work out, run, or pretty much do anything physically that I've ever been able to, but I can feel that I'm getting close to severely damaging my body.

 

The second reason, I'm sure most nobody knows of. But it's because until now, I've wanted it that way. I'm a college student. I've been a full time student for over two years now, and I'm beginning my junior year. I go to school for filmmaking and painting. I'm sure it's hard for most people to imagine, but the fact is, art is what I do better than anything else...including wrestling. To be honest, I never expected wrestling to take me as far as it did. I just did it for fun, but I tend to put everything into what I do. Wrestling has blown up in my face in the last couple years and it's been awesome, but it's gotten to the point that I have to pick either wrestling or school. I knew for quite a while now that I had to retire. I knew it, but it's not easy to let such a big part of your life go. However, since I've taken time off after TOD2, it's been pretty clear to me how big the risks I've been taking have become. Zandig and I easily could have died from that bump we took. I mean, we fell a couple stories with nothing but wood, glass, and concrete to break our fall. I think it's a miracle that we both walked away from that bump on our own two feet. ...That night was so huge for me, that I don't think I should try to top it. In my opinion, Foley should have ended his career after Hell in a Cell. The one he did for the finale of his career was way lame compared to the first one, and he probably regrets trying to do it again. So, I think I'll instead walk away with TOD2, possibly the biggest night of my career, as my final perfomance.

 

So what now? Well, I intend on keeping my site going and keeping in touch with the fans as long as they're interested. I have several projects in the works, including Unscarred (which will explain my decisions and help make them a lot more understandable) and more Favorite Matches DVD's. Honestly, I have enough material to keep my site going for several years if I chose to, but it really is up to the fans.

 

I know this is going to let people down and I know it's going to disappoint people, but if I don't start watching out for my own well being, I may end up in a wheel chair for the rest of my life. ...I'll have a lot more to say, but I'll see how the chat goes first. Other than that, the message board is open, so let me know how you feel about my decision. I'll talk to everyone soon, mondo

 

I'm not good at posting my feelings on this stuff, so I'll keep it brief-

 

As a wrestling fan, I'd like to thank Nick Mondo for the above and beyond dedication and effort he put into his career, and for always going the extra mile to entertain his fans. Nick Mondo has and will always have my respect, both for what he's done in his career and for the smart decision he made by choosing to get out when he did. For me, it was always a joy to watch Nick Mondo, and I'll miss him.

[PsychoDriver 0]

I'd second that, Thanks for everything Mondo.

[Guest webmasterofwrestlegame]

Sounds liek a wise decision - garbage wrestling isn't good for the body.

[JustJoe2k5 0]

Thank you "Sick" Nick Mondo, you made deathmatches fun to watch again.

[LucharesuFan619 0]

I have the same reaction I had a year ago when Wifebeater retired...the guy deserves credit. Granted, he doesn't have much of a legacy out of the hardcore side of indy wrestling. He's no technical great or anything like that, but like Wifebeater, he put *everything* he had into CZW and that's something the guy deserves commendation for. It's unfortunate that he's retiring after so short a career, but at the same time, unlike a lot of other indy guys who only do wrestling as a side job, he - as he said in the above commentary - put everything he had into hardcore wrestling, mroe so than most other guys who wrestled the style. I talked to him a select few times and he was a straight up guy on an indy circuit that's otherwise filled with lies and the sort, something he deserves quite some credit for.

[Sandman9000 0]

I had a feeling that this was going to happen.

 

From a personal, selfish standpoint, I'm disapointed. Mondo was always one of my favorite wrestlers to watch, and I can safely say that CZW won't be the same, or as good, without Mondo.

 

From a human standpoint, it's the smart thing to do. His body simply couldn't keep up with the deathmatch style of wrestling; in fact, no one who did the CZW style of deathmatches for an extended time period could; Zandig is broken, Beater and Lobo have either quit or taken extensive time off, and Gage has moved past regular deathmatches.

 

Thanks for everything Mondo, thanks man.

[Zack Malibu 0]

This is really weird since Sandman and I just talked a bit about this possibility on AIM last night.

 

Having only become a "hardcore" CZW fan in the last year, I'd like to thank "Sick" Nick Mondo for being one of the main reasons I got into the product. Whether it was risking life and limb in a deathmatch, or entertaining me in contests with some of my other favorites like The Backseat Boyz, he was one of my favorites. Hell, I was even hoping to get to COD 5 this year with Jay when everyone assumed Mondo/Messiah would headline. Sadly, I won't be able to make it, and even more sad is the fact that Nick Mondo won't either.

 

I'll echo everyone's sentiments in saying thanks, and good luck to him with school, as well as his future.

[Guest Markingout]

Wow. I kind of saw this coming still came as a shock. Nick was one hell of an entertainer, always putting his body on the line for anyone who watched what he did. I respect the hell out of this man for nearly killing himself night after night infront of a few hundred people. I am going to miss Nick,but I honestly hope he makes it in whatever else he wants too persue. I know he will because he looks like the guy that persues what he wants. Thanks for the memories Nick

[Guest Corino 1000]

Damn it! I knew he was gonna retire one of these days due to the fact that he would beat the shit out of himself in almost everymatch. TOD2... I have the upmost respect for him. I miss him.

[Nevermortal 0]

Honestly, I didn't see this coming until a few years down the road.

 

But, thank you Nick Mondo. Thanks for every bump you took, every light tube that you smashed, and every match that you wrestled in (except for that mixed tag, but we'll just forget that). I'll be getting his DVD ASAP.

 

So, this makes 2 winners of the TOD that have subsequently retired. I know Wifebeaters coming back but I doubt its for anything long term. This doesn't bode well for TOD3's champion, if there even is a TOD3.

[Guest Ray]

Foley should have ended his career after Hell in a Cell. The one he did for the finale of his career was way lame compared to the first one,

NWO 00 > KOTR 98

 

I guess it was "lame" because the bumps weren't sick enough.

[Guest Jay Z. Hollywood]

Foley should have ended his career after Hell in a Cell. The one he did for the finale of his career was way lame compared to the first one,

NWO 00 > KOTR 98

 

I guess it was "lame" because the bumps weren't sick enough.

The fact that in a thread designed to pay tribute to the career of a man a lot of the posters in this folder liked and respected, you decide to waste a post to nitpick over *that,* is well...

 

odd, off-topic and not particularly appropriate.

Edited November 11, 2003 by DuskTillDawn

[Guest Ray]

Foley should have ended his career after Hell in a Cell. The one he did for the finale of his career was way lame compared to the first one,

NWO 00 > KOTR 98

 

I guess it was "lame" because the bumps weren't sick enough.

The fact that in a thread designed to pay tribute to the career of a man a lot of the posters in this folder liked and respected, you decide to waste a post to nitpick over *that,* is well...

 

odd, off-topic and not particularly appropriate.

You act as if he died saving starving orphans from a burning building.

[Guest DonWestMark03]

Sick Nick was the guy who got me interested in wrestling again, and I'm gonna miss seeing him in action a lot. I respect his decision though totally, and good luck in the future!

[geniusMoment 0]

The fact that he said foley should have retired told me all I needed to know about this guy, including why he never made it. Spot monkeys who know nothing about the business do not deserve to make it no matter how much blood they gig out of their forehead. Foley's bumps off that cage were an amazing spectacle but to say he should have retired shows Mondo's mentality. He took the bumps to mean more than the great character Mick created using psychology both in the ring and on the mic. Hell, Mick won his first world title after those bumps. Don't these indy freaks get it, wrestling is more than doing flips off high places and bleeding. Anyone desperate enough for money can do that. There is no art in destroying yourself.

[Guest Sturgis]

I would like to thank Nick Mondo for making TOD2 the best fucking live show I've ever been to, I am also honored to have been there for Nick's last match, thanks for the memories and good luck.

[Guest Corino 1000]

"The fact that he said foley should have retired told me all I needed to know about this guy, including why he never made it. Spot monkeys who know nothing about the business do not deserve to make it no matter how much blood they gig out of their forehead. Foley's bumps off that cage were an amazing spectacle but to say he should have retired shows Mondo's mentality. He took the bumps to mean more than the great character Mick created using psychology both in the ring and on the mic. Hell, Mick won his first world title after those bumps. Don't these indy freaks get it, wrestling is more than doing flips off high places and bleeding. Anyone desperate enough for money can do that. There is no art in destroying yourself. "

 

 

Yeah, he is spotmonkey,but probabley the best one because he can draw you into a match with his spots.

[Guest Shooting_Star22]

Damn Nick wuz one hell offa spot machine ..... ..... i really saw dis coming very soon after Tournament of Death 1 and 2 ..... CZW is a great promotion don't get me wrong but the ultraviolent shyt is wut makes deze very young athletes retire so young, damn this kid could have been sumthing special, he had talent ....... ballz ...... and would just hit almost n e spot rite. Well Nick Here is 2 a good life man thnx for all of da excitment.

[{''({o..o})''} 0]

^Never post again.

[Use Your Illusion 0]

I second that.