William Regal close to returning

[OldSchoolWrestling 0]

from WWE.com

Regal feeling ‘very good and very bored’

by Phil Speer

Jan. 27, 2004

 

 

No Way Out is just around the corner, marking the one-year anniversary of William Regal’s last match.

 

Regal stepped into the ring during the Montreal pay-per-view on Feb. 23, 2003, for a tag team match with his partner, Lance Storm. At the time, the duo held the World Tag Team Championship, and they successfully defended the title that night against Kane and Rob Van Dam.

 

Regal wasn’t feeling well that night, and he suffered a concussion during the match, so he was held out of action the next night on RAW. He gradually got worse in subsequent days, and his body put on 40 pounds when fluid built up in his system. Thus, Regal was taken off the road until he’s problems could be diagnosed and treated.

 

That was 11 months ago.

 

Reached at his home in Atlanta today, the former WWE Commissioner proclaimed that he was feeling “very good and very bored.”

 

The Blackpool, England, native has come a long way. It took months for Regal to get an accurate diagnosis of his problem; it turned out that the right side of his heart was not functioning. Doctors literally stopped his heart with an electric shock and restarted it to get it working again.

 

The condition was so serious that Regal’s first doctor told him he’d never fully recover, and certainly never be able to wrestle again. Regal found himself a new doctor.

 

“I haven’t in any way given up,” Regal said. “From Day 1, I think I could have easily given up, but there was no way I was going to.”

 

While the electric shock did get his heart working again, Regal was forced to take several pills every day, including blood-thinner medication to prevent a potentially fatal clot. The thinners made it impossible for him to return to the ring because even routine maneuvers would have been hazardous.

 

Regal is down to just four pills a day now. “Just regular stuff that a lot of people take,” Regal said. “It’s no big deal.” There are no more blood thinners, and no more water pills that were forcing him to run to the bathroom so frequently. But his doctor is being extremely cautious, and Regal said it’ll be at least a few more months – when he’s due to have an echocardiogram -- until he’s even allowed to begin ring training again.

 

His outlook, however, has improved considerably: Regal’s in-ring return was once considered questionable at best. These days, he speaks in terms that suggest that his comeback is more of a “when” than an “if.”

 

“Last time I went, the doctor was very honest with me,” Regal said.

 

“He said, ‘The only reason I’m not letting you go now is insurance reasons.’”

 

The doctor explained that he needed to take extra precautions because most people with Regal’s condition just don’t improve the way he has.

 

“I understand that,” Regal said. “That’s fair enough on his part. He’s doing everything he can. He’s got to cover his own bases, I suppose. But I feel fine, absolutely fine. In fact, I feel better than I have in I don’t know when.”

 

Regal said he’s training vigorously, and he has gone back to the fundamental type of working out that he did when he first broke into the business – squats, pushups, bridging exercises.

 

“As you go over the years, you stop doing that because everybody’s doing more modern kinds of training,” Regal said. “But that’s what I got the most benefit from.”

 

Regal said the ability to do 500 Hindu squats is a good barometer of his physical well-being, and he’s been able to do that many for several months now.

 

He’s tipping the scales at 224, his lightest weight since he was 20. Last time WWE fans saw him, he was at 248.

 

“No injuries, no aches and pains,” he said. “I really feel great, top of the world. That’s the only thing that bothers me at the moment – I feel too good and I want to get going. I’ve got all this energy and I’ve got nothing to use it on, as far as wrestling goes.”

 

Regal said he plans to attend the Atlanta RAW on March 1, and he also hopes to be at WrestleMania XX. In both cases, he’ll just be visiting with old friends. In the meantime, he sits at home and waits for medical clearance, preparing as best he can for the day it finally comes.

 

“I’m spending a lot of time with my animals and my children and my wife, and watching wrestling,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of old English stuff from the late 1970s and 80s. I’ve been going through a lot of that (as well as) a lot of Japanese stuff -- all the styles that are compatible with mine that I can steal from. Hopefully, everything will work itself out.”

[Guest Dynamite Kido]

:: Looking for Bob Barron to see his tears of joy::

[Guest Goodear]

Regal at 224? Holy Jesus tap dancing crap.

[Sonic Reducer 0]

Sounds like he's going to return a lot healthier than he's been in the past years.

 

I look forward to this.

[Garth 0]

I'm really pleased he's doing better, i always found regal a very entertaining character, and enjoyed his wrestling for the most part. Looking forward to his return.

[clean rob 0]

Good for Regal for staying positive and sticking at it. I look forward to seeing him wrestle again.

[Steviekick 0]

Regal at 224? Holy Jesus tap dancing crap.

So it looks like Regal will be joining Spike on Smackdown in the CW division.

 

Glad to hear that he's doing well.

[Guest JMA]

Regal would make an awesome manager. He wouldn't have to take as much bumps and could easily put over whoever they put him with.

[Guest Loss]

I want to see Regal as a manager. I wholeheartedly support that.

 

As a worker, he's a style clash with everyone except Benoit, and while some of his offense is great, he's not really a fit in WWE, in terms of his working style.

[Mole 0]

I never really liked Regal, but I am glad he is doing better.

 

He would make a great manager though.

[HarleyQuinn 0]

Bring Fit Finlay back and let him feud with Regal and let them stiff the hell out of each other for our pleasure...or not

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

He fits in better now than he did when he left.

 

The WWE has been moving really hard towards mat work instead of moves. When Orton slaps on 5 minute armbars the day after pretty much every match on the Rumble card was bearhugs and ground transitions...I think the style is changing.

[Guest TheZsaszHorsemen]

I welcome him, and hope he returns to SmackDown!

[HarleyQuinn 0]

I'd like to see a Regal vs Angle match or Regal vs Eddie...those would be fun.

[Guest Anglesault]

I welcome him, and hope he returns to SmackDown!

I don't know. Regal vs. the SD! midcard seems like more of a disaster than the Raw midcard.

[razazteca 0]

Regal would be a great GM on Raw...

[Guest TheZsaszHorsemen]

I welcome him, and hope he returns to SmackDown!

I don't know. Regal vs. the SD! midcard seems like more of a disaster than the Raw midcard.

Yeah, but he could form a tag team and I think SD needs good tag teams.

 

I've given up on RAW's tag division.

[Guest Anglesault]

I welcome him, and hope he returns to SmackDown!

I don't know. Regal vs. the SD! midcard seems like more of a disaster than the Raw midcard.

Yeah, but he could form a tag team

With Who?

[razazteca 0]

Regal & Bob Holly.

[HarleyQuinn 0]

He could team up with Shannon Moore if Regal goes face. Hell, he could team with Jamie Noble if he ever goes for the Tag Titles or even *shudders here* Billy Gunn since Gunn works better in a tag team.

[Guest TheZsaszHorsemen]

I welcome him, and hope he returns to SmackDown!

I don't know. Regal vs. the SD! midcard seems like more of a disaster than the Raw midcard.

Yeah, but he could form a tag team

With Who?

Use your imagination.

[Guest Anglesault]

I welcome him, and hope he returns to SmackDown!

I don't know. Regal vs. the SD! midcard seems like more of a disaster than the Raw midcard.

Yeah, but he could form a tag team

With Who?

Use your imagination.

Regal and Rhyno!

 

2/5 of Team WRECK!

[Guest TheZsaszHorsemen]

I welcome him, and hope he returns to SmackDown!

I don't know. Regal vs. the SD! midcard seems like more of a disaster than the Raw midcard.

Yeah, but he could form a tag team

With Who?

Use your imagination.

Regal and Rhyno!

 

2/5 of Team WRECK!

Maybe Regal and Angle after Angle makes his heel turn.

[Guest Anglesault]

I welcome him, and hope he returns to SmackDown!

I don't know. Regal vs. the SD! midcard seems like more of a disaster than the Raw midcard.

Yeah, but he could form a tag team

With Who?

Use your imagination.

Regal and Rhyno!

 

2/5 of Team WRECK!

Maybe Regal and Angle after Angle makes his heel turn.

No.

[Guest TheZsaszHorsemen]

I welcome him, and hope he returns to SmackDown!

I don't know. Regal vs. the SD! midcard seems like more of a disaster than the Raw midcard.

Yeah, but he could form a tag team

With Who?

Use your imagination.

Regal and Rhyno!

 

2/5 of Team WRECK!

Maybe Regal and Angle after Angle makes his heel turn.

No.

Yeah, why should Regal have to carry a no-talent like Angle week in and week out?

[Guest FrigidSoul]

I'd like to see Regal manage Nowitski if Nowitski ever returns.

[Guest Anglesault]

I like them being associates, but Regal/Angle being chased by 2 Cool?

 

Ugh.

[Guest TheZsaszHorsemen]

I like them being associates, but Regal/Angle being chased by 2 Cool?

 

Ugh.

I was just kidding anyhow.

[Guest Goodear]

He fits in better now than he did when he left.

 

Agreed, he'll be a good teacher for some of the younger guys too about how to go to the mat and not just grab chinlocks. Hopefully the change in his weight will make a bit more crisp and help his bumping as well since those were his weaknesses when he left. We shall see.

[muzz 0]

I always enjoyed Regal as commissioner, he seemed to pull off the part better than some.

 

I'm more interested to see his in-ring return, though. He's ok in my book.