Interesting line from the torch

[Vern Gagne 0]

Given Eddie's past demons with drug and alcohol abuse, I don't think his death will be the wakeup call.

[geniusMoment 0]

You guys are reading this out of context, it was not reported as news, but rather as part of a 5 page essay on Eddy that Wade Keller wrote. In it he discusses Eddy's career, and the potential problems which led to his death, and the ramifications on the industry as a whole. In the ramifications part he wrote the paragraph I posted. I would post the entire article, but its very long, and I doubt many would want to read the entire thing.

[BUTT 0]

I would want to read the whole thing.

[Guest QUP2CME]

same here, post it if you don't mind mate

[Guest Amy Ace]

I can sadly confirm to you that the person they are referring to is Kurt Angle. As you may or may not know right now his wife is in the process of leaving him, and taking their young daughter with her. They are not yet divorced, but separated, and about a month ago Kurt moved out of his house. His promo a few weeks back was all too real, as you can imagine what a difficult time this is for him, he's pretty much sacrificed everything he loves to the business and well, the return isn't all that great.

 

And on top of all that he has to deal with all his various chronic injuries, which he won't tell anyone how bad they actually are or take time off to try and heal cuz he doesn't want to lose his spot, and he knows how much the WWE needs him. I would not be surprised if Kurt had to rely on perscription medications or some other form of self-medication to function at such a high-level like he does. With all these factors taken into consideration you can definately see why he would be a little overwhelmed right now. Hopefully, he'll be able to get some help, take some time off, and focus on getting himself better, so he doesn't become the next pro wrestling tragedy.

 

(BTW- Kurt does not suffer from angina himself, however there is a history of it in his family, and it was a contributing factor in his sister LeAnn's death.)

[Guest PimpDaddySarp]

same here, post it if you don't mind mate

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Here it is, courtesy of PWTorch...

 

 

Eddie Guerrero, husband, son, father of three girls, and accomplished pro wrestler, died Sunday morning, Nov. 13. He had left Phoenix the night before and arrived in Minneapolis around midnight for Sunday night's Raw and Smackdown taping at Target Center. He was scheduled to go from there to Europe for a week-long tour with WWE.

 

He had a late night meal with his nephew Chavo whom he flew into town with on Saturday night. Shortly past midnight he went to his hotel room in the City Center Marriott a block from Target Center for what turned out to be his final night of sleep. The next morning, he woke up and brushed his teeth. While brushing his teeth, his heart stopped beating. He collapsed. When he didn't answer his phone or door when room service called, a worker at the hotel alerted Chavo.

 

Chavo was let inside Eddie's room. He found him, toothbrush in hand, lying on the hotel room floor. He apparently died instantly while brushing his teeth. He tried to revive him. No response. Paramedics were called, Eddie was declared dead. Chavo informed Eddie's sister and mother by phone in Phoenix. They then relayed the tragic news to Eddie's wife, Vickie, in person.

 

Eddie hadn't been feeling well for several weeks. According to friends and his wife, he had felt weak, rundown, achy, just not right. History has taught wrestlers, though, that you never slow down unless you have to or else you might "lose your spot" to someone healthier who is deemed more reliable. The second you step aside to take a breath, someone else may swoop in, get over with fans due to an increased push and TV exposure, and knock you permanently down the card. So Eddie churned on, with the carrot of another World Title reign being dangled in front of him due to Batista's recent injury.

 

Preliminary autopsy results indicate Guerrero died of heart failure. "They found signs of heart disease," Vickie Guerrero told WWE.com on Tuesday. "(The medical examiner) said that the blood vessels were very worn and narrow, and that just showed all the abuse from the scheduling of work and his past. And Eddie just worked out like crazy all the time. It made his heart grow bigger and work harder and the vessels were getting smaller, and that's what caused the heart failure. He went into a deep sleep."

 

Minnesota TV news stations reported Vickie's statement on Tuesday night. Official autopsy results, though, have not been released yet. It could be a number of weeks before they are, or they could end up sealed at the request of the family, which would limit the confirmed details of what caused his death.

 

Guerrero's funeral is scheduled for Thursday in Phoenix. It will not be open to the public; Vickie has asked fans to respect her family's wish for privacy.

 

Vince McMahon and Chavo hosted a press conference on Sunday morning for local media members in Minneapolis. Then McMahon made the obvious decision to scrap whatever the script was for the Raw and Smackdown tapings that night. No one was in the mood to promote feuds or have grudge matches. Instead, both Raw and Smackdown were turned into dedications to Eddie Guerrero.

 

As with the Raw tribute show to Owen Hart six years ago, wrestlers that afternoon were given the opportunity to tape comments for the show about their friend and colleague. Those comments aired throughout Raw and Smackdown. The matches that took place were low-key match-ups, with Guerrero's closest friends getting wins over top names; Rey Mysterio beat Shawn Michaels, Chris Benoit beat Triple H, and Chavo Guerrero beat JBL.

 

The scene backstage at the event was said to be somber. Wrestlers and staffers were walking around in disbelief and shock, sharing memories and consoling each other. Before the show, on his way from the hotel to the arena, Batista - a close friend of Guerrero behind the scenes - hid his eyes behind sunglasses and hung his head. He moved slowly, deliberately, appearing to be overcome by grief. Later that afternoon, he'd break down and cry when talking about what Eddie meant to him as a person and to his career. That aired on Raw. He also later talked about Guerrero from center-ring for the opening segment of Smackdown.

 

Benoit appeared to be the most emotionally distraught. To open Raw, all of the WWE wrestlers in attendance that night stepped onto the stage. A lot of tears were being shed. Benoit, though, was sobbing. Uncontrollably. He was grieving the loss of his best friend.

 

The message was clear from what Guerrero's colleages said about him - he was respected, loved, appreciated, and already missed. Guerrero never hid his emotions. He could be really moody. He could be the life of the locker room, too. He could be serious or playful. As his friends talked about their memories of him, there was no sense anyone had to search hard for an anecdote that made them smile or laugh.

 

Not only did his friends miss him already, but they worried for his wife, Vickie, and his three daughters Shaul, 14; Sherilyn, 9, and Kaylie Marie, 3. Eddie and his family had just moved from Tampa, Fla. to Phoenix three weeks earlier to be closer to the rest of their family. The only solace of having moved so recently is she was closer to family members when informed of Eddie's death. In Tampa, she would have received the news by phone while alone.

 

DEATH RAISES QUESTIONS

 

Guerrero's death brings up many questions. How much of a role did steroid use over the years play in Guerrero's death? How much of a toll did the demanding WWE schedule take on his 38 year old, high-mileage body? Did he put undue stress and pressure on himself to succeed? Was he worried about diminished earnings potential as his body began to slow down, having not saved money earlier in his career? Did he feel an added burden that he was likely going to be given the World Title again due to Batista's recent injury sidelining him?

 

Also, was he truly completely sober for four years as claimed by Chavo, and if not, did any recent drug usage contribute to his heart's vulnerability? Was Guerrero's decision to push his body to its limits, and ultimately past them, truly just a "personal choice" with no responsibility falling on the shoulders of the person rewarding the dangerous lifestyle?

 

Guerrero's "personal demons" were chronicled by WWE in a UPN special last year which later came out on DVD. Titled "Cheating Death, Stealing Life: The Eddie Guerrero Story," Guerrero talked about how drug and alcohol abuse almost cost him his family, his career, and his life. His family and friends touted this week that Guerrero had just celebrated four years of sobriety.

 

In truth, multiple sources say sobriety for Eddie may have been defined differently than it would be for most. At the very least, sources who knew Guerrero tell the TORCH that he still took steroids and pain pills. Everybody with knowledge of Guerrero's usage say he had it "more under control" than during the lowest points in his life. He was able to hide any signs of usage from Vince McMahon. A number of people who have been on the road with him say he never showed any signs of any drug abuse on the job at the arenas.

 

But the aches and pains from abusing his body, the desire to try to be the same athlete in his late-30s that he was in his mid-20s, and the need to "look the part" for Vince McMahon led to his continued usage of steroids and pain pills in recent years, according to multiple sources close to Guerrero.

 

There is no medical evidence released to the public at this point that says anything he may have taken recently directly caused, contributed to, or accellerated his death. The fact that someone who had nearly died multiple times from drug abuse may have gone back to it is a sign that even the best intentioned, most dedicated recovering drug addicts with everything to live for (such as three daughters and a childhood sweetheart of a wife) often find total sobriety and being a full time WWE performer incompatible.

 

Many others, some dead and many alive, have struggled every day with the temptation, or the belief that they need, to take drugs to make it to the next town or to just get a good night's sleep.

 

Guerrero's enlarged and stressed heart may have failed him due to years of steroid abuse. Many will deny that likely reality. Others will accept it as a risk of the job. The attitude within the wrestling industry is that it's a risky occcupation and not for those unwilling to make sacrifices.

 

"The reason we shake hands with everyone before we leave a show is because we never know if it's the last time we'll see one another," says one veteran WWE wrestler. "It's been that way for decades, going back to when heavy booze was the drug of choice after matches."

 

GOALS AND SACRIFICES

 

Eddie Guerrero didn't die without having accomplished numerous personal goals. It's been brought up numerous times this week that he was the first Mexican-American to hold a major World Heavyweight Title in a national promotion. Perhaps more remarkably, he was the smallest wrestler to hold a major national World Heavyweight Title. Several inches under six feet tall, his climb to the top of WWE - known traditionally as a "big man's promotion" with a leader with a size-fettish - may be the best indication of how good he really was. It helped that he was willing to do what it took to get as big as he was. He packed on between 50 and 75 pounds of muscle between his start in WCW and his death in WWE.

 

Guerrero wrestled all over the world, beginning in his preteen years. He wrestled exhibition matches as a kid against his nephew Chavo during intermissions at Chavo's father's wrestling events in El Paso, Tex.

 

Growing up in a wrestling family, there was little doubt Eddie would become a pro wrestler. His father Gory Guerrero wrestled. His three older brothers all wrestled, too. Eddie was a star in Mexico and Japan before making it to a major national U.S. promotion.

 

He and the late Art Barr were, for a relatively short time, one of the best heel tandems in the history of pro wrestling. They tore up Mexico and stole the show on the only lucha libre-based PPV in the U.S., "When Worlds Collide," over ten years ago. Guerrero and Art Barr liked to do drugs and drink. Barr died a couple weeks after the biggest match of his career, that show-stealing PPV match. It was attributed to heart failure, too, prompted by drug abuse.

 

He got his first big break from a U.S. promoter from ECW's Paul Heyman. Eddie Guerrero had memorable matches against Dean Malenko and Chris Benoit that helped put ECW on the map as a promotion that featured smaller workers putting on world class matches. Eric Bischoff took notice of Guerrero's work in AAA and ECW and hired him to help add world class athleticism to the star-power-fueled Nitro program on Monday nights.

 

At the apex of the Monday Night War, Vince McMahon did something he wouldn't normally have dreamed of. He hired several wrestlers under six feet tall and gave them pushes, mainly because it was his way of sticking it to WCW. Then something McMahon didn't anticipate happened. Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero got over. Fans reacted to them. As McMahon began losing his established top tier stars to injury (Steve Austin), retirement (Mick Foley), Hollywood (The Rock), and NFL dreams (Brock Lesnar), and after splitting his roster in two, he promoted smaller wrestlers into main event position. He had few other options.

 

Guerrero was elevated by default. He was basically given a chance to fail. He knew it, too. He knew the weight of the world was on his shoulders. He represented smaller wrestlers and Hispanics. He had to succeed, or else it could be used as evidence against others like him in the future. Guerrero, it turned out, was a successful WWE Champion. He didn't single-handedly dramatically increase attendance or buyrates, but he did help draw a larger Hispanic viewership than WWE ever had before. He helped stabilize a shaky Smackdown roster. He also helped elevate JBL to respectablity as a top tier singles wrestlers with memorable matches and TV angles to promote their feud.

 

DRUG ADDICTION AND REHAB

 

During his journey to the top, though, Guerrero gave WWE reason to give up on him. Drug abuse and drinking led to problems. He was a danger to himself, a danger to others, and unreliable. Without cleaning up his act, WWE refused to continue to employ him. The last thing they wanted was another wrestler on their roster dying on their watch. Guerrero cleaned himself up, and starred in a WWE-produced documentary chronicling it.

 

In 2004 Guerrero found himself back in the same cyclone that nearly destroyed him the first time, but this time around he had the pressure of a WWE Title reign weighing on him. It was too much pressure. He was his own worst critic, insecure yet determined. Conflicting, incompatible desires - to slow down and be a good family man versus getting a few more good years in to build a nest egg for himself and his family - took a toll.

 

Friends more than a year ago began worrying about him again. The belt was taken off of him. He felt relieved, but also was haunted by a sense of failure. It was a can't win situation for him. Feuds with world class workers Kurt Angle and Rey Mysterio were supposed to put him in a position to shine, despite the lack of a World Title. Both feuds were successful at filling TV time in an entertaining fashion, but disappointing inside the ring. Guerrero's body wasn't able to do what it could ten years ago. Guerrero, though, wasn't at peace with the fact that most wrestlers historically have their best years as top draws (and thus income) after their peak as workers. Years of earning the fans respect pays dividends. He had enough acting range and enough clout with fans to be considered a top star long past his endless streak of four-star matches. But because he was undersized, he feared everything would be taken away if he showed any weakness, any diminished capacity to deliver in the ring.

 

With his body aching and the stress of the WWE lifestyle taking its toll, it would have been a perfect time to slow down, take a break, catch his breath, heal his body, spend time with his family, and appreciate how far he had come and the obstacles he had overcome. But that's not how life in WWE works.

 

THE WWE LIFESTYLE

 

WWE doesn't have doctors on staff with the power to order a wrestler off the road. There is no system in place to do expensive, elaborate tests to evaluate the stress level of wrestlers, to determine whether years of steroid abuse have taken a toll on vital organs, to detect whether celebrated sobriety has turned into a burden of a charade, or whether a month or two at home might save a family, a career, or a life.

 

There is a top wrestler in WWE today who is considered to be on the unofficial death watch, whose death, due to his credentials, would make the considerable news coverage of Eddie Guerrero's death this week look minor by comparison. It's no secret to most within WWE; if it's not known by Vince McMahon, someone needs to tell him the system needs to be changed. It's one thing to show how much you care about a colleague by crying on the air after he dies. It's another to care enough about someone to do what it takes while he's alive to keep him from dying - even at the expense of box office receipts, storyline interruptions, and being deemed pushy, nosy, or a nark.

 

"I can remember hearing a conversation from some unnamed WWE head guys talking about how this certain person needs to go to rehab but they couldn't send him because he was too important to the show," wrote former WWE wrestler Andrew "Test" Martin in a website (www.AndrewTestMartin.com) commentary this week. "That's the reality people. That is how we are treated. Look at me. I break my neck in the ring and 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.

 

Martin blamed the WWE lifestyle for fostering drug addiction and criticized Vince McMahon's lack of focus on the toll it takes. "I'm actually wondering who's next? Who's next to die?" he said. "I can think of at least 15 to 20 people who have died from various things - mostly prescription pain killers." He said he had never heard of Vicodin or Percocet or Soma before he worked for WWE. He said the reason WWE wrestlers become addicted to the pills and often die - either while still with WWE or after - is because of the schedule.

 

"How come so many wrestlers die from these medications and football players and hockey players don't? The answer is simple - wrestlers, especially WWE wrestlers, work five days a week all year long taking bump after bump in the ring. 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."

 

THE WWE P.R. RESPONSE

 

Within a few hours of Guerrero's death, WWE's p.r. machine went into full court press. Vince McMahon and Chavo Guerrero hosted a press conference Sunday morning at Target Center. They made it clear that any criticism of the show going on would be baseless, that Eddie would have wanted it that way. "Eddie would have wanted the show to go on," said Chavo. "He is 100 percent business." If anyone would know, his nephew Chavo would.

 

McMahon and Chavo also touted Eddie's recent "four year anniversary of sobriety." If taken at face value - and who in the mainstream media would crassly question a mourning nephew or even have any reason to be skeptical - it exonerated WWE of any real tangible blame. After all, Guerrero's drug use began years before he worked for WWE, and only on WWE's watch did Guerrero end up going through rehab. Thanks to WWE's watchful eye and family-like environment did Guerrero get the help he so clearly needed. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough, but WWE did all it could. That is WWE's story, and they got it out there quickly.

 

Raw and Smackdown this week were dedicated to Eddie's life and career. Raw drew high praise from viewers, and there were many of them. Guerrero's death helped attract the biggest audience to Raw (a 4.5 rating) since the WWE Homecoming show on USA six weeks earlier. To fend off any criticism that the show was exploiting Guerrero's death or putting his colleages and friends in an uncomfortable position, McMahon made it clear no one was forced to participate. "Everything we do is voluntary. There is nothing that says you have to compete," he said, in reference to tonight's show going on. "(Our wrestlers) want the show to go on."

 

Wrestlers did, but they also wanted to attend the funeral of their friend. Unfortunately they were scheduled to head to Europe for a week long tour right after the Raw/Smackdown tapings in Minneapolis. Cancelling the European tour would have been a costly option. McMahon, according to one source, called and asked Vickie if she would mind having two funerals - one this week for family and another next week for wrestlers. She turned down the request, understandably not wanting to extend the grieving process. Instead, Eddie's closest friends skipped the tour of Europe, while the rest made sure "the show went on."

 

On MSNBC, Vince McMahon addressed Guerrero's death. "We've had situations like this in the past," he said. "I wonder, and again, I'm not a physician, but you wonder how much of Eddie's hard life he lived in the past caught up to him. This is a tough life being a WWE star. There is an extraordinary amount of travel. You have to keep yourself in shape in the gym. The punishment you take, even though we're entertianment, takes its toll. Again, all of those factors combined had an effect on Eddie. Perhaps there was something genetic as well. I don't think his family is predisposed to something like this. But again, I'm only speculating right now."

 

GUERRERO THE FRIEND

 

The memories his friends have shared carry a common theme. Whether it was on Raw or Smackdown this week, or in website messages, or in media interviews, or private conversations, friends told one story after another of Guerrero's charm, passion, and compassion.

 

JBL spoke on MSNBC about how a couple years ago, Guerrero noticed he didn't seem to be himself. He insisted JBL confide in him what was bothering him. JBL told him that he was going through a divorce. Guerrero cited scripture to help him through it.

 

One former WWE wrestlers tells the TORCH of a similar relationship. "He and I were friends, but most people probably didn't realize how close we were. He would read scripture to me privately, off to the side, helping me through some tough times. He was always there for me, for everyone."

 

In a WWE.com interview, Chris Jericho said he will remember how humble Guerrero was. "He had two sides to him," said Jericho. "He was very serious, but he had a really funny sense of humor. He was a really fun guy to be around when he was in that type of mood... He was just a really cool guy. He had a real strong faith and belief in God, too. He was never afraid to talk about it, but he would never push it on anyone. He was a true family man and most importantly a warrior for God. mHe taught me so much about wrestling and about being a man and it is an honor to call him a true brother and friend."

 

John Cena referred to Eddie Guerrero on Raw this week as a "father figure." He said: "Eddie Guerrero was a great man. When I didn't know anything, he helped me. Every single one of us will miss him."

 

Batista also spoke of Guerrero helping him learn both professionally and personally. "He helped me out of some tough spots. With the title, there was a lot of weight on my shoulders. He would quote the Bible to inspire me. He helped me through personal problems, keeping my head on straight. He was so funny, so easy to work with. He seemed to be in so much pain, then he'd walk through the curtain and you'd never know it." He later added: "Eddie Guerrero loved this business. He found peace in this ring. My one comfort is Eddie is at peace. Eddie is with God. Call me a selfish son of a bitch, but I miss him. I love you. I will make sure everyone never forgets you."

 

Shawn Michaels also talked about sharing Christianity with Guerrero. "My only comfort in losing a friend is knowing that all the pain, all the things he's endured, that he's with God now. He's safe. I can't believe he's gone. I love you, bro." He said he has never wrestled Eddie, but he will in heaven some day.

 

After his match on Smackdown, Chavo addressed the crowd. "From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Eddie thanks you. Eddie gave his life to this business, to the boys in the back, and for you the fans. I know you will miss Eddie Guerrero."

 

Chris Benoit sobbed as he talked about spending much of the last 15 years on the road with Eddie. "We laughed, we cried, we fought," he said. "I could go to him and pour my heart out to him. I knew he would understand and talk me out of it...We would talk about life, past, present, and future. We never left each other without talking to each other. We loved each other. I love his family. My heart and prayers go out to his wife Vickie and his daughters. I can't imagine the sorrow. Eddie, I know you are in a better place. I love you and miss you. Thank you for everything you've given me. I'll never forget you. I love you." At the end of his main event match on Smackdown, Benoit added: "(Eddie) walked through every valley you can imagine. Eddie was a true inspiration to every life he touched. We'll always love you and miss you."

[Guest wahoo]

++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04221/358416.stm

 

Sunday, August 08, 2004

By Chico Harlan, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

 

Look at my face," Kurt Angle says. "It looks

like I've aged 15 years in the last five."

 

Angle can no longer hear with his left ear, drained of fluid 80 times. He has

nerve damage in his face. He's had six knee surgeries and a broken neck. He's

dislocated his shoulder and ripped ligaments in his ankle.

 

The achievements, for Angle, are so elating: an Olympic gold medal in 1996 as

an amateur wrestler, now a million-dollar income as a pro wrestling superstar.

The anguish is so acute: days in hospitals, moments when he hears his wife

worry he'll be in a wheelchair a decade from now. But this is a cosmic-size

genetic experiment -- we've found a man whose interface lacks a stop button --

so Kurt Angle nods, takes the pain with the elation and keeps going harder than

ever, never stopping ... never stopping ... never stopping.

 

The sacrifices are not worth it. Many mornings, Angle, 35, struggles to rise

from bed.

 

"When I was trying for the Olympics," Angle remembers, "I'd train so

ferociously that some days I'd make myself sick. I did things I knew nobody

else would do. Once I got to the point where I wanted to quit, that's when the

real training started."

 

He'd squat 400-odd pounds 28 times ... after squatting 315 pounds 44 times and

225 pounds 73 times and 135 pounds 149 times ... after running six miles ...

after running dozens of wind sprints while carrying his training partner over

his back ... after charging up a hill, with added resistance, for 2 1/2

minutes.

 

He did this every day, for every muscle set in his body. He consumed 1,000

calories for breakfast. He set an alarm to eat meals during the night. He

punched himself in the head when he thought of quitting, when his body screamed

of fatigue. No, he'd mutter. Nothing could stop him.

 

"I kept a training log at home," Angle says, "and sometimes I go back and look

at it and I'm just like, how did I do this? I think it probably contributed to

how I feel now. When you train like that, some people think it keeps you young.

But you're actually breaking your body down."

 

After graduating college at Clarion, Angle poured a young life of experiences

into one outlet: the Olympics. The Games consumed his life, all of it, every

drop, life itself was a sacrifice. But five months before Atlanta, Angle

cracked two vertebrae and pulled four muscles in his neck. Two disks poked into

his spinal cord, and the pain hurled violent tremors throughout his body.

 

One look, and doctors saw the endpoint for Angle's Olympic dreams. They brought

him into an office and explained he needed six months to rest, no wrestling. He

would risk paralysis by continuing. Angle ignored the warnings, found a

painkiller called mepivacaine and kept on wrestling with more resoluteness than

anybody else on the planet. Nothing could stop him.

 

After the Olympics, the spotlight offered a quick flicker, but Angle didn't

want it to stop. He appeared on TV with Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien. His

schedule choked with speaking engagements -- some days, Angle would make a

half-dozen stops at schools across Pittsburgh. In four days after winning the

gold medal, he slept one hour.

 

"I hate to say it," Angle says, "but I really do love the spotlight. I didn't

want it to let up.

 

Someday, he'll likely need two of his vertebrae fused together. Such a

procedure would end his wrestling career, but Angle hopes to continue at least

another three years without surgery.

 

Though he's already one of the WWE's most recognizable stars, Angle believes

that three more years in the ring will allow his wrestling persona to grow into

a pop culture force, similar to that of The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin.

 

"The only time I'm 100 percent is right before a match, with the adrenaline and

everything," Angle says. "But after that, I'm right back down to the bottom

again. It sucks, because if I want to play with Kyra" -- as Angle talks, his

daughter plays on the living room floor -- "sometimes I just can't do it."

 

His wife, sitting beside him, continues. "If he gets to the point where he

really can't play with her, that will be it. No matter what you have in your

house, no matter how good your life is, you can't give that up. If that's what

happens, that's when I'll put my foot down and make him stop."

 

She glances at her husband. Pain converges with gain, and this is where they

lead -- one road, traveled wearily.

 

Angle smiles, driven by instinct. This is the inevitable answer.

 

"I'll never stop," he says.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

[iggymcfly 0]

There's no question that the article's referencing Angle. He does everything but actually spell it out.

 

Anyway, maybe it's just because I haven't watched Smackdown in a long time, or maybe it's because I wasn't all that into Eddie to begin with, but I really couldn't get myself too worked up about his death. It was kinda like if you told me that Jason Biggs died. I mean it would be too bad, but nothing that affects me personally. I watched the Raw memorial show for five minutes or so, and then turned it off when Cena started talking.

 

Anyway, I remember thinking how the only death that could really affect me at this point would be Kurt Angle. He's just been so meaningful to the company for such a long period of time, that it would really hit home more than anyone else on the roster. There's so many great memories from back when he was he was retaining his WWF Title in the 6-way HIAC to the Alliance feud against Austin to his great matches in the fall of 2002 against the likes of Benoit and Edge to headlining WM with Brock to being the only watchable main eventer on Raw today.

 

Honestly, I think Kurt Angle is the only wrestler significant enough to really touch me in a meaningful way at this point if something happened. Eddie Guerrero was occasionally an interesting diversion, but Angle is like a vibrant reminder of my entire adolescence.

[cabbageboy 0]

Okay, so you're comparing Eddie to some dumbass who fucked a pie?

 

In the end I have almost the opposite feeling you do though. I can respect Angle, but I can't see myself getting all that upset if he died. Maybe it's just that he's always come off to me as somewhat insincere, kind of a phony (which is why he plays that type of heel so well).

 

Iggy, if you had watched Smackdown much from 2002-present there's no way you wouldn't be upset at Eddie's death.

[iggymcfly 0]

He did spray shit all over the Big Show.

 

Anyway, the point is that I haven't followed his work much lately, and so I'm not going to feel very emotional when a tragedy happens to him. I'm sure that if I'd sat through the crapfest that Smackdown's been for the last couple years, I'd be into Eddie, but I haven't and I'm not.

 

As far as I'm concerned, Angle comes across as a lot more sincere than pretty much anyone in the business. It seems like he's a genuinely good guy that's really concerned about entertaining the fans.

 

He's been my favorite wrestler since probably Royal Rumble 2002, (well, at least when he wasn't floundering on Smackdown), so that's a big part of it, but really the fact that he was one of the main guys when I was really into wrestling is a big part of it too. I was really into the product in 2001, and he's one of the only top guys from that time period that's still around.

[LaParkaYourCar 0]

Well he wasn't always floundering on Smackdown. Angle was a part of the Smackdown 6 (along with Eddie) in 2002. Man I miss that.

[Enigma 0]

I remember when I was doing my WON notes for this board (which WILL be returning this week), there was a bit in there during Kurt's run as GM that Meltzer said, "WWE put Kurt Angle into the role of Smackdown general manager mainly to let his neck rest, but they are trying to emphasize to him that he needs to slow down. WWE is even willing to demote him back to mid-card status if Angle doesn't get the message."

 

Looks like WWE didn't stick to that.

[JimmyHendricks 0]

I can't believe a cryptic posting from the torch that really reveals NOTHING has let to the upcoming death of Kurt Angle in the next 6 months.

 

It's amazing how people will take basically a gossip rumor and run with it.

 

If Eddie didn't die, then we wouldn't be talking about this. Now apparantly Kurt, Flair, Benoit, and HHH are all on their last legs because of some sensational reporting used to get hits on a web page.

 

Pitful.

[Fökai 0]

I can't believe a cryptic posting from the torch that really reveals NOTHING has let to the upcoming death of Kurt Angle in the next 6 months.

 

It's amazing how people will take basically a gossip rumor and run with it.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Please tell me how we're supposed to take this as a "rumor". It's life or death, and anyone with a right mind would have to take it as news.

[imajackoff? 0]

think, though, for people on the edge of wrestling, who have left over the last five years, it may be as big. The fanbase right now is just that, and that's why a death hits so hard, but I have a feeling that because Angle was involed with the main event for 2000-onward, he may draw a bigger. I don't think it'll resonate as hard, but the impact within the industry and those on the fringe, it probably will.

 

This is a very good point. I started tuning out around 2001 and the Invasion angle. At that time Eddie was simply a midcarder who could work, but not get 'main event' type over. I was always surprised when i would peek back in on Smackdown and see Eddie pretty much headlining the shows. Angle on the other hand has been over since jumpstreet (1999?). His death would have a much bigger impact than that of Eddie's because that larger fanbase of 4-6 years ago would know, and have an interest in him.

 

On the topic of Angle, I was speculating with a friend awhile back about how much trouble I thought Kurt might be in. I've never seen someone have such a great physique, yet still look like dogshit. His head is friggin huge. Maybe this last week will wake him up.

[Lil' Bitch 0]

I really do hope Angle wins the title at SSeries, which he won't.

[Enigma 0]

"Look at my face. It looks like I've aged 15 years in the last 5."

 

What a creepy statement.

 

And whoever made the statement about Kurt's head, I agree. Watch his WWE.Com testimonial to Eddie Guerrero. It looks like his head has a diagonal median in it and the top-left-half is going to explode. It freaked me out.

[Guest Ransome]

On another level, the Torch has a point. If Eddie's death didn't wake it up (escpecially the WWE) then we're going to have problems. If Angle does die anytime soon, the WWE, and Wrestling as a whole in this country may experience a backlash that it may never recover from. Something really has to be done.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I truly wonder how many deaths it will take before WWE will lighten the schedule to protect their wrestlers, but Eddie's death alone won't do it. In a way, Eddie was born into wrestling, and died for it. His life was created and destroyed by the system. I can only hope that other wrestlers learn from Eddie's life and are motivated to get out of the WWE lifestyle as early as they can, but WWE certainly isn't going to change their ways because of it. I mean, remember the Vince McMahon even walked out on Raw one time (soon after apparently tearing both quads at the Rumble) merely as a message to wrestlers backstage to work through their injuries?

[Guest Amy Ace]

I can't believe a cryptic posting from the torch that really reveals NOTHING has let to the upcoming death of Kurt Angle in the next 6 months.

 

It's amazing how people will take basically a gossip rumor and run with it.

 

If Eddie didn't die, then we wouldn't be talking about this.  Now apparantly Kurt, Flair, Benoit, and HHH are all on their last legs because of some sensational reporting used to get hits on a web page.

 

Pitful.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

As far as Kurt goes, its not just a rumor, I have first hand knowledge, and have been worried about him long before Eddie died.

[Guest Brian]

On another level, the Torch has a point. If Eddie's death didn't wake it up (escpecially the WWE) then we're going to have problems. If Angle does die anytime soon, the WWE, and Wrestling as a whole in this country may experience a backlash that it may never recover from. Something really has to be done.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I truly wonder how many deaths it will take before WWE will lighten the schedule to protect their wrestlers, but Eddie's death alone won't do it. In a way, Eddie was born into wrestling, and died for it. His life was created and destroyed by the system. I can only hope that other wrestlers learn from Eddie's life and are motivated to get out of the WWE lifestyle as early as they can, but WWE certainly isn't going to change their ways because of it. I mean, remember the Vince McMahon even walked out on Raw one time (soon after apparently tearing both quads at the Rumble) merely as a message to wrestlers backstage to work through their injuries?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

As many as it takes for people to get upset about it enough to stop watching. As long as people watch, they contribute to those deaths. Until they stop, Vince will continue to push the limits to maximize profit.

[SuperJerk 0]

I think this whole rumor is bullshit.

[Downhome 0]

I don't think it's so much bullshit as it is common sense.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

Is there any way this could be referring to JESSE VENTURA? Screw the "locker room watch", perhaps the sheets are wrong, as usual.

 

He's the most mainstream of any pro wrestler. And he looks awful.

 

Amy Ace said:

 

"As far as Kurt goes, its not just a rumor, I have first hand knowledge, and have been worried about him long before Eddie died."

 

Do you also have a members.aol.com/ websiteZ for me to visitZ? Stop posting "inside know all" without specifying, and explaining who you are. If you're that important that you can't share the details, then fuck off.

[SuperJerk 0]

I don't think it's so much bullshit as it is common sense.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

HOW?

 

Kurt's burning himself out, and risking his health, sure...but to declare he could drop dead at any time? Ridicules.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

Kurt's burning himself out, and risking his health, sure...but to declare he could drop dead at any time?  Ridicules.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Anyone burning themself out and risking their health puts them at an increased risk of dropping dead, especially when they've got a history if a serious heart condition in their family. Angle might not be in danger of dropping dead, but if WWE internally are worried about it, then that alone is reason enough to be concerned.

[Guest Amy Ace]

Is there any way this could be referring to JESSE VENTURA?  Screw the "locker room watch", perhaps the sheets are wrong, as usual.

 

He's the most mainstream of any pro wrestler.  And he looks awful.

 

Amy Ace said:

 

"As far as Kurt goes, its not just a rumor, I have first hand knowledge, and have been worried about him long before Eddie died."

 

Do you also have a members.aol.com/ websiteZ for me to visitZ?  Stop posting "inside know all" without specifying, and explaining who you are.  If you're that important that you can't share the details, then fuck off.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That was as far as the statement went, there weren't any further details. But if your asking how I know, Kurt lives (or used to before the separation) in the same housing plan as me, just a few houses down from mine actually. And my family is also friends with his, and they have expressed their worries about Kurt. And I never said I was important, I'm quite the opposite to tell you the truth.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Apparently Nate Quarry is in Amy's myspace network. FEAR HER.

[JimmyHendricks 0]

I still don't understand why it has been determined that this whole thing is about Kurt Angle. I still don't understand why this whole thing is considered to be legitimate. It never mentions anyone in particular, and doesn't really say why this particular person is on a "deathwatch".

 

But now Kurt Angle's death is imminent because of his use of painkillers and him pushing himself too hard, all because of something the Torch said that really revealed nothing to begin with.

 

To talk about an unnamed wrestler being on a deathwatch because of unnamed reasons, well, I don't understand why anyone is treating it seriously.

[Guest Amy Ace]

Apparently Nate Quarry is in Amy's myspace network. FEAR HER.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Ya, if you f*ck with me I'll send the Rock after you!

[snuffbox 0]

Whats up with Jesse Ventura?