Death in Wrestling in 2012

[NEWM]

Let's have a proper morbid thread. There's some general indifference to the death of Lance Cade (even one or two that didn't know he was dead), in the Questions thread, and that's pretty standard for a wrestler death story/discussion these days.

 

It's just not enough of a shock any more is it? Guerrero and Benoit were a one-two punch of deaths that reminded us that a) Even guys that recover are probably still on something, and it might kill them, and b) No matter what they're on now, wrestling's a fucking mental job when you think about it, and it could send you apeshit at a moments notice.

 

With that and other considerations in mind, would any wrestler deaths surprise you now? Would we need an Owen Hart style accident to really make you intake sharply at the sight of a dead wrestler thread? More's the point, if that kind of thing happened to...I dunno, Jack Swagger, would it have half the impact or resonance anymore?

 

For me, I'd probably be most blown away by Vince McMahon dying. I know he's getting on, but even as a virtually retired TV character, wrestling without Vince is still a bit unthinkable to me. The actual old wrestlers are all broken down to fuck and probably on some sort of medication to mask the pain, but Vinman's still a bit of an enigma by comparison. He's almost a mythical figure when I stop and think about it. I imagine him running the company out of a hospital bed via underlings for fucking years and still not dying.

[Richie Freebird]

I think Cena

[Forrest]

Who would get the sympathy title reign though?...

 

Zack Ryder surely?

[Loki]

In terms of "what would rock the wrestling world" then I'd say HHH would be a major story. Let's face it, we all suspect he's found ways around his own companies' drugs testing policies, and if he had a heart attack and died in a hotel room, then shit would really hit the fan.

[Richie Freebird]

if he had a heart attack and died in a hotel room, then shit would really hit the fan.

 

That

[NEWM]

In terms of "what would rock the wrestling world" then I'd say HHH would be a major story. Let's face it, we all suspect he's found ways around his own companies' drugs testing policies, and if he had a heart attack and died in a hotel room, then shit would really hit the fan.

 

Would it not be spun as what he might have been taking years ago though, rather than him still being juiced up now? (This is despite the claim Nash made in his recent timeline shoot that HHH is clean as a sheet on all fronts, apparently).

[Magnum]

The reason I can't see it with Triple H is that, from what I've read, he's always been such a big bodybuilding fan that he's never touched alcohol, and I can see that extending to recreational drugs too. All the wrestlers who've really fucked their body up to the point of death seem to have been mixing steroids with all sorts of shit.

 

Back OT, I think there's only the real big guns whose death would shock me - Hogan, Vince, Austin, Cena, Flair (the last one, primarily because he's wrestling's Gazza, and you know he should have been dead years ago, but somehow you never expect him to actually go). Anyone else, no matter the age or visibility on TV, it's only ever going to be slight sadness and a shrug, after all the deaths in the last decade I'm about as desensitized to it as it's possible to get.

[Frankie Crisp]

I guess it would depend on the circumstances. If it were drug/heart/brain-spaz related then I'd probably be inclined to agree with previous posts and say that HHH and Cena would be the ones that'd shock me most. Not that I think they couldn't have some condition and have always been absolutely drug-free, but mainly because of their status in the industry. There aren't many others who you look at now and think haven't dabbled or done something that would contribute to an early death.

 

Other circumstances out of the ultimate control of the victim, though, and I think despite the number of deaths we've seen I'd still be shocked if Jericho or Punk or, well, anyone who's been a mainstay for a number of years suddenly croaked in an accident. I appreciate that the shock factor seems to have been diluted when it comes to fitness/well-being-related deaths but if Randy Orton's bungee rope snapped then I'd probably be pretty taken aback.

 

To slightly deviate from the matter in hand, can you imagine the barmpot theories that would come about if The Undertaker died whilst he was still on the active roster?

[Richie Freebird]

To slightly deviate from the matter in hand, can you imagine the barmpot theories that would come about if The Undertaker died whilst he was still on the active roster?

 

He did die, at Rumble 94...

 

 

[Ronnie]

Would it not be spun as what he might have been taking years ago though, rather than him still being juiced up now? (This is despite the claim Nash made in his recent timeline shoot that HHH is clean as a sheet on all fronts, apparently).

I think it's safe to say that Nash is referring to Triple H's famously never having drunk a drop of alcohol or smoked a cigarette, but with the usual bodybuilding supplements excepted. Wrestlers do that all the time. Remember how Eddie had fought his demons and was sober? That's "wrestling sober", with steroids and HGH ignored. Some people drink coffee to help them get through the day at work - they'd never think of themselves as drug users and wrestlers seem to have that same approach.

 

Triple H has clearly been a user on top of his dedication to working out and eating right. Elements of that amazing body pretty much gives it away, as does the HGH head.

 

There's the massive chest, traps and arms whilst being sporting single-digit bodyfat during his break-out:

 

 

Then his 2002 return where he had slabs of muscle reminscent of the worst case of attested steroid users from the 80s such as Hercules and Warlord (and drew the ghost of Hogan toward him):

 

 

Periodically he appears flabbier and not so muscular:

 

 

And then a few months later Steph throws out another baby and Hunter goes back to being in amazing shape. It's pretty clear, really.

 

The reason I can't see it with Triple H is that, from what I've read, he's always been such a big bodybuilding fan that he's never touched alcohol, and I can see that extending to recreational drugs too. All the wrestlers who've really fucked their body up to the point of death seem to have been mixing steroids with all sorts of shit.

Yeah, it seems that the most common factor is painkillers and muscle relaxers used by drinkers, but it's the case that many of those who died happened to have been steroid users and so that seems in most people's eyes to be the cause, unfairly in my opinon.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

If Vince died that would shake the wrestling business, because Triple H would be the new ruler. The whole WWE product would change, the whole staff is supposedly going to change. Triple H told Bruno Sammartino that when he takes over the product will be something "Killer would be proud of". I assume he meant Kowalski. Unless he's finally going to do that Benoit tribute show.

 

Once Vince kicks it, it wonder what kind of WWE it'll be.

[ColinBollocks]

Personally, it will be Sting going that will hit me the most as he's been a favourite since I was a wee BJ.

 

In terms of press, Hogan/Vince/Rock will be the three biggest. Vince is on the out soon, surely. He's just turned 67 and this network thing is apparently testing him; MAHOOSIVE heart attack waiting to happen.

 

Jake Roberts will out live them all.

[Dirty Eddie]

Without derailing this into a steroid debate - isn't the reason that steroids are linked to these deaths mostly because they allow you to add so much mass? By adding 30 pounds of muscle to a frame that isn't meant for it you are simply putting a full-time strain on your heart that it doesn't need and isn't made to deal with, long-term. Many bodybuilders and muscleheads are technically "obese" simply based on the weight they are carrying.

 

Obviously mixing that with somas, booze, coke and the rest will make it worse, but simply carrying all that weight is increasing your change of heart problems.

[ColinBollocks]

Enlarged hearts, brudda.

[Dirty Eddie]

Enlarged hearts, brudda.

 

Yeah, that's the physical symptom of the heart being overworked.

 

Doing intense exercise can enlarge your heart, as can having high blood pressure. Working out to mad levels while carrying extra (unnatural) weight levels will lead to enlarged heart and dangerously high blood pressure, which is the recipe for disaster.