Jim Cornette Says Finding An Ex-Wrestler In Good Health Is A Shock

[nightrain]

Has he got a point or is he just spouting off??

JIM CORNETTE has blasted WWE owner Vince McMahon over the large number of grapplers who have died young.

Cornette says that wrestlers he either befriended, managed or trained during his time working for the WWE between 1993 and 2005 are now dead - including the recent tragic passings of Eddie 'Umaga' Fatu and Tony 'Ludvig Borga' Halme and previous deaths including Eddie Gurrero, Davey Boy Smith and Andrew 'Test' Martin.

He told us: "It is never easy when a friend dies.

"But at first it was 'oh my gosh', then it was 'oh no', then it was 'not again' and finally you're not surprised anymore.

"It is never good, but it isn't shocking. That's the sad thing.

"It is more shocking if a professional wrestler from the 1980s is actually found in good health and living a nice life with no problems.

"When I was a kid watching wrestling in the 1970s, every couple of years you would hear of a few wrestlers dying in a car wreck.

"Now a month doesn't go by that you don't hear some about wrestler dying at an early age, because of drugs or by-products of drugs which are by-products of the unfortunate work environment that they found themselves in."

Cornette blames the epidemic on a number of things, including the trend to headline shows with wrestlers who had bodybuilder style physiques.

He singles out 1980s and 1990s world champions such as Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior and current main event star Triple H as examples, although all proved very popular with fans.

He told us: "It is no secret that in WWE a guy of average ability with a great physique will always get a bunch more chances in WWE than a guy with great ability and less impressive physique.

"That is what Vince has always tried to book and always tried to push.

"And look at Vince himself. OK yes, he has great genetics and trains vigorously, but c'mon he is 64-years-old and on the cover of Muscle and Fitness. That is the example he is setting.

"When I was working for rival firm NWA in the 1980s, we used to joke that half of the guys in our main events weren't big enough to open the show for Vince McMahon.

"A lot of the guys in the 1980s got on this s*** and it creates a dependence, a mental if not a physical one.

"Of course no one ever told you that you had to take steroids to get a job and there wasn't a bunch of 10 boys in the locker room sticking needles in their asses out in the open.

"But just look at the hiring practices. Who got the pushes and who didn't.

"Then when heat got on the WWE in the early 1990s about it, things changed and it was the smaller guys like Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart who were featured on top.

"But as soon as the heat was off of the steroids issue, the big guys started creeping back in.

"And even if it is not as prevalent recently as it was in the 1980s it was still obviously there, up until the past few years when the heat got back on again after Benoit.

"So, that's the steroid problem."

Talking about other issues, Jim continues: "The style of pro wrestling has got so much harder with bigger bumps, so painkillers come into it.

"In the old days, the fans thought we were hurting each other but we really weren't.

"Now, the guys are really hurting each other and the fans don't believe anything because they were told it's phoney.

"There are also guys who lose their push and need surgery, but put it off and off because they have the mentality that, not only does the show need to go on, but also somebody else might take their spot and they might not get it back.

"Then you take into account that wrestlers' careers are so much shorter because there is no territory system and they're on national television every week. Many more get burnt out.

"Guys get depressed when all of a sudden, after being stars for three or four years, they can't get a job because there is no place else to work.

"That then leads to a drug problem.

"So it's all of these things - fewer places to work, change in the style and Vince's hiring practices and who he pushes.

"All of those have lead to early deaths from heart attacks and drug and steroid related problems."

Cornette does concede that the WWE are trying to tackle the problem.

The company have imposed a strict Wellness Policy on their talent - suspending and even firing those who fail drugs test.

They also offer to pay for any current of former star to get rehab, an offer that four per cent have taken up.

However Cornette believes these moves may be down to the company wanting avoid the bad publicity that came in the wake of the Chris Benoit murder/suicides.

While there is no evidence that WWE have anything but the best intentions, Jim claims: "The WWE are doing a lot but that's probably because of the bad publicity.

"They're a publically traded entertainment company and a bunch of their employees or former employees are dying at an early age.

"And let me just say this - top guys with a lot of money to spend can always get the good stuff if they want it to beat the test.

"Although for the guys who don't make much money, then they have to get clean now they are doing legitimate testing."

Although Jim, who currently works for indie group Ring Of Honor, is the one of the only people currently in the wrestling industry prepared to speak out - many former stars have.

However those grapplers, including Marc Mero, Bruno Sammartino and Superstar Billy Graham, have been labelled as bitter.

Is Jim worried that the same accusations may be levelled at him?

He says: "People may say I'm biased because the WWE screwed me out of a business deal here in Louisville with Ohio Valley Wrestling, and yes I am biased.

"But at the same time, look at it!

"A lot of people won't say what I am because they still want a job.

"Some people do say it but it is dismissed as sour grapes. They are written off as jealous or guys who never made it. But they are the ones with their eyes open.

"Nobody can dispute the facts. They just try to shoot the messenger.

"So I don't care what they think of me and I'm sure they don't care what I think of them.

"I'm just telling the truth."

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/wrestling/2815458/Jim-Cornette-blasts-WWE-over-number-of-grapplers-who-have-died-young.html

[Hammy]

He makes some decent points, but I'd say more towards the painkillers than steroids.

A good percentage of these roided up guys come from a bodybuilding background and were using them before they entered the business.  Triple H was a bodybuilder beforehand and I believe Masters was too.

As for the time the smaller guys got the push, Bret has admitted to steroid use and Shawn failed a test back in the day for roids (but denys ever using them).

The bumps are a major issue though.

[D]

Shut up Jim

Jesus

nobody makes these guys become wrestlers... they want the fame and fortune,they pay the price

everybody dies, so u can die at 50 with fame and fortune, or live to be 65 and never do anything with your life... some don't mind the tradeoff


If u don't want to be a wrestler, I heard college is usually a good idea.

[scotta75]

I have to agree with Cornette there is a lot of wrestler out there that are using roids so they look good enough to get in the WWE and make a lot of money. Let's face it some of these dudes who are in the WWE are not the best wrestlers in the world take example Chris Master that dude could not wrestle his way out a paper bag! Name one match he has had that stood out, you can't because he has not in ring skills! But he is in the WWE why, because he has an awesome body and that makes him stick out!

I will say this having a nice body is important in wrestling God only knows if I had a good body there is no telling where my career would have gone, but I am fat slob with good in skills and that is not what is wanted in the Hogan type wrestlers. And it is giving wrestlers bad name because wrestler who are wanting to make it to the type are getting on the juice, and are taking a lot of serious bumps just to make it big.

The problem is not all the WWE faults, I will admit that because everyone knows the danger of doing this steroids and when it comes down to it they decide to take them.  You can not blame Vince for the abuse of steroids nor can you blame him for the deaths of some many young wrestlers. The person to blame are wrestlers who choose to shoot up with steroids, and who decide to take the sick bumps or put their bodies in spots that cause them to get hook on painkillers.

  Does the WWE deserve some of the blame? Yes I believe some of the blame can be put on the WWE and Vince because as a promoter Vince should step in and tell this wrestlers that those spots are too dangerous, and they should not take those kind of bumps. WWE needs to step in and start looking into some health care for their wrestlers and offer health care and give their guys time off, and not put pressure on them about losing their spots or push and let them heal up.

[Izzy]

The problem is favouring the big guys and the schedule

I do get annoyed when people start moaning about the 'bumps' - u gonna reduce wrestling further, do u just want some sort of scripted MMA nonsense?

Ensure the best wrestler gets the shot and that no one is working 100's of days each year