The Quick Talkdown 4.28.07: Live your Passion, Don't Die for It
Posted by Phill Feltham on 04.28.2007
The true answer why so many wrestlers refuse to resign with the WWE.
LIVE YOUR PASSION, DON'T DIE FOR IT
By PHILL FELTHAM
Do you ever wonder why so many of our WWE favorites don't resign with the WWE?
There's the obvious. 'We've done it all and we want to do better things.' The Rock, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, and Chris Jericho have all moved on to movie or music careers.
It still doesn't answer the question.
It's simple. The wear and tear of traveling on the road. The WWE recently published an article on the WWE superstars recent tour to Europe. It says exactly how grueling the traveling schedule can be.
"It's hell for me because I have to leave my two-year-old daughter — and that's on the first day," said Lashley. "Then there is the mental strain to prepare for matches every night; then going out for 12 days and tearing our bodies apart, leaving the arena around midnight and driving until 3 a.m., it all adds up."
Keep in mind that WWE writer Zack Zeigler focused on the overseas tour. Mr. Kennedy and "The Masterlock" Chris Masters admitted the tour was a lot worse on their bodies. Masters found it hard to maintain his
workout body while a pale Kennedy found it hard to maintain a healthy diet.
Zeigler though glorified the WWE schedule: "When the pen drags across the dotted line at the bottom of a WWE contract, that privileged someone isn't signing up for a run-of-the-mill 9-5 job. A WWE Superstar
is constantly on the move, traveling from city to city (or country to country) en route to the next live event. That, teamed with the stresses of being away from home, is commonplace in the realm of sports-entertainment."
What the article says to this 411Mania columnist is: Our WWE wrestlers are superhumans because they can push themselves through unhealthy means.
Why? The answer is one simple word -- Passion. Most WWE wrestlers nowadays were fans as children and that fanfare was their motivation. The overexcitement alone gives the WWE the power to basically do
anything they want which includes imposing the heavy work schedule.
And Jim Ross and other WWE officials will say that if a wrestler leaves or they didn't hit it big was because they didn't have enough passion.
This, of course, is false.
WWE publishes artlicles like Zack Zeigler's to state the obvious, plus to remind the fans its wrestlers are superhumans or 'superstars'. But when is enough, enough? The laundry list of wrestling deaths are good examples of what happens when you constantly hurt your body.
Wrestlers fight night after night. Oops, I really hurt my knee -- answer: painkillers. Two nights later: I really hurt my arm -- the answer: painkillers. This goes on until a major injury occurs -- answer: three months off. Back on the road again. Oops, I hurt my knee again. The answer: painkillers. This cycle goes on until your heart explodes.
Rob Van Dam is currently looking at his future WWE career. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if he doesn't resign. I'm a Van Dam fan so I hope he does so he can get a better shot at the glory. But looking at it from
Van Dam's perspective, there's not a lot left for him to do.
Sure, Van Dam could resign because he doesn't want to walk away from the sport he loves. Ric Flair is like that. He wrestles the full-time schedule, or so I'm told, because he loves the business. When you love what you do, it isn't a job. But your body can only take so much.
I remember when Christian left the WWE for TNA. The fan within hoped he'd resign to claim the WWE title. However, he went to TNA to work a part-time schedule and of course to get the attention he felt he wasn't
getting in the WWE. The Big Show was burnt out too. Chris Benoit before him, and the list goes on. Remember when Kevin Nash and Scott Hall left the WWE in the mid-90s? They left for more money and less time on the road. Not a bad deal.
They've made enough money to live off of so why should they resign?
Passion? I love being a journalist. I'm very passionate about it, but there are limits. When it stops becoming fun, I stop being a journalist. I know this is comparing apples and oranges, but it illustrates the point that you shouldn't have to hurt yourself for a passion.
As much as society, not just WWE, says it's a good thing to go beyond physical and mental limits for passion -- it's not. Some people in the film, sports and fitness industries share similar mentalities.
There's an old saying that I really like: work smarter not harder. While many wrestlers have indeed walked away from the wrestling industry, I don't believe you should have to walk away from what you love completely.
Why doesn't Sting sign with the WWE? This question popped up again on Jim Ross's blog. Ross replied: "Steve Borden is a friend of mine. I have known him since day one of his pro career. He is a wonderful
family man who enjoys working part time. If the day comes that he wants to come to the WWE and could still work a part-time schedule, I would guess that it would be possible."
Being a part-time wrestler isn't a bad thing, especially after years of wear and tear on the body. Does the WWE allow it? The Undertaker usually works a part-time schedule. I'd bet some money that if the WWE
allowed burnt out wrestlers to work part-time, the resigning ratio would be a lot higher than what it currently is.
What do you think? Would you die or continue push yourself over the limits for a passion? Why? Send your comments to metrodivisions@yahoo.com.
Phill Feltham is Senior Editor for Maximum Fitness magazine (www.maxfitmag.com). He is also the Publisher of the travel site, The Weekly Wanderer Dot Com (www.theweeklywanderer.com).
