anybody scene the wrestler?

[goldenryan]

i've yet to see it,mostly cause no theater around here is playing it but i will rent it as soon as it's released.

[fallensaviour]

Yup,watched it last week.Superb movie.

[nvmbrsdoom5]

Yep, I saw it a few weeks back, I thought it was extremely well done, and (sadly) pretty realistic. From what I know of the wrestling business and the people I've known over the years who've been a part of it, this movie is fairly accurate. It's pretty sad what alot of these guys have put themselves through over the years to be a part of it.

[4NDR01D]

Saw it yesterday and would describe it as, sadly, a very accurate portrait of the life of of a wrestler. If you've seen "Wrestling with Shadows", you've got a good idea of what this movie is like.
After I grew tired of "actual wrestling", I found myself reading a ton of biographies on wrestlers and watching "shoot interviews".
Truth is stranger than fiction, and the stories these guys tell are wilder than just about anything that happens in a "story line" of todays wrestling.
It's a sad, strange business where guys burn out way to fast.
Wrestlers who have died before turning 50

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

since 1985
Chris Von Erich - 21
Mike Von Erich - 23
Louie Spiccoli - 27
Art Barr - 28
Gino Hernandez - 29
Jay Youngblood - 30
Rick McGraw - 30
Joey Marella - 30
Ed Gatner - 31
Buzz Sawyer - 32
Crash Holly - 32
Kerry Von Erich - 33
D.J. Peterson - 33
Eddie Gilbert - 33
The Renegade - 33
Owen Hart - 33
Chris Candido - 33
Adrian Adonis - 34
Gary Albright - 34
Bobby Duncum Jr. - 34
Yokozuna - 34
Big Dick Dudley - 34
Brian Pillman - 35
Marianna Komlos - 35
Pitbull #2 - 36
The Wall/Malice - 36
Leroy Brown - 38
Mark Curtis - 38
Eddie Guerrero - 38
Davey Boy Smith - 39
Johnny Grunge - 39
Vivian Vachon - 40
Jeep Swenson - 40
Brady Boone - 40
Terry Gordy - 40
Bertha Faye - 40
Billy Joe Travis - 40
Chris Benoit - 40
Larry Cameron - 41
Rick Rude - 41
Randy Anderson - 41
Bruiser Brody - 42
Miss Elizabeth - 42
Big Boss Man - 42
Earthquake - 42
Mike Awesome - 42
Ray Candy - 43
Nancy Benoit (Woman) - 43
Dino Bravo - 44
Curt Hennig - 44
Bam Bam Bigelow - 45
Jerry Blackwell - 45
Junkyard Dog - 45
Hercules - 45
Andre the Giant - 46
Big John Studd - 46
Chris Adams - 46
Mike Davis - 46
Hawk - 46
Dick Murdoch - 49
Jumbo Tsuruta - 49
Rocco Rock - 49
Sherri Martel - 49
__________________

[4NDR01D]

Here's explanations of their deaths, sorry i ddidn't post this first
Chris Von Erich - 21
Chris shot himself in the head on September 12, 1991 at the age of 21.

Mike Von Erich - 23
A few days before his death, Mike was arrested on drunk driving and drug charges. On April 12, 1987, he left a suicide note for his family, wrapped himself in a sleeping bag, then committed suicide by overdosing on the tranquilizer Placidyl. He was 23 years old.

Louie Spiccoli - 27
On February 15, 1998 Louie Spicolli died after overdosing on Soma and wine, choking on his own vomit in his sleep.

Art Barr - 28
Art Barr was found dead laying with his child at his home in Springfield, Oregon. Preliminary reports said that he died of an aneurysm, but later reports said that he died under unknown circumstances. Barr did not have heart problems, no aneurysm or internal bleeding, no ring injuries and no illegal substance in his body,

Gino Hernandez - 29 Initially Hernandez's death was ruled a homicide case, but following autopsy reports, his death was ruled as a result of an overdose of cocaine[2], however, many (even today) still believe Gino was murdered in a drug related incident[3].

Jay Youngblood - 30
On September 1, 1985, Youngblood died while touring in the South Pacific. He may have ruptured his spleen in a match and had a series of heart attacks when rushed to the back, where he died.

Rick McGraw - 30
McGraw died after a heart attack on November 1, 1985.

Joey Marella - 30
He died on July 4, 1994 after he fell asleep at the wheel and crashed while driving home after a night of refereeing WWF matches. David Lauer, better known by his ring name Harvey Wippleman, was said to be with him at the time

Buzz Sawyer - 32
Sawyer was wrestling on the independent circuit when he died from a heart attack on February 7, 1992.

Crash Holly - 32
On November 6, 2003, at wrestler Steven Richards' house, Lockwood died from an overdose of painkillers

Kerry Von Erich - 33
Kerry allegedly had a history of drug problems, and drugs may have been a factor in the motorcycle crash in 1986 that cost him his right foot. Von Erich committed suicide at his home in Addison, Texas, on February 18, 1993.

Eddie Gilbert - 33
On February 18, 1995, Gilbert died from a heart attack. He had used steroids and cocaine in his life, so either of these things could have contributed to the weakened state of his heart. His father, Tommy Gilbert, stated that injuries to his chest and heart muscle that occurred in a serious auto accident in 1983 could have been a factor. Eddie's alleged use of painkillers since the accident also could have contributed to his heart condition.

The Renegade - 33 (aka Richard C Williams)
in late 1998 and Williams, severely depressed, committed suicide in February 1999

Owen Hart - 33
On May 23, 1999 Hart fell to his death in Kansas City, Missouri, during the Over the Edge 1999 pay-per-view event.

Chris Candido - 33
Candido died from a blood clot, a complication from his surgery, at the age of 33.[2]

Adrian Adonis - 34
Adonis was killed on July 4, 1988 in Lewisporte, Newfoundland and Labrador while riding in a minivan with fellow wrestlers William "Mike Kelly" Arko, Victor "Pat Kelly", Arko and Dave "Wildman" McKigney. Adonis, McKigney and Pat Kelly were killed when the driver, Mike Kelly, swerved in order to avoid hitting a moose and, blinded by the setting sun, inadvertedly drove into a lake. Mike Kelly survived, albeit with severe leg injuries

Gary Albright - 34
On January 7, 2000, Gary Albright wrestled at a World Xtreme Wrestling show in Hazleton, Pennsylvania against Lucifer Grimm (real name Bill Owens). After being hit with an Ace Crusher, Albright collapsed to the canvas. A worried Lucifer Grimm rolled Albright on top of himself to finish the match after which concerned wrestlers and ring crew tried to resuscitate him. Albright was pronounced dead shortly after being removed from the ring[1].

The official cause of death is listed as a heart attack. The medical examiners also found that Albright suffered from diabetes, had an enlarged heart, and blockage of several coronary arteries[17]. Because it was determined that Albright died of natural causes, the police were never involved in the matter[18].

Big Dick Dudley - 34
He died on May 16, 2002, in his apartment in Copiague, New York due to a kidney failure

Brian Pillman - 35
Some time during the night or early morning prior to the October 5, 1997 In Your House: Badd Blood pay per view in St. Louis, Pillman died in a Minnesota hotel room, he was 35 years of age. While he had a documented history of abuse of prescription drugs, an autopsy found that a previously undetected heart condition - arteriosclerotic heart disease - had led to his death. Pillman did not know that he was about to become a father once again when he died.

Marianna Komlos - 35
Komlos died on September 26, 2004 from breast cancer. She was 35.

Pitbull #2 - 36
Durante died on September 25, 2003 along with his wife due to drug overdoses. They overdosed on homemade Oxycontin and were found after lying in their home dead for days, all while their two small children were in the house among the bodies. [1]

The Wall/Malice - 36 (aka Jerry Tuite)
On December 6, 2003, Tuite was found dead of a heart attack in his hotel room by wrestlers Nosawa and La Parka. He was 36 years old.

Mark Curtis - 38
Hildebrand was diagnosed with stomach and bowel cancer in October 1997.

Eddie Guerrero - 38
An autopsy revealed that Guerrero died as a result of acute heart failure, caused by undiagnosed arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Although Guerrero had not taken alcohol or illicit drugs for nearly four years, his past excesses contributed to his heart failure. At the time of his death, he had recently used narcotic painkillers.

Davey Boy Smith - 39
Smith died on May 18, 2002, at the age of 39, after suffering a heart attack while on vacation in Invermere, British Columbia with his girlfriend, Bruce Hart's estranged wife Andrea Redding. An autopsy revealed that past anabolic steroid use may have played a part in his death, however no certain reason was found. It is apparent that stress, serious injuries, and the use of drugs took its toll on the wrestler. Bruce Hart claimed "Davey paid the price with steroid cocktails and human-growth hormones." [26]

Johnny Grunge - 39
Grunge died on February 16, 2006 in his residence in Peachtree City, Georgia as a result of sleep apnea complications.

Vivian Vachon - 40
Vivian and her daughter Julie were both killed in a road accident on August 25, 1991 near Montreal.

Jeep Swenson - 40
he died of heart failure at the UCLA Medical Center.

Brady Boone - 40
he died in a car accident.

Terry Gordy - 40
Gordy died of a heart attack on July 16, 2001 due to a blood clot

Bertha Faye - 40
She died later that year on July 27, 2001 due to a drug overdose which caused a heart attack.

Rick Rude - 41
Rude died on April 20, 1999 after suffering heart failure. The believed cause of death may have been an overdose of Gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) and steroids. An autopsy report showed he died from an overdose of "mixed medications". In 1994 he testified that he had used anabolic steroids to build muscle mass and relieve joint pain.

Randy Anderson - 41
Anderson continued as a referee in WCW until he was forced to retire in 1999 due to his battle with cancer. Randy died on May 5, 2002 at the age of 42

Bruiser Brody - 42
On July 17, 1988, Brody had finished a match with Abdullah the Butcher and Dan Spivey in Bayamón (a city near San Juan, Puerto Rico), when Jose Huertas, AKA Invader I (a fellow wrestler and booker)[1] came up to him in the locker room and asked him to go into the shower to discuss business. It is contested by several wrestlers in the locker room that Huertas was holding a knife wrapped inside a towel when he was waiting for Brody to arrive to the locker room. At the time, Huertas was one of the men who made decisions at the WWC meetings and was also a good friend of Carlos Colón (WWC Promoter and main superstar), and it is rumored that Brody had upset him on numerous occasions by refusing to do jobs. It is also believed that Brody was planning to take control of WWC (as Brody apparently began to invest in the promotion), which may have additionally upset Huertas.

Huertas got into the shower area first and, when Brody bent his head to enter the shower area, Huertas allegedly grabbed his hair and stabbed Brody several times in the stomach and the chest.[2] He was poisoned from his own bile.[3] Brody was taken by ambulance to Centro Medico, the main hospital facility in San Juan, but he died hours later while undergoing a second surgery. Huertas, who always maintained his innocence, was tried for murder, but was acquitted by a jury of his peers, citing self-defense.[4] Afterwards, a number of wrestlers refused to work in Puerto Rico in protest of the jury verdict, which temporarily crippled the Puerto Rican wrestling scene.

Miss Elizabeth - 42
The subsequent autopsy showed that Hulette died of an accidental drug overdose, having ingested some of the medications with vodka.

Big Boss Man - 42
Traylor died in his home from a heart attack in Paulding County, Georgia on September 22, 2004 at the age of 41.

Earthquake - 42
John "Earthquake" Tenta passed away this morning at the age of 42 after a lengthy battle with bladder cancer. Tenta is survived by his wife and three kids.

Mike Awesome - 42
Awesome was found dead at around 10:30 p.m. on February 17, 2007 [16] in the Tampa area. A group of friends who were coming to his home to pick him up and go out found him hanged in his home. It is believed he committed suicide.

Dino Bravo - 44
Just over a year later, Bresciano was shot dead in his Saint-Léonard, Quebec mansion, aged forty-four. Rumors circled that Bresciano, having retired from wrestling, was supporting himself as part of a cigarette smuggling ring run by elements of organized crime in the city. His murder is unsolved.[1]

Curt Hennig - 44
On February 10, 2003, Hennig was found dead in a Florida hotel room, just before a scheduled wrestling match. The Tampa Coroner's office and the Tampa Medical Examiner's office declared acute cocaine intoxication the official cause of his death. His father said a lethal combination of steroids and painkillers contributed to his death.

Bam Bam Bigelow - 45
On March 3, 2007, the Tampa Tribune reported that autopsy results showed that Bigelow's death was due to multiple drugs found in his system including toxic levels of cocaine and benzodiazepine (anti-anxiety drug). Bigelow was also suffering from a heart problem, specifically arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. [14]

Junkyard Dog - 45
Sylvester Ritter died on June 2, 1998, in a single-car accident on Interstate 20 near Forest, Mississippi as he was returning home from his daughter Latoya's high school graduation in Wadesboro, North Carolina. The apparent cause was falling asleep at the wheel.

Hercules - 45
Fernandez died in his sleep in his home on March 6, 2004. He was 46 years old. He was survived by his wife, Debbie, five daughters, and one son. The cause of death was attributed to heart disease according to Fernandez wife[9].

Andre the Giant - 46
André died in his sleep on January 27, 1993, in his Paris hotel room, where he was discovered the following morning by his chauffeur. He was in France to attend the funeral of his father. It was later concluded that he died of congestive heart failure, a byproduct of the growth hormone secreting pituitary tumor he had much of his life and chose not to have treated.

Big John Studd - 46
Studd died from liver cancer and Hodgkin's disease in 1995.

Chris Adams - 46
In April 2000, Adams and his girlfriend of four months, Linda Kaphengst, were both found unconscious in a friend's apartment, the victims of an overdose of GHB and alcohol. Adams recovered, but Kaphengst died at a local hospital 10 hours later.

Mike Davis - 46
Davis died on December 25, 2001 from a massive heart attack in Granbury, Texas, at the age of 45.

Hawk - 46
Hegstrand died on October 19, 2003 in the early morning in his home in Indian Rocks Beach, Florida. His friends said that he and his wife Dale had recently bought a condominium near their current home and were packing their boxes the night before. Hegstrand said that he felt tired and went to take a nap. When his wife checked on him at about 1 A.M., he had died of an apparent heart attack. He had battles with alcohol and drugs throughout his career and was an admitted steroids user [2].

Dick Murdoch - 49
Murdoch was wrestling in the independents when he died of a heart attack on June 15, 1996 at the age of 49.

Jumbo Tsuruta - 49
he was diagnosed with Hepatitis B and never fully recovered

Rocco Rock - 49
Petty was competing as a singles wrestler in the independents when he died of a heart attack on September 21, 2002. He was 49 years old.
__________________

[Hector]

Pro wrestling is a very unforgiving profession.

That pounding they take night after night...300+ days out of the year...plus many take steroids, get hooked on pain killers (or take other illicit recreational drugs), start drinking heavily, become depressed, sustain painful permanent injuries, have no health benefits, no pension, and many wind up flat broke.

I like pro wrestling...but I feel kinda guilty watching it at the same time...I sometimes feel like I'm indirectly participating in the unfortunate events of some of these wrestlers.

[4NDR01D]

I like pro wrestling...but I feel kinda guilty watching it at the same time...I sometimes feel like I'm indirectly participating in the unfortunate events of some of these wrestlers.

I hear ya Hec, I feel the same way.
The problem is they only get paid when they wrestle, which doesn't provide time to heal from injuries.
Vince is notorious for firing wrestlers when they've taken time off to heal, which forces the wrestlers to take steroids, not just for strength/size, but to heal faster.
And we fans aren't blameless either, we demand higher risk moves just about every year, wrestlers shouldn't have to be doing this to please us:

YouTube - OMG Wrestling Moments

I know there's way worse stuff than this, but you can look up the bloody gory moments yourself if your so inclined.

[Hector]

Not gone...but disabled...

Lex Luger (Lawrence Wendell Pfohl)...




On October 19, 2007, Pfohl suffered a nerve impingement in his neck that led to temporary paralysis. He was at Stanford Hospital in stable condition. He underwent intravenous antibiotic treatment and was expected to make a full recovery. Pfohl issued a statement thanking all of his fans for their continued support.

Nearly a month after his "spinal stroke", Pfohl was finally transferred from California to an Atlanta hospital. He was still in a quadriplegic state, having no movement in either his arms or legs. Pfohl was scheduled to have hip replacement surgery the week before, had it not been for the stroke. Doctors had told him that they would be amazed if he was able to walk without the surgery. As of December 2007, Pfohl still remains paralyzed. As of June 2008, Luger is now said to be able to stand on his own for short periods of time and walk using a walker. Diamond Dallas Page states that he weighed about 170 pounds when they went to the premiere of the new movie "The Wrestler".



Dynamite Kid (Thomas Billington)...

Billington is disabled and confined to a wheelchair due to problems with his spine. Harley Race, the inventor of the diving headbutt has stated that he regrets ever inventing the move, due to the fact it appears to cause spinal problems, and may have contributed to Billington's disability. He also had his leg amputated.

There was a video of him on a wheelchair living in a one bedroom apartment near London...but it's not on youtube anymore.

[Hector]

I hear ya Hec, I feel the same way.
The problem is they only get paid when they wrestle, which doesn't provide time to heal from injuries.
Vince is notorious for firing wrestlers when they've taken time off to heal, which forces the wrestlers to take steroids, not just for strength/size, but to heal faster.
And we fans aren't blameless either, we demand higher risk moves just about every year, wrestlers shouldn't have to be doing this to please us:

YouTube - OMG Wrestling Moments

I know there's way worse stuff than this, but you can look up the bloody gory moments yourself if your so inclined.

I hate Vince McMahon with a passion...he's a very evil man.

[BlackKnight]

Wow... I had no Idea Lex Looks soooo Bad..., & Small..

I read these lists every yr,.. even more so when they are posted here,.. & I had no Idea Crash Holly & Dino Bravo where on that list....

Its sad,.. The ages of all these Performers. Most of them Died,.. when they are or were My age now.

I just picked up an EarthQuake & Hawk figure the other Day..

[toys2cool]

Saw it yesterday and would describe it as, sadly, a very accurate portrait of the life of of a wrestler. If you've seen "Wrestling with Shadows", you've got a good idea of what this movie is like.
After I grew tired of "actual wrestling", I found myself reading a ton of biographies on wrestlers and watching "shoot interviews".
Truth is stranger than fiction, and the stories these guys tell are wilder than just about anything that happens in a "story line" of todays wrestling.
It's a sad, strange business where guys burn out way to fast.
Wrestlers who have died before turning 50

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

since 1985
Chris Von Erich - 21
Mike Von Erich - 23
Louie Spiccoli - 27
Art Barr - 28
Gino Hernandez - 29
Jay Youngblood - 30
Rick McGraw - 30
Joey Marella - 30
Ed Gatner - 31
Buzz Sawyer - 32
Crash Holly - 32
Kerry Von Erich - 33
D.J. Peterson - 33
Eddie Gilbert - 33
The Renegade - 33
Owen Hart - 33
Chris Candido - 33
Adrian Adonis - 34
Gary Albright - 34
Bobby Duncum Jr. - 34
Yokozuna - 34
Big Dick Dudley - 34
Brian Pillman - 35
Marianna Komlos - 35
Pitbull #2 - 36
The Wall/Malice - 36
Leroy Brown - 38
Mark Curtis - 38
Eddie Guerrero - 38
Davey Boy Smith - 39
Johnny Grunge - 39
Vivian Vachon - 40
Jeep Swenson - 40
Brady Boone - 40
Terry Gordy - 40
Bertha Faye - 40
Billy Joe Travis - 40
Chris Benoit - 40
Larry Cameron - 41
Rick Rude - 41
Randy Anderson - 41
Bruiser Brody - 42
Miss Elizabeth - 42
Big Boss Man - 42
Earthquake - 42
Mike Awesome - 42
Ray Candy - 43
Nancy Benoit (Woman) - 43
Dino Bravo - 44
Curt Hennig - 44
Bam Bam Bigelow - 45
Jerry Blackwell - 45
Junkyard Dog - 45
Hercules - 45
Andre the Giant - 46
Big John Studd - 46
Chris Adams - 46
Mike Davis - 46
Hawk - 46
Dick Murdoch - 49
Jumbo Tsuruta - 49
Rocco Rock - 49
Sherri Martel - 49
__________________

Man what a list,some greats in there
Hawk,Davey,Rude,Perfect,Andre...very sad.

[Goblin19]

The Wrestler was very good. It did seem like I was watching a documentary about an aging wrestler. I didn't know some of those guys had died. That's quite a list.

[fallensaviour]

Man what a list,some greats in there
Hawk,Davey,Rude,Perfect,Andre...very sad.

??? D no love for Kerry Von Eric???
Didn't he act as the warrior for a few appearances?
I thought I remember watching him as the warrior?

[goldenryan]

it's sad to hear about all those wrestlers dying so young.

[goldenryan]

finally rented it, glad i did too favorite movie i've seen this year by far.