Firstly before I get started I feel I must state that this article will make reference to the late wrestler Chris Benoit, and the injuries which may or may not have caused his meltdown. I will strive to avoid talking in much detail the event which brought about his and his family's passing, as I feel it is of no ones right to speculate about the tragic event, also as a matter of respect for the family they left behind.
It is no secret that wrestling is a dangerous affair, high risk moves are after all part and parcel of the action, and while choreographed, the action is more 'real' than the casual onlooker would believe. At the risk of sounding like a 'Do Not Try This At Home' package, injuries and damage are regular occurrences, something a wrestler just sees as part of their job.
But is there a point where the damage becomes too costly? A frequent injury amongst wrestlers is concussion, which comes about from high aerial moves in some cases, in others it could come from perhaps a botch from either competitor. Thankfully major accidents are few and far between in WWE, as these days it's more or less an exact science. But sometimes accidents happen that can break careers.
Take for instance Droz, a performer some of us may remember from the 90's, he worked solidly for years in the ring, unfortunately in 1999 a botched backdrop meant Droz landed on his head, instantly making him a quadriplegic. This happening was truly an accident and no fault of D Lo Brown's (his opponent) or Droz it happened simply because an over zealous fan threw their drink in the ring, causing D Lo to slip. Droz happily got about his life after the accident, still around in the WWE to this day, in a happier turn he has regained some movement in a few limbs.
Sometimes however, it is the moves the wrestlers do that cause the injuries. The one that strikes a major chord, because it is still used in WWE and because of the aftermath of the manoeuvre, that move is the Flying Headbutt.
It was innovated in the 70's by Harley Race, a man who had previously said he wished he never had, it became used by most high flying wrestlers such as Dynamite Kid, Chris Benoit and Daniel Bryan.
First, Dynamite's story, the English wrestler was highly popular around the world in the 70's and 80's known for his innovative style and infectious personality, he compete around the world, even once winning the WWE tag team titles with The British Bulldog. The Diving Headbutt was a signature move in his arsenal, his flying through the air astounded people the world over. Unfortunately, on the medical side, it was destroying him. The effects of his flying move was literally crushing his spine, the damage was so bad that upon his retirement, he was confined to a wheelchair and has been ever since, the full extent of the damage to his spine, and brain for that matter remains unknown.
Then there was Chris Benoit, arguably the best technical wrestler the WWE ever had, but the use of the diving headbutt took a much more deadly turn for him. I won't go into detail, as what needs to be said about the incident has already been said, also, I don't see how I would have the right to speculate. After Benoit's passing, a post mortem was conducted showing that Chris Benoit had the brain of an 84 year-old Alzheimer's patient, no doubt through the use of the headbutt.
Currently in the WWE, this move is used by Daniel Bryan, and given the risks and consequences shown by the use of it, how much longer should he or anyone put their long term health in the line? How many more people will suffer tragic fates an brain injury? The answer to both if these questions is unknown.
I appreciate that the contents of this article are a strained topic, so I sincerely hope I have offended no-one, may the Benoit family rest in peace, now and forever.
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Nathan.
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