Tragic Toll Part of Wrestling's Way of Life

By TIM BAINES - Ottawa Sun

Michael Alfonso had a wife and two children.

He had a good job as a sales associate with Coldwell Banker in Tampa.

As wrestler Mike Awesome, he won championships in ECW and Japan's FMW.

And now, at age 42, he's dead. According to The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer, Alfonso was found hanging in his home last Saturday.

A tragedy. But death at a young age is not unique to wrestling. Far from it.

It's just another name to add to the body count, a list that is far too long.

How about these names ... and this is just a sampling:

Louie Spiccoli, 27; Crash Holly, 32; Eddie Gilbert, 33; Owen Hart, 33; Chris Candido, 33; Adrian Adonis, 34; Yokozuna, 34; Brian Pillman, 35; Eddie Guerrero, 38; Davey Boy Smith, 39; Johnny Grunge, 39; Rick Rude, 41; Miss Elizabeth, 42; Big Bossman, 42, Dino Bravo, 44; Mr Perfect Curt Hennig, 44; Bam Bam Bigelow, 45, Junkyard Dog, 45; Road Warrior Hawk, 45; and Big John Studd, 46.

Oh, there are others ... many others. But this column only has so much space.

To blame wrestling for all the deaths would be inaccurate and unfair.

But there's little doubt that wrestling and its way of life have taken their toll.

While wrestling matches are scripted, there's no scripting what happens outside the ring ... what happens when the wrestlers can barely roll out of the bed in the morning because of the pain they're feeling.

Some wrestlers turn to painkillers. Others, looking to bulk up in an industry where "size does matter," juice up with steroids.

If you looked at the list above, painkillers and steroids have certainly contributed to deaths.

There are "wellness" policies in place to help wrestlers. But as another body was lowered into the ground, it just doesn't seem like enough.

source: http://slam.canoe.ca