Despite the fact that wrestling fights take place according to a script drawn up in advance, they cannot do without serious injuries. Often, injuries sustained by athletes in wrestling have a tragic outcome, although the consequences may not be immediately noticeable. A few years ago, a global study was conducted, the conclusions of which were disappointing: wrestlers, on average, live much less than ordinary men in the United States, moreover, the rate of premature death among wrestlers is higher than among all men. athletes. in general, including even such dangerous sports as MMA or hockey.
It would seem, how is it? In fact, on the set, where everything follows the script, the actors are not exposed to such risks. But wrestling is governed by different rules that all athletes who want to succeed must follow. And the rules are sometimes very strict.
How wrestling lives in Russia:
Exclusive
“I was in the ring with a gun. He made me lie down and give up. ” Interview with the wrestler Petrukha
We all know that film actors, faced with the heart-rending cries of the director, sometimes repeat an unthinkable number of takes to get exactly what they need, and the viewer does not have such a painful “I don’t think”. In wrestling, where you have to fight in front of a live audience, there is simply no such comfort. Therefore, you have to take risks to give more entertainment to the action. As a result, mistakes sometimes occur that can have tragic consequences. There have been quite a few such cases in the history of wrestling. Someone came out with “little blood” and someone never returned to the ring.
The incident with the Japanese wrestler Eiji Ezaki, better known as Hayabusa, is indicative. During the 2001 fight, he unsuccessfully performed the “Moon Flip” technique: the Japanese missed the rope with one foot and fell with all his weight on his head, breaking two vertebrae. After that, his career came to an end. It took Hayabusa many years to learn to walk again. And in 2016, Ezaki died at just 47 years old.
But even when working perfectly, the fighters still take huge damage to their health. Most moves in wrestling are simply dangerous because, despite their pretense, they are still pretty hard. This is especially true in the case of blows to the head. Brain injuries are dangerous because sometimes they don’t make themselves felt right away, but after a while. As a result of constant jumping and missed hits, a kind of cumulative effect occurs, and at some point the brain simply cannot take it.
The rights of the video belong to the Impact promotion. You can watch it on the IMPACT Wrestling YouTube channel.
But it also happens that death occurs almost instantly. In 2000, another Japanese wrestler, Masakazu Fukuda, died. The opponent attacked him with an elbow, which caused a head injury. Fukuda was rushed to the hospital, where he died five days later. He was only 27 years old.
Unfortunately, head injuries carry another terrifying consequence: behavioral disorders, which sometimes lead to terrifying stories. Perhaps the most famous example is the case of Canadian Chris Benoist.
CHRIS BENOIT WITH HIS WIFE NANCY
Photo: Getty Images
In 2007, the legendary wrestler suddenly killed his family, and then committed suicide. Chris’ behavior could fail due to recurring concussions throughout his career. These injuries provoke the formation of the so-called chronic post-traumatic encephalopathy. This disease causes mood problems, thought problems and, as many doctors suggest, mental instability, dementia and increases the risk of suicide. WWE later denied any such accusations, noting that the organization is doing everything possible to keep its wrestlers safe.
The last big tournament was also hot:
Rosie was strangled and will it end her career? SummerSlam results-2023
But one way or another, there are threats in wrestling. Professional sports today is a business. The organizers have to resort to incredible tricks to give the show more effect. To do this, he invents new tricks that sometimes seem downright creepy. For example, hammers. The bottom line is that one wrestler throws another headlong into the ring, for which he lifts him upside down beforehand. Yes, the “poor man’s” head should not touch the ring, but miscalculations do happen. There is also a similar technique: BrainBuster. The wrestler pins the opponent by lifting him upside down and hooking his hand around his neck. After that, the opponent is thrown towards the upper part of the back. It is dangerous? Naturally.
In addition to tricks, various improvised means are used. It can be chairs, bats, mallets and, in principle, much more. Yes, they are made of special and softer materials, but as you know, you can injure yourself out of the blue. For this reason, back in 2010, in the same WWE promotion, they decided to minimize blows with various objects, especially to the head. But in other leagues, these types of attacks are still popular.
The rights of the video belong to the New Japan Pro-Wrestling promotion. You can watch it on the NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING YouTube channel.
To be fair, the promotions have gotten more serious about the health of their fighters: medical exams, educational seminars, and a ban on participation until symptoms of head injuries fully alleviate are now an integral part of the flow. of work. But business is business and the fighters themselves understand it. At the top will be the one who fights most effectively, do not hesitate to perform complex tricks and, after injury, be ready to return to the ring as soon as possible. And because of that, even though everything is going according to script in wrestling, injuries will still happen there. The main task of the fighters themselves is to minimize them and remember how dangerous their trade is.
