Scott Hall reveals his demons

Former WWE and WCW star Scott Hall discussed his ongoing battle with drugs and alcohol in an E:60 interview that aired on ESPN on Wednesday.

"There's got to be some reason that I'm still here," Hall said. "I should have been dead 100 times. I should have been dead 100 times."

The 52-year-old is on a pacemaker and takes about a dozen pills a day to soothe his anxiety and pain.

"I tell my kids this: 'I can't tell you not to drink and do drugs, they are fun. It's fun. They work,'" Hall said. "But what sucks is when you want to quit and you can't, and pretty soon you alienate or you hurt everyone around you. It's a family disease and then you can't keep a promise to anybody. What sucks the most is when you can't even keep a promise to yourself."

Hall has been arrested several times since his last WWE appearance in 2002. Stephanie McMahon, World Wrestling Entertainment's executive vice president of creative development and operations, said WWE has spent "in the six figures" to help him.

"It's the most amount of money we've spent on anyone," she said. "I just want Scott to get help and to decide for himself that he needs help. It makes me sad. I don't want anybody to pass away prematurely or otherwise really."

In the past few years, an alarming number of wrestlers have died from suicide and overdoses, including Eddie Guerrero (heart complications in 2005) and Chris Benoit (murder-suicide in 2007).

According to a Washington Post story published in 2007, Dave Meltzer, the founder and editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, counted 60 wrestlers who have died since 1997, before age 50.

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-- Melissa Rohlin

Wrestling community reacts to death of Macho Man Randy Savage

Macho Man Randy Savage, 58, the second biggest star behind Hulk Hogan in the World Wrestling Federation in the mid- to late '80s, died Friday after an automobile accident in Tampa, Fla., according to wwe.com and wrestlingobserver.com.

You can read more about Savage's death on our Ministry of Gossip blog.

The pro wrestling community reacted swiftly to the news, with WWE announcing plans to honor him at this Sunday's Over the Limit pay-per-view event, and many pro wrestlers sharing their thoughts on Savage on Facebook or Twitter.

The Rock: "RIP Randy 'Macho Man' Savage - you were one of my childhood inspirations and heros. Strength, love, and prayers to the Savage/Poffo family... Today Team Bring It will celebrate a life."

Bret Hart: "I have no words to say. This one hits me hard. We lost one of the best."

Anthony Robles, born with one leg, captures NCAA wrestling title

On a weekend when several underdog basketball teams took the first steps toward becoming unlikely NCAA champions, Arizona State senior Anthony Robles beat them to it.

Robles, who was born without a right leg, won an NCAA wrestling title in the 125-pound weight class Saturday night, capping an undefeated season by knocking off defending champion Matt McDonough of Iowa, 7-1, in the final.

"I had a lot of butterflies going out there," Robles said after what he says was his final wrestling match. "I've dreamt about stepping on that stage a dozen times, and this whole year I've just been preparing for that moment.

Christopher Daniels has all the answers in advance of WrestleReunion

Pro wrestler and Antelope Valley resident Christopher Daniels, perhaps best known as "Fallen Angel" or "Curry Man" or maybe just Daniels, is back in town for this weekend's WrestleReunion event this weekend in Los Angeles.

Daniels was gracious enough to answer a few questions in the days leading up to his match where he defends his ROH world television title against Mark Briscoe on Friday night at 8 p.m. at the LAX Hilton.

Q: OK, this is a sports site, so let’s ask a sports question first: Your favorite sport, team and athlete? 

Daniels: Well, honestly, I don't follow sports that much, so I don't really have a team or athlete that I "support". The closest I ever came to that was rooting for the Detroit Lions because I was born in Kalamazoo, MI. I grew up in Fayetteville, NC, during a time where there was no NFL or NBA team in the area, so there was no "hometown fave" to get behind. Every once and again I would watch NCAA basketball when the ACC was represented, either by UNC or Duke, but that's about it.
 
Q: You spent some time with WCW near the end of their collapse. What did you take away from that experience? 

Daniels: Well, I never got the opportunity to make a name for myself when I was there, but I did travel with them for about 8 months, and that's where I made a lot of friends, most notably Lance Storm. Also I got to meet and become friends with Jeremy Borash and Bob Ryder when I was there, which went a long way towards me getting into TNA when they opened their doors. 
 
Q: Curry Man, Suicide, Fallen Angel. Which persona do you prefer?

Daniels: I've had a lot of fun doing all three, but honestly I enjoy being myself. There's a lot of extra work involved in working under a mask, and besides, why would I want to hide this handsome face?
 
Q: OK, fantasy booking time. You are headlining Wrestlemania 30. Who is your opponent?

Daniels: I think I'd want to work with Chris Jericho in that situation. I've always been a big fan of his in-ring work, as well as his character. I've always thought he was one of the best in combining his characterization with his workrate.
 
Q: You have a wife and two kids. How hard is it to be a dad and a traveling pro wrestler?

Daniels: The travel certainly wears on my family, but I've been very fortunate that my schedule has never gotten in the way of raising my family. I haven't missed any big events yet (knock on wood), and I do get to spend a good amount of time with them during the week.
 
Q: Would you encourage your kids to become pro wrestlers if they wanted to do that?

Daniels: Well, I would definitely try to educate them as much as I could about the pros and cons of a career in this business, and try to explain the mistakes that I made so that they can avoid them. But my parents,despite worrying for my well-being, were very supportive of my career choice once I made it, and I would do the same for my children.
 
Q: Tell us a little about WrestleReunion this weekend.

Daniels: WrestleReunion is a great opportunity for wrestling fans of all ages to meet and interact with some of the greatest wrestling stars of the past, as well as see some of the best of the current stars in action. There will be autograph sessions, meet-and-greet opportunities, Q & A sessions, highlighted by the Ring of Honor card on Friday night and the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla card on Saturday. Wrestling fans in the LA area should go to www.wrestlereunion.com for all the details
 
Word association. I’ll name a pro wrestling figure, you give me a two or three-word answer:
 
Eric Bischoff: Very character driven, approaches his work like a real actor
 
Kazarian: One of my best friends, and a great wrestler, who's finally getting the opportunity to shine in TNA
 
AJ Styles: A great competitor, one who I would be lucky to be linked with in terms of great rivalries in pro wrestling, also one of my closest friends.
 
Samoa Joe: Another great friend to me, and someone who has changed the perception of pro wrestling with his unique offense and skills.
 
Kurt Angle: One of the greatest athletes I've ever had the pleasure of working with. He sets a standard that may never be surpassed.
 
Sting: A real icon of wrestling. I grew up watching his early years, and was fortunate enough to get a chance to wrestle him during his long and storied career. 
 
--Houston Mitchell

 

Wrestler Chris Kanyon dies, possibly from overdose, reports say

Chris Kanyon, who wrestled in the WCW in the late 1990s through 2001 before joining WWE, was found dead in his Queens, N.Y., apartment Friday night. He was 40.

Kanyon, whose real name is Chris Klucsaritis, reportedly had bipolar disorder and had threatened suicide recently as well as in the past. Wrestlingobserver.com is reporting that his death was from an overdose of pills.

His biggest break in the WCW came when he teamed with Diamond Dallas Page and Bam Bam Bigelow as the Jersey Triad, winning tag-team titles along the way. When the WWE purchased WCW, Kanyon could not find a niche with the group and was released in 2004 after battling a series of injuries.

Although he had announced a retirement, he still wrestled on occasion. During one of his comebacks, he claimed to be an openly gay wrestler, but what publicity he garnered did not help his career and no organizations were interested in signing him.

-- Dan Loumena

Wrestling legend Jack Brisco dies at 68

Dave Meltzer at wrestlingobserver.com is reporting that pro wrestling legend Jack Brisco died Monday at the age of 68.

According to Meltzer, Brisco had been battling many health problems in recent years, including circulatory problems and emphysema.  He underwent open-heart surgery a few weeks ago and collapsed while undergoing rehab a little over a week ago. 

"He was my best friend and my hero growing up," Brian Blair told Meltzer, echoing comments made by several wrestlers and people in wrestling who grew up when Brisco was a larger-than-life personality promoted as the greatest technical wrestler and someone who could not be beat in a fair match.

Brisco was wrestling as part of a tag team with his brother, Gerald, in 1984 when he told his sibling he was flying home. He went home and never wrestled again.

 -- Houston Mitchell