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"Yet, thanks to my trusty safetysphere, I sublibed with only tribial brain dablage." One of my favorite Futurama lines isn't quite as funny anymore. So over the past year or so, I've been suffering from bouts of anxiety and depression, coming in and out in waves. Issues with work and home life have contributed but it was definitely something out of the norm. After urging from my wife and doctor, I visited the Amen Clinics in Bellevue this week to get treated for my ongoing ADHD issues and to get SPECT scans of my brain. What we found was far worse. What you see in this scan is multiple, cumulative TBIs (traumatic brain injuries) in my brain, clustered in the occipital and frontal lobes, but in multiple locations. Two scans were taken - this one, after I had engaged in mental activity, and one at rest. (The one at rest looks even worse.) In short, the bumps and head shots I took through my wrestling career have led to brain damage, and are the probable cause of my anxiety and depression. Most of the damage is to the back of the brain, which makes sense, as that's what would be impacted by standard bumps. There are a few in other places, and nearly all of them I can directly attribute to individual shots over the years. One was hard enough that it not only caused damage on the impact point, but on the other side as well, meaning my brain actually bounced - that was from a superkick by Scotty Mac in ECCW. (I did a promo line back then that I felt my brain actually bounce in my head. Guess I wasn't imagining it.) However, like I said on Twitter, data is beautiful and knowing is half the battle. Now that we know, I can be treated for it, and I began treatment this morning for all issues - I've started once again on Adderall to counter the ADHD symptoms, and on a low dose of Cymbalta to help with the anxiety and depression. Cymbalta also helps with issues with pain and neuropathy, which I've experienced in the past year due to possible degenerative disc issues in my neck, and a shoulder injury suffered in 2016. I will also be getting a volumetric MRI and a full spinal scan to help with those issues. But it scares me what kind of shape the brains of my friends that are/were full time wrestlers and take far stupider bumps than I ever did will be in at this point, or five/ten/twenty years from now. I was just a referee, manager and occasional wrestler, and I still ended up with noticeable, actionable damage. One thing is for sure - my wrestling career is definitely, definitively over. I may do commentary spots or appearances of that nature here and there as the itch strikes, but I will *never* take a bump of any kind ever again. This is my own decision, not the doctor's - I am medically disqualifying myself. Unlike Daniel Bryan, there will be no comeback, and honestly, I don't want one - pro wrestling in this area has changed to the point that I had already decided to walk away with my sanity, finances and health as intact as possible. This just makes it easier, in a way. But to make one thing perfectly clear: I don't blame pro wrestling for this whatsoever, in any way, shape or form. I knew what I was getting into, which is why I was careful about the bumps I did take (and the ones I *didn't*). I wouldn't change a thing and I don't regret any of it (well, maybe some of the people I associated with). You won't see me involved in a frivolous lawsuit blaming others for this. Hell, 99% of it was my idea to begin with. (I hate to pop everyone's bubble but nearly every fun angle, match and storyline I was part of was almost entirely my idea. Sadly, that includes the dumbass bumps, too.) I'd say this should serve as a cautionary tale, but it won't. The new guys never listen to those before them that tell them to take it easy, just like those that come after them won't listen to them either. But I know there's some current and aspiring wrestlers that might read this, so I'll just say - please be careful, and be smart. And if you start feeling "different", or especially if those around you notice something different, please, seek help. It's not there to judge you - it's there to help you get better. I should've gone to the Amen Clinics months ago - they have been fantastic and both the doctors and I are extremely optimistic of a significant, if not full recovery. I did more in my wrestling career than I ever would've dreamed possible. I had experiences I wouldn't trade for anything. It brought me out of my introverted shell and taught me so much, good and bad. Without it, I wouldn't have moved to Seattle, and I wouldn't have met the woman that would eventually become my wife and soulmate. I refereed a match with Kevin Nash in front of 1800 people, got punched by Ross Hart, booked guys like Christopher Daniels, Raven, Matt Borne and Fit Finlay for matches, was front and center in three fantastic stables and major angles, main evented in major matches, was carried out of a building kicking and screaming by a local women's tackle football team (Seattle Mystics represent), got to piss off more fans than I can count, main evented as a referee, a manager and a wrestler, transition for six months into a commentator, be the executive producer of a promotion and TV show in my own vision, had my own championship belts created (twice!) and even held two championships at the same time. And guess what? It was fun.

given this is YouShoot, I assume the next screen says "Ribs and lung punctured by Dave Batista's penis"

Perhaps Becky snapping is nothing more than her subconsciously becoming anti-Sting. She's just playing the long game by mounting a preemptive strike against Charlotte eventually sticking the knife in her back, as Flairs are wont to do to anybody and everybody. Anybody and everybody that isn't their fake cousin from Minnesota (even though said "cousin" is actually from North Carolina). You can't trust shit about those Flairs or their phony baloney Southern-accented cousins from Minnesota. Arn really needs to interfere in their match at Evolution just so Becky can kick out of the spinebuster.

Sidekicks gave the former target audience a character they could identify with. Now nerds think that Spider-Man being married makes him too old and unhip. They worship at the altar of Batman as a loner/anti-authority figure while lapping up story after story where he sets up a goddamn police state and then bag on Superman for being a boy scout/government stooge.

That read like a PWI interview, which hero would prob take as a compliment.

"Why are we taping all of these damn dark matches?!?"

https://www.pwinsider.com/ViewArticle.php?id=120397 http://www.ringsidenews.com/2018/09/19/impact-wrestling-negotiating-new-deals-talents/

Lame story, dude. You should’ve said you were jumped by Abby.

well that is might white of them. Was Train busy that night

I didn't really notice anything that horrendous. *shrug*

I liked the Becky 3:16 - I just whipped your Lass” sign that was in the crowd.

The answer to this question is Koji Kitao.

FTFY Wonder if there's been any wrestler with better hair compared to his old than AJ. Those old looks were ROUGH.

I...I...I...can't resist. Rippa, I'm so sorry. I need help. :::uncontrollable sobbing:::

It's hilarious how many heel turns and face turns happening... it's like the dying days of WcW. EDIT: Ahahahaahah!

I cannot express my adoration for the above clip enough, so many of my favorite rasslin things: Florida, young BWindham, Solie, an Asiatic spike, that janky army cot stretcher... Muraco is one of the top three heels EVER in my opinion, just check out that promo and his impatient stalking whilst YBW is being attended to. So so good. - RAF p.s. - who was thee genius who named that move? "how about the thumb of death?" "naw, the asian thumb!" "the asian spike!!" (genius guy) "it needs to be called Thee ASIATIC Spike" "yes" "yeah" Who was that??!?!? Why does that work so much better? The move even gets traced and historicized, via thee Magnificent One & Killer Khan to Terry Gordy. Damn, I love this stuff.

well, shit.

Conor needs to ease up on the blow. Jesus. Also, the crop of reporters at the presser was um...unique? I think that's the right word without being mean.

Wonder when it dawns on people that Peter King is as big a dipshit as any reporter/talking head you can possibly think of?

LOL

And here I was waiting for the "X-rays of Sweetser's brain revealed nothing" joke... Seriously, what you've shared here is incredibly important. I've seen way too many guys in the business who can barely put a sentence together after years of abuse, including a few I'm friends with on FB. Also, I had a really bad concussion a few years ago, plus a handful of others from childhood into college that I'm 100% certain weren't diagnosed at the time. Your post a) is giving me PTSD, b) makes me want to get re-evaulated for some of them. Congratulations on "graduating," Mike. As @OSJ said, you're one of the good ones.

High time for another NXT Greatest Matches DVD set, WWE (hint hint)

Next week on Smackdown: The Bar lose a tables match to the Bella Twins.

I don't think Vince is aware that they have such a program.

It was nice hearing a crowd that was actually interested in what was going on. Cedric/Gulak was good.

Maybe he's pulling a Sean Connery while he shoots that movie.

To the surprise of no one - Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed that an annual Star Wars movie is over.

Thank you for this. I could not figure out who this was and kept wondering if Walt Goggins had some sort of secret wrestling career I was unaware of.

We have a ton of "a couple of minutes here and a couple of minutes there." Clipped big matches. Sometimes we'll get a full TV/Match angle which is top notch, like this:

That's a hell of a bold statement, thing is, I don't think that you're wrong.

Some fine-looking cats there, John. As the weather cools, Bruce becomes increasingly cuddly:

Bags of taters = Irish revenge! ?

I actually quite enjoyed that mashup team. And holy shit, Kronus looks like a heavier Punk there.

Maybe Fallah Bah will be the one to finally end AJ's reign so Roman can hiplock him on a battleship before unifying the belts at next year's Summerslam.

She's not wrong.

I'd like to see Shaul Guerrero return to aide her husband against Rusev and Lana.

I'm with you. The way everyone in the system bends over backwards for this fucking junkie and cheater is amazing. It makes me want to not watch anymore. And Jones will just fuck up again because that's who he is and what he does. It'll be something else and then he'll get another slap on the wrist. Meanwhile, Dana and other UFC execs can't stop themselves from wishing for someone like Tyron's downfall. Maybe Tyron should do a bunch of coke and hit someone and flee the scene to raise his stock.

Yeah, y not?

Not only was his real name Richard, he went by Dick. He was Dick Blood.

That's obviously what this meeting was about. WWE wants Fallah Bahh to fill its sumo quota. Impact Wrestling officials Ed Nordholm and Scott D'Amore met with several high ranking WWE executives last week at WWE HQ in Stamford, CT, PWInsider.com has confirmed with several WWE sources. Vince McMahon was not involved in the meeting we are told, but members of Triple H's team were in attendance.

Not nearly enough is the correct answer. There's quite a bit, but there's also quite a bit lost. Really wish we had all those Georgia masters that Ole threw out.

I finally am caught up. I'm all in. This is the best show on TV in a decade, at least.

LOL you think they know who Outkast is.

Give it time.

At least Rusev is turning face and English heel. I’m a little surprised they didn’t try to do the opposite.

You know how you can tell Becky is the heel? She comes out on top in every segment. Also, that AJ/Almas match was awesome, with a truly excellent finishing sequence.