RIP DEAN RASMUSSEN

[Technico Support]

1 hour ago, John E. Dynamite said:

Oh hey good y'all can see it.

EDIT: I don't have Twitter so please link the GoFundMe in the comments

I always assumed you looked like Hasselhoff!  My world is shattered.

[Pete]

Oh man, JDW chipped in $1,000 and no one even noticed after Coach Tony's donation.

[TimLivingston]

DEAN’s writing was something I emulated in my early writing days (and straight up lifted stuff from, the power of the tildebang) mainly because I don’t think I ever saw someone write about wrestling with so much unbridled passion and enthusiasm. There are folks I read for their opinions, for their perspective, for their candor, but DEAN has done something really nobody else had done in this community: he finds something good in basically everything he watches. Even if he doesn’t like a match, he’s quick to point out a punch or a selljob that made you watch it for but that single moment. It’s not just the joy DEAN has shown over the years; it’s him saying that wherever or however you get your wrestling, the only thing required when you watch The Sport of Kings is that you find something you can take away from every match that matters to YOU.
 

Big Man, you got this. We’re all pulling for you. You have built something incredible. 

Edited May 4, 2023 by TimLivingston

[Curt McGirt]

I just found out about this in the Discord chat and am absolutely heartbroken. I've been reading Dean's writing literally since I was a child. His full re-emergence on here in the last year or two has been so full of joy. 

I don't know what else to say. We don't just want you Dean, we need you. 

EDIT: I threw in some cash and posted the link on Facebook. It's the least I can do. I'm not saying this out of any chest-beating, just out of hope that if you're on the fence about doing the same you should just do it. 

Edited May 4, 2023 by Curt McGirt

[Elsalvajeloco]

1 hour ago, NikoBaltimore said:

I'm in section 9 on floor seats. So glad to know you're there with the sign.

Also, TK donated 5 grand which is fucking wild.

Apparently, my good friend and our old mod sprewellrimz sent the link to AEW's Karen Tran (some indie fans would know her as KZT) who now works as a digital director after her stint working on NJPW on AXS. She sent it to TK.

The pro wrestling community is more close knit than I thought it was. I guess we can thank DEAN for that.

[For Great Justice]

DEAN is the best of us. His positivity and spirit for pro wrestling is absolutely contagious. Y’all know good and well if we asked DEAN to review Heroes of Wrestling he’d spent 1,000 words gushing over Tully’s promo and politely not mention anything else. That’s just who he is. 

[Pete]

18 minutes ago, For Great Justice said:

DEAN is the best of us. His positivity and spirit for pro wrestling is absolutely contagious. Y’all know good and well if we asked DEAN to review Heroes of Wrestling he’d spent 1,000 words gushing over Tully’s promo and politely not mention anything else. That’s just who he is. 

Don't kid yourself, he'd also wax philosophic about seeing Greg Valentine in Jonesboro, AR when he was ten.

You've got to accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mister In Between 

[Zakk_Sabbath]

Unfortunately, I classically ignored the 'Look here first' and was just looped in to what's happening via the Dynamite thread (John your sign making air is awesome!) - I'm really glad the update seems to be positive so far, and I'll be passing the GoFundMe along to my circle as well (I could only give a few bucks today, but plan on kicking in a few more once I get paid next week).

Lots has been written here by those who know Dean better than I, but I'll echo what seems to be coming up the most: his pure, unbridled enthusiasm. I've been here on and off forever, but some of my favorite interactions with Dean over the years have actually happened more recently, where it's like, me, him, and one or two other people in a super-dead Dark thread just marking out over like, Nick Commoroto and Bear Country. Great, great guy. It pains me to see him hurting, of course, but there's definitely a bittersweetness in seeing everyone rally behind him this way. 

[Craig H]

Any new updates on how he’s doing?

[RIPPA]

First a note in regards to expectations - this is going to be a long process. Insert whatever your standard cliché is here ("Marathon not a Sprint" being the one bandied about the most).

I also should note that I am not pressing for any updates. I take what I am given so it is possible things will go radio silent for awhile. Also, and I want to be honest about this, I am being extremely cautious with what I share.

All updates that I continue to receive have been positive, however, and if you have read the GoFundMe you probably realized this, this is still a very serious situation. To that I can at least say that it has been relayed that the family can start taking things "day by day instead of hour by hour"

Now as to not end on a somber note - Dean has been awake from time to time. His vitals are good. Communication is very limited at the moment but he is in a better way than he was on Monday.

And I will share this message from his wife "I told Dean about the support and comments from the dvdvr and he squeezed my hand."

Continue to keep his families in your thoughts. Donate and/or share if you feel so inclined

[Robert C]

I habitually skip the top of the page (sorry Rippa, but it's a fact that engineers can't read directions), so I accidentally saw this yesterday after seeing the mention in OSJ's memorial thread.

I've had very little direct interaction with Dean, but I realized yesterday that at the age of 52 I've been reading his stuff for almost exactly half my life, going back to when I was doing an internship in the summer of 1997.  I'd have time waiting for simulations to run, and ended up spending it reading RSPW.  There were a few posters that I'd always read their stuff, and Dean quickly moved to the top of that list.  Then I found his stuff on Ollie's old site and read all of that.  Once this site got started, I migrated over here almost immediately, though I lurked forever.  Looking at that list of donors yesterday was like looking back in time over the last 26 years

Somewhere, on an old CD, I have a bunch of random stuff saved.  A lot of it is stuff Dean did.  Road reports.  Dean/JDW threads either from the green board or RSPW.  Lessons on how to be a man that I think he wrote when he turned 40.

I've got a lot out of this site over the years, entertainment for sure, but more importantly friendships that extend beyond the online world.

Selfishly, I hope and pray I get the chance to tell Dean thank you.  

[Infinit]

15 hours ago, NikoBaltimore said:

Also, TK donated 5 grand which is fucking wild.

I tagged TK in my tweet...whether he saw mine or saw the GFM some other way, so happy to see he pitched in.

 

[NikoBaltimore]

25 minutes ago, Robert C said:

Somewhere, on an old CD, I have a bunch of random stuff saved.  A lot of it is stuff Dean did.  Road reports.  Dean/JDW threads either from the green board or RSPW.  Lessons on how to be a man that I think he wrote when he turned 40.

I've got a lot out of this site over the years, entertainment for sure, but more importantly friendships that extend beyond the online world.

I know we have the archives for old versions of the board even if they're incomplete.  But if you happen to find that CD I'd be curious to see what was on there.

11 minutes ago, Infinit said:

I tagged TK in my tweet...whether he saw mine or saw the GFM some other way, so happy to see he pitched in.

 

I tweeted it to him Tuesday night though I think it was more a team effort from all those who have been sharing.  Whether he was tagged in it or not (and honestly he's a busy man so odds are he missed those) it eventually found its way to somebody that could tell him about it.  In the end I'm just glad it did.

38 minutes ago, RIPPA said:

Now as to not end on a somber note - Dean has been awake from time to time. His vitals are good. Communication is very limited at the moment but he is in a better way than he was on Monday.

I know this is a long process but this sounds really, really encouraging.  I'm just hoping things keep slowly getting better.

[J.T.]

Khan donated $5K!

I am donating now!  My own personal shit has been crazy lately and things have settled down in time for me to do some good.

Get well soon, Big Man.  Thank you for opening your home to me and sharing the love of the pro wrestling.

 

Edited May 4, 2023 by J.T.

[Craig H]

Thanks @RIPPA. I think we all appreciate the update and understand. Things went so quiet for so long that I started to get worried.

As for what Dean's going through, it sounds almost exactly what my friend's dad went through except I think the only additional thing my friend's dad went through at the same time was MRSA. So yeah, this is a long, long, long road back. We're all pulling for him and this is one of those times where there's something to the combined power of positive thought or prayer or whatever to help someone pull through what they're going through.

[TimWresPowr]

I will have much longer form thoughts at some point as I’ve known DEAN since 1996.  Had the privilege of giving his personality an outlet on public access and later podcasts.  I wish I had been in touch with him more over the past 3 years.  Anyway, all the love and support for his family.

For those asking earlier about the old podcasts we used to do that became a free-for-all, here’s a google drive link to them.  Maybe I’ll search the PC for the liner notes on who/what were on each show, but any show with DEAN you can’t go wrong with.

Burning Hammer archive

[SturmCRF]

It's hard to separate DEAN from this magical place that's fed and nurtured my love of wrestling for literally half my life, but his ability to be endlessly positive about it while simultaneously having a sharp critical eye must have osmosed into my brain over the years, because I try to apply that to everything and it's immeasurably improved my life. I definitely used to be a much more miserable individual, and he's been one of the best examples I've ever come across of how to just really fucking enjoy the things you enjoy, and waste as little time as possible on all the rest. Not to make this about me, but so many people have already written most of the things I would have liked to say, so seconding all of that, too. Best wishes to him and his family, get well soon.

Benj

[Stefanie Sparkleface]

2 hours ago, RIPPA said:

I also should note that I am not pressing for any updates. I take what I am given so it is possible things will go radio silent for awhile. Also, and I want to be honest about this, I am being extremely cautious with what I share.

I think whatever information you pass along is appreciated. Thank you for what you do.

[Marcel]

Can't say enough good things about Dean.  I was honored to be brought into the group way back when.  Lots of great times going to indy shows and talking wrestling and working on the 500 and watching a beauty pageant contestant sign his stomach at one of those indy shows and......

Get well soon, Big Man.  This board, wrestling in general, and most importantly your Family needs you. 

[Hamhock]

My turn to say what many have already eloquently expressed; I would be immeasurably poorer in spirit if I had not encountered Dean on RSPW and then through the decades of DVDVR and this board's many renditions. I've never met him, but he's provided decades of entertainment and joy for so many of us.

As a specific shout-out, I was/am a huge fan of Dean's SOUTHERN ALCOHOL COMIX serial from back in the mid-aughts, which then sort of inspired the short-lived run of Throw the World Away - or maybe it was the other way around? (both of these links are from the Internet Archive, and therefore aren't complete). His work in both is fantastic.
 

Edited May 4, 2023 by Hamhock

[HarryArchieGus]

The outpouring of love for DEAN is really wonderful to read, and comes as no surprise. I've come to realize over the past couple days that there's really no contemporary writer I seek out more or enjoy reading than our man Dean. His combination of insight, enthusiasm and hilarity is unmatched. Not to mention his absolute respect for the craft. From all the terrific references, it's also clear that Dean has great taste in music. This serious cause for concern has had me searching out Dean's archives as both a writer and talker (thanks for the pod links @TimWresPowr). I'm loving the man more and more with each passing day. Huge thanks to @RIPPA for the updates. It's a true joy knowing Dean's been made aware just how much he's beloved by this community. Continued love and best wishes to Dean and his family ~ DEAN RULES THE MOTHERFUCKING WORLD! ~

[caley]

DEAN is the best. Even as an old man now, if I post something - even it's a stupid joke or off-handed comment - and DEAN like it then I feel like I've done something right. Sometimes I'll watch something and be super-negative/nit-picky over it, come on here to post something and before I do, read DEAN's post about the same show that is almost, always positive and I go "Well if Dean liked it so much...I'm probably in the wrong."  What I've really come to appreciate about his show reviews is that if there's something bad he'll write "A little rough" or "Good match before the bad ending" and move on, he doesn't stay and harp and hammer on about the negative, which is a lesson I definitely need to learn.

All the best wishes to him and his family. I'm hoping he'll be back posting in ALL CAPS before I know it.

[Chaos]

I contributed as well. I'm hopeful we'll keep seeing the big man's contributions around here for many days ahead! 

[Ryan]

Hang in there, big guy. It's a far better world with him in it, especially for his family. 

[Tarheel Moneghetti]

The situation is not at all funny, but I chuckled a bit when I saw the photo on Dean’s gofundme page.  Years ago, Dean posted a photo of AJ Styles in a sports coat and tie and captioned the photo “When your contractor has a court date”.  I’ve stolen that line a few times over the years and that was the first thing I thought of when I saw the photo.  

Prayers and well wishes for the family.

Edited May 4, 2023 by Tarheel Moneghetti