Thunder Struck: Retirement Statement Complete
Posted by TWV Guest Columnists
on 12/12/2006
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Guest Column By Joe Thunder
"Few men of action have been able to make a graceful exit at the appropriate time.
Michael Muggeridge
Sports entertainers have hung up their boots at various points in their careers. Some have gone on to enjoy the peaceful life, while others continue to return over and over again. In this conclusive edition of Thunder Struck, I would like to discuss a few more cases of wrestlers and their exits from the business.
Mick Foley gave his body and soul to the audience for the sole purpose of entertaining the fans. The man had his ear ripped off because of poor rope material (wire cable) yet still managed to complete the match. Mick was thrown off the top of and through a cell just for the sake of giving the fans something to remember. Over the course of his career, Foley suffered wounds from a myriad of thumbtacks, all driven through his body after being dropped or slammed by his rivals. Mick bled over and over in dozens upon dozens of hardcore matches in ECW, WCW, and WWE alike. His two more recent contests are ones that we will certainly never forget. Despite the phony finish at SummerSlam against Flair, Mick proved once again that he could still go out in front of a sold out crowd and put on one hell of a show. The hardcore match that he and Edge put on at WrestleMania is also one that will always be remembered. Aside from the burning table catastrophe, the match was literally Mick's way of passing the torch and putting over a star in the business. For Mick's contributions to the business, he will never be forgotten. Hell, it's probably safe to bet that we haven't seen the last of Mick Foley in a WWE ring anyway.
A recent WWE Hall of Fame inductee is a World Tag Team Champion. Roddy Piper has returned to the squared circle in what is probably safe to say one of the worst physical conditions he has ever been in. Piper and Flair are attempting to make a run with the gold at an age that is considerably older than that of your average champion. Ignoring this fact, it almost seems pathetic that the tag team division of the WWE has sunk to such low standards that two old men are holding the gold. On the contrary, it makes perfect sense for Creative to make use of these two men as champions, thus giving them competition in younger opponents and creating new school versus old school storylines. The success of Piper has often been contributed more to his talk segments rather than his in ring abilities. Though Piper's Pit serves in many an individuals mind as being the highlight of the Hot Rod's career, some are not too ignorant to forget about some of his classic battles. Throughout Hogan's championship reigns, Piper was always the guy right across from the Hulkster, ready to challenge for his title. A more recognized match, perhaps, would be the Hot Rod's battle at WrestleMania VIII where he defended and lost his Intercontinental Championship to Bret Hart. Piper often has been one to come and go and if history is any indication of the future, we can be sure that this won't be the last run we see from the Hot Rod.
Jerry "The King" Lawler helped build the Memphis wrestling territory from the ground up. The King has contributed a lot to the business over the years, even to the point of embarrassing himself on television over and over again while working for Vince McMahon. The infamous Kiss My Foot match that took place at the 1995 King Of The Ring was an absolute insult to Lawler and his career. Despite his heel character, the whole storyline that led up to this match between he and Bret Hart was absolutely ridiculous. Was it really necessary during the build up that Justin Credible have Lawler's toes shoved down his throat? Aside from all that, Lawler still steps into the ring whenever needed, even now. Just recently on RAW, we saw the King get the hell beat out of him, just for the sake of Masters being put over as a heel and appearing tough.
A prime example of a man who made the ultimate return from injury and potential retirement would have to be "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels. HBK was forced out of wrestling in early 1998 after suffering multiple back injuries throughout his career. Throughout a four year span, Michaels was seen on and off WWE television as he took the active role as commissioner. Shawn just couldn't let the business go. Despite his doctor's advice and despite the decisions he had once made, HBK managed to return to the ring. He came back from a lot of adversity and has managed to successfully continue his career in the ring. Before the four year absence, Shawn had left WWF television a few times for various reasons. Drug problems and supposed injuries were two of the explanations given during the time period. Though no one outside of the business can fully be certain of what HBK has really gone through, it's easy to see that this man has done many things for the business.
These wrestlers have come and gone. What's the lesson to be learned here? As Kurt Angle has recently stated, the business just wears and tears a body so much that it's impossible to go continuously without injury or breakdown. These men have all proved that every now and then, they need a break. In my brief few months of attempted column writing, I've felt some of my writing has been forced with the majority of it being terrible. For my lack of motivation, this will be my final column for the time being. This is my graceful exit. Until we meet again, you've been Thunder Struck.
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