10.11.2003, 22:44
"Sick" nick Mondo ist heute vom Wrestling zurueckgetretten.Auf seiner Homepage http://www.nickmondo.com hat er folgenden brief veroeffentlicht:
This is going to be a little shorter than usual, but for a reason... I'll be doing a fan chat tomorrow, and I'll write another, more in depth commentary later this week.
There's really no way easy way around this, so I'll cut to the chase: I won't be returning to wrestling. This is something I've had plenty of time to think over, and I'm sure it's the decision I'm going to stick with. Basically, there's two reasons why I've come to this decision. The first I'm sure is pretty clear to everybody...my physical health. I'm the last person who's going to whine and complain about injuries and pain, but I will admit that I'm feeling the effects of the years I've spent taking risks in the ring. No, it's not terrible. I still get around just fine, and I still can work out, run, or pretty much do anything physically that I've ever been able to, but I can feel that I'm getting close to severely damaging my body.
The second reason, I'm sure most nobody knows of. But it's because until now, I've wanted it that way. I'm a college student. I've been a full time student for over two years now, and I'm beginning my junior year. I go to school for filmmaking and painting. I'm sure it's hard for most people to imagine, but the fact is, art is what I do better than anything else...including wrestling. To be honest, I never expected wrestling to take me as far as it did. I just did it for fun, but I tend to put everything into what I do. Wrestling has blown up in my face in the last couple years and it's been awesome, but it's gotten to the point that I have to pick either wrestling or school. I knew for quite a while now that I had to retire. I knew it, but it's not easy to let such a big part of your life go. However, since I've taken time off after TOD2, it's been pretty clear to me how big the risks I've been taking have become. Zandig and I easily could have died from that bump we took. I mean, we fell a couple stories with nothing but wood, glass, and concrete to break our fall. I think it's a miracle that we both walked away from that bump on our own two feet. ...That night was so huge for me, that I don't think I should try to top it. In my opinion, Foley should have ended his career after Hell in a Cell. The one he did for the finale of his career was way lame compared to the first one, and he probably regrets trying to do it again. So, I think I'll instead walk away with TOD2, possibly the biggest night of my career, as my final perfomance.
So what now? Well, I intend on keeping my site going and keeping in touch with the fans as long as they're interested. I have several projects in the works, including Unscarred (which will explain my decisions and help make them a lot more understandable) and more Favorite Matches DVD's. Honestly, I have enough material to keep my site going for several years if I chose to, but it really is up to the fans.
I know this is going to let people down and I know it's going to disappoint people, but if I don't start watching out for my own well being, I may end up in a wheel chair for the rest of my life. ...I'll have a lot more to say, but I'll see how the chat goes first. Other than that, the message board is open, so let me know how you feel about my decision. I'll talk to everyone soon, mondo
This is going to be a little shorter than usual, but for a reason... I'll be doing a fan chat tomorrow, and I'll write another, more in depth commentary later this week.
There's really no way easy way around this, so I'll cut to the chase: I won't be returning to wrestling. This is something I've had plenty of time to think over, and I'm sure it's the decision I'm going to stick with. Basically, there's two reasons why I've come to this decision. The first I'm sure is pretty clear to everybody...my physical health. I'm the last person who's going to whine and complain about injuries and pain, but I will admit that I'm feeling the effects of the years I've spent taking risks in the ring. No, it's not terrible. I still get around just fine, and I still can work out, run, or pretty much do anything physically that I've ever been able to, but I can feel that I'm getting close to severely damaging my body.
The second reason, I'm sure most nobody knows of. But it's because until now, I've wanted it that way. I'm a college student. I've been a full time student for over two years now, and I'm beginning my junior year. I go to school for filmmaking and painting. I'm sure it's hard for most people to imagine, but the fact is, art is what I do better than anything else...including wrestling. To be honest, I never expected wrestling to take me as far as it did. I just did it for fun, but I tend to put everything into what I do. Wrestling has blown up in my face in the last couple years and it's been awesome, but it's gotten to the point that I have to pick either wrestling or school. I knew for quite a while now that I had to retire. I knew it, but it's not easy to let such a big part of your life go. However, since I've taken time off after TOD2, it's been pretty clear to me how big the risks I've been taking have become. Zandig and I easily could have died from that bump we took. I mean, we fell a couple stories with nothing but wood, glass, and concrete to break our fall. I think it's a miracle that we both walked away from that bump on our own two feet. ...That night was so huge for me, that I don't think I should try to top it. In my opinion, Foley should have ended his career after Hell in a Cell. The one he did for the finale of his career was way lame compared to the first one, and he probably regrets trying to do it again. So, I think I'll instead walk away with TOD2, possibly the biggest night of my career, as my final perfomance.
So what now? Well, I intend on keeping my site going and keeping in touch with the fans as long as they're interested. I have several projects in the works, including Unscarred (which will explain my decisions and help make them a lot more understandable) and more Favorite Matches DVD's. Honestly, I have enough material to keep my site going for several years if I chose to, but it really is up to the fans.
I know this is going to let people down and I know it's going to disappoint people, but if I don't start watching out for my own well being, I may end up in a wheel chair for the rest of my life. ...I'll have a lot more to say, but I'll see how the chat goes first. Other than that, the message board is open, so let me know how you feel about my decision. I'll talk to everyone soon, mondo
