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Reported by: Tommy Idol on December 12, 2001 
Dec 8: Back in September, I became the first Nittany Valley Wrestling State College Champion, pinning Fumar in a four-way dance that also featured Rapid Fire Maldonado and The Beater. I defended that title on October 20, defeating Chris Stylz by pinfall. Since that time, management in NVW has gone through changes, as the presidency of the PSU Pro Wrestling Club, which runs the NVW shows, changed hands. This club has continually run what I feel is a completely unorganized promotion. Shows have been cancelled then uncancelled as late as the day of the show. Pay-offs have been less than promised. I haven't spoken to anyone from NVW since the PWC has gone under new direction, and if the club contacts me, I will discuss working for them again. I can't, however, count on NVW to book a date with them, if they are going to ultimately cancel their show anyway. I could use the date to work somewhere else more reliable. So, at this time, consider me as relinquishing my State College Title and no longer working for NVW.On a personal note, I have been tossing the idea around for a few months now of retiring from the ring. I've had a nagging back injury that has plagued my everyday life for the past four months, my knees and ankles are getting slowly-but-steadily worse, and four concussions have taken their toll on my ability to hold a half-intelligent conversation. I've been popping glucosamine and ibuprofen like candy lately (per doc's orders, believe it, or not), and that is not condusive to a regular, healthy lifestyle. Injuries in this business are a regular occurrence, and I'm realizing that mine are accumulating, and taking longer and longer to heal. I've been told that I over-analyze things sometimes, but I feel it necessary to think about what kind of condition my mind and body will be in after the next ten or twenty years. I'm only twenty-nine years old, but sometimes I feel a lot older than that. I've been abusing my body ever since I graduated high school, from four years of jumping out of airplanes in the 82nd Airborne Division Infantry, to this wrestling gig. I know that growing old and frail are a fact of life, but I'd rather be in that state when I'm seventy-five, not when I'm fifty-five, providing I'm around that long to begin with. It is with that in mind that I've decided to take some time off from a full-blown schedule, mull things over, and decide if this business still has any place for me in it. I don't want to be one of those guys that has to go out there and half-ass his way through a match cuz he's too broken-down to really "go" anymore. I don't have the best matches anyone has ever seen, but I always try to give everything that I can to entertain the people who spend their money and want to see a good show. If I can't give my all, I'm not going to disrespect myself, the business, or most importantly, the fans. I will continue to work for the Lethal Wrestling Federation, out of Lebanon, PA until I make my decision as to how long I'm going to stick around. If I'm contacted by another promotion, I will accept the booking, but I won't be seeking work elswhere on my own, at least for the time being. If it would come to pass that I have already worked my last match, I would honestly be able to say that I feel like I'm going out "on top." My last few matches, which have been against Chris Stylz and Flamingo Kid a/k/a Pinky, were a lot of fun and received great reviews from fans and other workers. The Ladder Match that Pinky and I had on Black Friday was what I felt as the biggest match of my career. We built a great angle over a few months, the Ladder Match was billed as one of the Main Events on the show, and we paid off with a great contest; and, most importantly, no one was hurt (other than a hard-way cut above my right eye, but in a hardcore match, that's par for the course). I put my opponent over, which is the last thing one of the Boys should do before riding off into the proverbial sunset. If I would leave the business, the feeling I have right now is how I would want to feel when I go out. Just like Seinfeld. Don't over-stay your welcome. Do it on your terms. Have no regrets. |
