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Gone Too Soon
12 Plays15 days ago
This week, the Queens discuss wrestlers we lost too soon and the culture of loss in the business.
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Transcript
Introduction to Queen's Ring Podcast
00:00:01
Speaker
Welcome to Queen's Ring Podcast, where we celebrate the past, the present, and the future of professional wrestling. We're your hosts, Charity and Keri, your go-to duo for life in a squared circle.
00:00:12
Speaker
And on
Episode Theme: Wrestlers Taken Too Soon
00:00:13
Speaker
today's episode, we're talking about wrestlers that were taken from us too soon.
00:00:21
Speaker
And before we jump into their today's episode, we wanted to let you guys know that our YouTube is now Up and jumping, jumping.
00:00:33
Speaker
Hey. Hey. What? Let's go. So head on over there. Yes, head on over to our YouTube. We will be doing a lot of ah behind the scenes videos there rather than posting them on TikTok and and um Instagram. So if you want to see more behind the scenes with the queens, if you want to see just us in our regular schmangular lives outside of kind of wrestling I mean I feel like you guys kind of know our personality by now but yeah how outside of wrestling we'll do trends we'll probably do a lot of food videos we like to go to different places get some places to eat we some foodies so we'll do some of those and a lot of blogs so make sure you head over there and subscribe please
00:01:26
Speaker
believe
00:01:33
Speaker
so also we have been speaking about a surprise june coming up so it's june is creeping up okay so be on the lookout for that june 1st we give little hint to what we're doing and whatnot yeah we'll be dropping little
00:01:55
Speaker
The fact we did it different ways.
00:01:59
Speaker
Little hints, little clues that we cannot wait to share with you guys. Yes. This is big for us. Yeah. will say. This is pretty big for us. and It's pretty big. It's exciting.
00:02:11
Speaker
So we'll see how it goes. Yes.
00:02:27
Speaker
um
Tributes to Sabu and Shad Gaspard
00:02:28
Speaker
you know as we're speaking about this episode today a week ago we learned that the ECW hardcore legend Sabu has passed away so we definitely sent our condolences to his family to his fans um what a wrestler what a performer and you know Rest in peace.
00:02:55
Speaker
Definitely rest in peace. It's crazy that we're doing this episode yeah one because we also um Carrie sent me something and today actually Shad Gaspard's and the passing my anniversary. yeah So I was like, whoa. What a coincidence that we're doing this episode on that day.
00:03:21
Speaker
yes And as well... In a week is going to be Saturday Night Main Event. I, unfortunately, will not be watching. i will be hiking. so And I will be at a baby shower.
00:03:33
Speaker
So neither of us will be watching. <unk> Neither of us will be watching. But it will'll we'll keep an eye on things. But we're not going to be ah actively watching. Yeah.
Logan Paul's Wrestling Influence
00:03:45
Speaker
I do have some questions. um One is, how does Logan Paul keep getting entitled defense... matches how does he keep doing that don't get us started on this man because like no one asked you to be here logan how does he keep getting into these matches feel like he first of all why does he always have a match at wrestlemania no one's asking me for that literally ever no one ever asked for that has he wrestled like not at wrestlemania since he's been here no
00:04:18
Speaker
Yeah, must say I don't know if he's actually wrestled at all on anything but WrestleMania. Crazy. He's been on other things, but I'm like, he doesn't need to be.
00:04:32
Speaker
No one's asking for this man. And for him to be the first person to go against Jay is crazy. Disrespecting Jay, okay? Give him somebody else for real. There's plenty of other people that could have been his first opponent. Or he could just have a rematch with Glitter. Yeah.
00:04:52
Speaker
So, stop embarrassing us, please. Take that crusty mop head out of here. We're done. Bye. Mop.
00:05:04
Speaker
Mop. Mop.
00:05:08
Speaker
You can't mention mop without singing mop.
00:05:13
Speaker
Also, why are we having Archie with Russell John Cena? Yeah, that... For what?
00:05:26
Speaker
The silence. Can you hear the crickets? The crickets.
00:05:34
Speaker
ah quick
00:05:38
Speaker
No, for real. Like, off of that one One interaction? Like, who cares, I feel like you're literally wasting the one year that he has left.
00:05:50
Speaker
So, besides the Randy Orton feud, which, thanks, guys. Love that. I wish Edge was still in the WWE because I would have liked to see that. yeah But I feel like you're just wasting last year.
00:06:09
Speaker
Hopefully they'll turn it around. I'm wasting my eyeballs. Like, why?
00:06:15
Speaker
Not wasting your eyeballs. Ma'am.
00:06:22
Speaker
I know. That's all we got.
00:06:33
Speaker
The wrestling world is generally thought of as one big family. From performers to fans, we all make the world go round. So when we lose one of our own unexpectedly, it can be gut-wrenching.
00:06:47
Speaker
Unfortunately, the wrestling world knows all too well about sudden losses. Today, we will be talking about superstars who were gone too soon.
00:06:58
Speaker
And some of the wrestlers that we discuss or name may have hard-hitting stories surrounded surrounding their deaths. But we're going to treat everyone for spec, no matter how we may have lost them and the world.
Ashley Mazzaro's Legacy and Challenges
00:07:14
Speaker
So guess let's just jump into today's episode. The first person I want to talk about is Ashley Mazzaro. Ashley was one of the women that I thought was going to have a big career um in the WWE. She was so different and unique from the other divas.
00:07:33
Speaker
Her career... started with her winning the diva search and we've spoken about the diva search before how it sucks but we did get a lot of great women from the diva search she was originally paired with trish stratus which right off the bat i mean you're paired with the top but you pair with the head honcho like so you know i thought maybe you know something would go off of that um
00:08:03
Speaker
And then later, she would valet for one of SmackDown's top tag teams, which was Brian Kendrick and Paul London. And even marketed as the next clever girl for Playboy. Boo, Playboy though, tomato, tomato.
00:08:17
Speaker
And some onions.
00:08:20
Speaker
Not and some onions. But she would only spend three years with the company. What I really liked about Ashley was...
00:08:31
Speaker
like her pop, her like punk rock attitude. I liked how determined she was to prove herself. oh And I kind of liked her style, her piercings, all of that. a While, you know, we did have Lita at the time as well, Ashley just brought a little bit of a different vibe, I feel like.
00:08:56
Speaker
In 2016, Ashley... joined a lawsuit against the WWE that stated the company concealed risks of injury that cause neurological damage.
00:09:07
Speaker
And she also came out and stated that the WWE covered up something so heinous that happened to her on tour in another country. Sadly, Ashley would pass away in 2019. Her death, along with others, have sparked the conversation about mental health in the wrestling business prior to her passing Ashley had opened up about her struggles with mental health and other health issues that she attributed to pro wrestling at the time um I said that you know she stated that Debbie covered up something I'm not gonna say what it is you can just google it's free um but I'm not gonna like say what it is because I don't want to be like don't to be like that kind of episode like
00:09:51
Speaker
so if you're in want to know what is you can google it not that hard um but yeah definitely gone too soon definitely um out of the company too soon but i think from what i remember she left the company because at the time think her daughter was sick or something got sick and so she asked for her release is what i read didn't even know she had a doctor Sure did.
The Impact of Bray Wyatt
00:10:21
Speaker
So there's that.
00:10:25
Speaker
So my first one is Bray Wyatt. Now that one hit me hard. I'm not even going lie to you. So passing at the age of 36, back in August of 2023, he had a heart attack. He was fighting infection caused by COVID-19.
00:10:49
Speaker
But he also had ah like a pre-existing heart condition that ended up making it worse. like covid The COVID infection made it worse. And of course, he ended up passing at home.
00:11:02
Speaker
So losing Bray was very shocking to the whole world. like I don't think anybody... You know, we don't see death coming. But that one was like, yeah, we took that one hard and definitely did not expect it.
00:11:16
Speaker
but he's a third generation superstar of the return Rotunda family. And he had a huge impact on wrestling because like he was just so creative and always thought outside of the box. Like even Triple H was talking about that, how not even just him, just multiple wrestlers were talking about how he was just so creative and always had some type of plan and So he brought that eerie leader persona for the Wyatt family and then reinvented himself as the Fiend.
00:11:46
Speaker
Both like psychotic characters, I guess you could say. But the Fiend was probably most one of the most haunting characters in WWE history, to me at least.
00:12:00
Speaker
He never failed to keep the fans engaged and then kill whatever story he was telling. He was a two-time Universal Champion, one-time WWE Champion, and held multiple tag team titles.
00:12:14
Speaker
Bray Wyatt is definitely missed till this day, and I think we could only imagine what this man would have accomplished had he still been here. Yeah. I feel like the Wyatt family, like what they are now, would probably be different.
Chyna's Career and Hall of Fame Exclusion
00:12:34
Speaker
Probably way different. The next person is going to be Chyna.
00:12:41
Speaker
I mean, huh. Yeah. Rising to fame in the late 90s, Chyna wasn't just a wrestler. She was a global superstar.
00:12:52
Speaker
Regarded as one of the most influential women in wrestling history, she played a pivotal part in how we see women's wrestling today. The first woman to enter the Royal Rumble, the first woman to hold the Intercontinental Championship in WWE, and the first woman to qualify for the King of the Ring tournament.
00:13:09
Speaker
Growing up, and to this day, China is one of my favorites. As a kid, I loved seeing a woman dominate in a male-dominant sport. I loved hearing men complain, and I loved watching men cry.
00:13:24
Speaker
China didn't fit the diva mo the diva mold. She was a symbol of power, a fresh face to femininity. Outside of wrestling, she did have some struggles with addiction and mental health.
00:13:36
Speaker
In 2016, she would sadly pass away from an accidental overdose at the age of 46. Her death sparked renewed conversation about WWE's treatment of their talent, especially the women.
00:13:49
Speaker
Though she was inducted in 2019 to the WWE Hall of Fame with DX, she has yet to be inducted as an individual, which is crazy because you're inducting all these other women before her. Yeah.
00:14:03
Speaker
I mean, I'm sure that they deserve to be in there as well, but before China is crazy. Crazy work. It's super crazy, and i feel like it's definitely intentional.
00:14:15
Speaker
feel like it's very intentional because I feel like after she left... Like, they tried they tried to erase her, in a sense, and I feel like that's more on Stephanie's part as jealousy, whatever.
00:14:37
Speaker
um and they can say all they want, like, every year, oh, she'll get in there, she oh she definitely deserves to be in there by herself, okay, so each passing year, though. She's not, so.
00:14:47
Speaker
You're putting everybody else in there, and you're putting, like, Why is Ju-Carri in there? Exactly. So.
00:14:58
Speaker
Bitches.
00:15:01
Speaker
Y'all better quit playing with my Chyna now. Get her in that hall of fame.
Umaga's Legacy and Tragic Death
00:15:09
Speaker
My next person is Umaga. Referred to as a Samoan bulldozer.
00:15:18
Speaker
so
00:15:21
Speaker
Don't ask him why I did that.
00:15:24
Speaker
So Umaga made his name in the 2000s. This man was straight scary, had the intensity that one actually needed, and definitely had power. He was a part of the... I forgot how to say the last name. The Noah family.
00:15:42
Speaker
bringing his own style which was in fact brutal with his signature move being a Samoan spike. He had many memorable feuds with John Cena and Bobby Lashley.
00:15:54
Speaker
He played a major role in the Battle of the Billionaires at Wrestlemania 23. So i personally love the brutal style and he did it so well.
00:16:07
Speaker
Now his son Zilla Fatu uses the smoke Samoan spike today which Of course, he's Umaga's son, but he definitely reminds me so much of Umaga. and Also, passing too soon at the age of 36 as well due to a heart attack, which was caused by acute toxicity from a combination of drugs, which is definitely unfortunate.
00:16:32
Speaker
Besides that, they did find that he had a liver disease and a heart disease. He was a two-time WWE Intercontinental Champion. And definitely know he would have accomplished more within the WWE.
00:16:48
Speaker
My final
Shad Gaspard's Heroic Act
00:16:49
Speaker
person is going to be Shad Gaspard. ah part of a tag team who I still cannot believe to this day did not win tag team titles. A shame.
00:17:01
Speaker
ah shame. Y'all should be a ashamed of y'all. You should. This is a shame WWE this episode just for you.
00:17:12
Speaker
Not too much. We still gotta make our own appearance.
00:17:19
Speaker
Shad was a man who entertained audiences and could back up whatever he said in the ring with his large stature and large presence. Primetime was one of these lightning in a bottle moments in the 2000s.
00:17:31
Speaker
The duo of Shad and JTG instantly won over the crowd. Their popularity was undeniable. Tragically, in 2020, while swimming with his son at Venice Beach in California, Shad would be captured by a strong current.
00:17:45
Speaker
He instructed the lifeguards to help his son first before being pulled under the water. in recognition of his bravery and selflessness, Shad was awarded the 2022 Warrior Award at the WD Hall of Fame ceremony.
00:17:59
Speaker
This was accepted by his wife and son, as well as his tag team partner, JTG. This award this I feel like they're all shocking, obviously. But this was just crazy to witness as a fan because it's like you're seeing all these alerts on social media, on news outlets, and it's like, what the hell is going on, bro? Yeah.
00:18:26
Speaker
It's not like, oh, this person just passed. It's like, this person got swept up. They're searching for him. And then, like, three days later is when they actually found him. But I'm like, bro, that's crazy.
00:18:37
Speaker
It's like, Whenever he actually got that award, I was actually crying seeing like the wife and the child his child up there. yeah I was so teary-eyed. It's crazy. No, and seeing
00:18:55
Speaker
his son, and JTG, do the little crime time handshake and everything. but and was a moment. And it's also weird not to step outside of wrestling. It's also weird because in that same year,
00:19:09
Speaker
I believe, yeah, in that same year that,
00:19:15
Speaker
in the same year that this happened, like, this happened, as we said, today, which is May, what, 17th, um, months later, in the Glee universe, Naya would also be Naya would also save her son and drown as well. So was like a double hitter of a year for Carrie over here. Within a dang month. Who was in love with Naya Rivera. Please. Okay. Whole personality, Naya Rivera. Same here on Lopez. Please. Okay.
00:19:48
Speaker
But yeah, it was crazy to just get those alerts like back to back back. Tragic, bro.
00:19:59
Speaker
My last
Daphne's Passing and Mental Health Awareness
00:20:00
Speaker
person is Daphne, the screen. The screen.
00:20:07
Speaker
The screen queen. Okay. school The screen queen. queen I can't get over that. So Daphne brought the gothic and fearless energy, making her way into the professional wrestling in 1999.
00:20:23
Speaker
nineteen ninety nine She tragically passed away in 2021 at the age of 46. She did commit suicide. But she left the message before passing stating some concerns of CTE, which is a brain injury caused by repeated head injuries.
00:20:42
Speaker
So Daphne expressed that she wanted her brain to be donated to a research program. Like the fact that she had all of this planned out. like Oh, that's interesting because Ashley wanted the same. Really? Really?
00:20:56
Speaker
That's crazy. You know, CTE, e what you doing? But this action highlighted her commitment to raising awareness on mental health and risks associated with pro wrestling.
00:21:09
Speaker
And I would say it does take a lot for people to be aware of the illness they have. So I definitely applaud Daphne for even voicing her concerns.
00:21:20
Speaker
She's only the second woman woman to hold the WCW Cruiserweight Championship. How does she not have more championships under her name? No say. Well, actually I do because women were treated like trash back then.
00:21:35
Speaker
Yeah. You rusty spoons. Rusty. Christy. Zusty. Okay, thank you. Let me get back to the program.
00:21:48
Speaker
Her gimmicks definitely stood out and kept me entertained, I would say. But Daphne did have like her most notable run in TNA, where she portrayed many characters like the Governor and Dracula.
00:22:06
Speaker
Dracula. Dracula.
00:22:12
Speaker
So
High Mortality in Wrestling: Causes and Concerns
00:22:13
Speaker
let's talk about the culture of loss in wrestling. The topic of professional wrestlers' premature deaths is a frequent conversation. With your body on the line, your mind, stress, and more, it can be very grueling.
00:22:28
Speaker
Did you know that there was a report in 2014 by John Moriarty of the University of Manchester that said that the mortality rate of professional wrestlers was significantly higher than that of athletes in any other sport?
00:22:43
Speaker
That's crazy. Crazy as heck. Unfortunately, when going through the list of wrestlers, we lost... When going through the list of wrestlers we lost, the reigning cause of death centered around three things.
00:22:57
Speaker
Heart attacks, drug overdose, and suicide. There is technically no off-season for a wrestler. Wrestlers can be in the ring six days out of the week, and that's crazy. It's heck. the 70s, 80s, and ninety s heavy drug use was prevalent in the business.
00:23:14
Speaker
It was a way to party, relax, sleep, and more. Pair all of these things with some not-so-safe work environments back then, promoters who only cared about their product, their power, and what they personally wanted.
00:23:26
Speaker
it is no wonder the culture of loss in wrestling is so bold. And though today's wrestlers may take pride in their health, things can catch up to you from the past, physically, emotionally, and more.
00:23:37
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Now, the but like what who comes to mind whenever we talk about— I know we were talking about— how Ashley and Daphne with the CTE and brain stuff.
00:23:53
Speaker
Chris Benoit always comes to my mind. it' me Because, you know, were talking about them trying to erase China. They erased Benoit. Totally different situations. Well, yeah, totally different different situations, but, like, they literally erased that man to the point where they took him out of clips.
00:24:09
Speaker
Like, there be a match he would be a part of. Like, say it's like a group match that he'd be a part of, and they would specifically not show in at all. Yeah. Yeah. Like, you literally went out your way to do that. And, of course, with with a good reason for that.
00:24:23
Speaker
But, I mean, he's they they put him back. So, yeah they talk about him. Gross, guess.
00:24:35
Speaker
Some type of So, we're going to honor the memory of arresting wrestlers that have passed. As
Honoring Fallen Wrestlers
00:24:45
Speaker
wrestling fans every day, we continue to honor those who have passed.
00:24:49
Speaker
Reliving matches, moments in history caught in time, they truly continue to live on forever. So let us remember some of the wrestlers we lost to soon.
00:25:01
Speaker
Danny Havoc, Tess, Scott Hall, Hannah Kimura, Reed Flair, Lance Cade, Chris Von Erick, Spider,
00:25:14
Speaker
Mike Von Erick, David Von Erick, Russ Hath, Crash Hawley, Carrie Von Erick, Owen Hart, Eddie Guerrero, The British Bulldog, Jay Briscoe, Sarah Lee, Brian Pillman, Brodie Lee, Miss Elizabeth, Sherry Martell, Viscera, Balls Mahoney, Yokozuna, Macho Man,
00:25:44
Speaker
Andre the Giant, New Jack, Pawbearer, The Ultimate Warrior, Roddy Piper, Vader, Road Warrior Animal, Mr. Perfect, and more.
00:25:59
Speaker
And this is like not even scratching the surface. yeah When I was looking at the list, it was so long. I just grabbed some names. The one we know and we're fans of, so and that's a lot of people even then yeah that we just named which yeah we know wrestling has been around a while but I don't know it's just so many deaths so many deaths between a small amount of time caused by or adjacent to the business yeah those three things that you named yeah
00:26:45
Speaker
What is the price of being a professional wrestler? While not all wrestlers pass away due to the sport, 80% of their tragic passings could be tied to it in some way. Mental health matters.
00:26:58
Speaker
Physical health matters. While there have been changes in companies, wellness programs, it shouldn't stop there. So what
Respecting Privacy and Wellness in Wrestling
00:27:06
Speaker
does that look like as fans? Well, we should respect wrestlers' privacy.
00:27:13
Speaker
This includes their time off, their airport travels, where they live, and what all they decide to share about their personal life with fans.
00:27:27
Speaker
Okay, because some of you out there have no boundaries. Have zero boundaries and zero respect for people you claim you're fans of. They are people.
00:27:39
Speaker
Yes, they are wrestlers, but they are human, they are people. Come on. Yeah. Get it together. Get it together.
00:27:49
Speaker
Get it together. Oh my god. You're who? Um. Yes.
00:28:01
Speaker
yeah yeah
00:28:06
Speaker
um but yes uh i mean yeah the wellness program it might be better i feel like wrestlers are more tune with their bodies now than they were back then just doing whatever uh safety first please and i feel like there's not a lot of there's not a lot of headshots anymore Yeah. which Oh, no, they knew to take those out. Yeah, which I think helps as well.
00:28:36
Speaker
But, you know, things can always be excellent instead of just better. clearly Clearly, though it's changed, it's still the same if wrestlers are still committing suicide and having all these problems and whatever.
Closing Remarks and Social Media Engagement
00:28:54
Speaker
But think that is going conclude this. week's episode was a little different from our normal giggly cackly um but i mean maybe the intro was yeah rusting with a ball but what's that anyways um it was a little different but i don't know sometimes different this one yep uh make sure you oh we actually are not gonna have an episode we're not gonna have an up episode next week so sorry guys
00:29:29
Speaker
No, make, you know, absolutely absence makes the heart grow funky. Go ahead and miss this. Yeah, we're somewhere we're not going to have an episode next. Catch up on catch up on episodes.
00:29:42
Speaker
What are you doing? Or listen again. Oh, she looked up and down at y'all. Charity, where can the people find you?
00:29:52
Speaker
and You can find me on Instagram and TikTok at livinglavishwithlonnie. And you guys can find me CarrieVicious on Instagram and TikTok.
00:30:04
Speaker
Thank you for stepping into the ring with us this week and hanging with your girls. Make sure you like and subscribe for more exciting episodes every Wednesday. And head on over to our Instagram and our TikTok and our YouTube, Queens Ring Podcast. We love to interact with the wrestling community, so do not be shy. Don't be shy.
00:30:25
Speaker
Until then. Keep your crowns high and your shoulders off the mat.