I have known Marc Mero for 23 years. The relationship began when both he and Marcus Bagwell were my first ever guests on Vicious Vincent’s World of Wrestling, a radio show I produced back on Long Island in the early 90’s. At the time, I was a nobody just looking to get my feet wet in professional wrestling. Marc was young as well, but already starting to make a name for himself on WCW’s grand stage as the colorful, exciting, and flamboyant Johnny B. Badd.
Years later I would work with Marc Mero and his then-wife Rena at WWE during the Attitude Era. Marc was in a tough spot back then, with his wife perhaps more over then he was, and the boys in the locker room resenting HIM for it. Marc was put in a horrendous spot of having to support his wife while trying to keep the piece with his colleagues. And, he did that, always as a man first, and a professional second.
I touched based with Marc Mero just a few weeks ago. We’d been out of contact for years. I can’t tell you how refreshing it was to hear his voice – the excitement, exuberance, positive attitude were all still very much in tact. But after a while on the phone, Mark shared a story with me that honestly took my breath away. It concerned himself, a gun, sliding down a stone-glass wall, and pulling the trigger once his ass hit the floor – a story that he had the courage to share with the world through my podcast.
I was absolutely shocked by this story. Marc Mero? Perhaps the most positive person I had ever met throughout my walk in this life – how could he be brought to such a low?
Trying to make sense of it, I worked to justify it by realizing there was much more going on in Marc’s life at the time other than him no longer being on wrestling’s main stage. At that time, Marc had suffered tragic losses in his family, his relationship with Rena was over, and he was at a point where he was never more alone in his life.
In trying to come to grips with Marc’s story, I started thinking about the interview I had just conducted with Chris Pallies – the great WWF legend known as King Kong Bundy. Bundy was another guy that was just great to be around when I worked with him in the WWF in 1994. Even though I was in absolute awe of him, he treated me as an equal at the time, when I was nothing more than the lowly magazine editor. By this point in his life, Bundy didn’t do many interviews, but he agreed to do my podcast based on our prior relationship. I can’t tell you how honored I was to have him on.
During the course of our conversation, more and more I could hear what some would call the “bitterness” in Chris’ voice. I know better than to call it “hurt”. I can see hurt, feel hurt, and smell hurt, because I’ve been wearing it on my back for years. Chris spoke to me about not having spoken to Vince McMahon in almost 20 years. I spoke to him about what an absolute travesty it was that he wasn’t a member of the WWE Hall of Fame. During the process of my interview, I did everything I knew to pick Chris up, and tell him just how great he was, because that was the God’s honest truth. He was an absolute legend in the wrestling business, and to this day should be treated as such.
Just a few days ago, I had another conversation with a friend who had a great run in the business. Today, he’s doing everything he can to stay away from the alcohol that has consumed his life.
Then there’s me. Dealing with a depression that has haunted me for my entire life. In pulling no punches here, it escalated 15 years ago when I left WWE. Seeing what “prescription meds” have done to many of those I’ve worked with, I refuse to take any kind of medication, and primarily wear God as my armor to deal with my sickness on a daily basis. Yeah, even though I have never contemplated it, I did reach a point where I clearly understood why people commit suicide.
But, the story doesn’t end there. As a matter of fact, those that share similar stories about life after wrestling is a list maybe even longer than Santa’s on Christmas morning. I always worry about the “old timers” in the business. What do the majority of them go through on a daily basis? Being loved by the entire world, only to be forgotten – not only by the fans, but by the industry that they gave their lives to. I think about my friend Warrior – ostracized for all those years for who knows what? Thank God he got his just-due literally days before his untimely death.
I don’t know, man. In 2015, I just think we need to think of a better way to take care of our own. And maybe it even starts right here with me. All other sports have players’ associations, and those associations still take care of their own long after their off the playing field. Wrestling has the Cauliflower Alley Club, an event that, once a year, celebrates the pioneers of the wrestling industry. While that is absolutely a wonderful thing, it’s not enough.
Giving credit to WWE, they do have policies in place to help former wrestlers with addictions, and they even offer Legends Contracts to help them out financially, but those contracts are picked and chosen – they don’t apply to all.
Unless you were ever a part of the wrestling business, you can’t imagine how crippling it is, both physically, but perhaps even more important, mentally, when your days are finally over. Across the board, the mentality is primarily based on the rule of: when you stop making money for me, you no longer exist. And to me, that is wrong. It’s wrong because there are many who have sacrificed their health, their careers, and their families, to give to something that they absolutely loved and believed in. Those human beings should never be forgotten.
We need to do a better job reaching out and remembering all those who made this business possible in 2015. They need to know that they aren’t – nor will they ever be – forgotten.
NOTE: As a New Year special, I’m offering a one-day-only special offer for anyone interested in joining the VIP section of my website. By using the discount code ‘2015’, you can join “The Brand” for an introductory price of $1.99. That deal expires at midnight tonight. As a VIP member, you get immediate access to nearly 20 video shoot interviews, exclusive blogs and podcasts, plus a private forum. We’re also going to be adding new, exclusive content from other wrestlers and wrestling personalities in the coming weeks, so there’s never been a good time to join. Visit www.pyroandballyhoo.com/vip to sign up, and use the discount code ‘2015’ to get in for just $1.99 your first month!
