Posted on by bdamage1
Brian Damage
This is the 531st installment of the ‘Wrestling with Sin‘ series. A group of stories that delves into the darker, underbelly of pro wrestling. Many of the stories involve such subjects as sex, drugs, greed and in some cases even murder! As with every single story in the Sin series, I do not condone or condemn the alleged participants. We simply retell their stories by researching interviews, newspapers, magazines and various other sources of media.
Shane Reaction
‘The Franchise’ Shane Douglas opened up about his past addiction to OxyContin. Shane said the addiction began back in 1999 while working for WCW. He said after suffering 29 broken bones and dealing with 18 surgeries, he was in a great deal of pain. His doctor prescribed him OxyContin, which his doctor said was a “miracle drug” and to take a pill twice a day. Before he knew it, twice a day became 50 times a day, with the most he’s taken was 15 pills at once.
His dependency on the pain medication followed him to TNA Wrestling, where (according to booker Dutch Mantell) Shane would pass out during production meetings. Shane said he tried to keep his addiction a secret in fear of losing his job with TNA. He said his wife during this time was in no way supportive of him and threatened to leave him and never see his two sons again. With his life spiraling out of control, Shane locked himself in a hotel room took the last two pills he had and woke up in his own piss and vomit.
Douglas decided to check into a drug rehab center and stated that it took him until 2005 to finally get completely clean. Douglas stated that TNA then fired him after he beat his addiction right around Christmastime.
Black is the Color Green
‘Cowboy’ Bill Watts recalled the very first time promoter Leroy McGuirk got a $100,000 gate in New Orleans, Louisiana. On that card, Watts stacked the card with a bevy of black wrestlers…this despite opposition from McGuirk. Once the show ended and all the ticket sales were counted….Watts was expecting a big thank you for putting together such a successful show.
Instead, McGuirk seemed very upset. Grizzly Smith who worked side by side with McGuirk asked him what could possibly be wrong? The show was a tremendous financial success for the territory. According to Watts, McGuirk said “There were too many niggers on the card and in the audience.” Ernie Ladd was sitting right there next to McGuirk when he said that…but said nothing in response to the racist comment. Grizzly turned to McGuirk and said, “Who cares what color everybody was? There money is still green.”
Say it Ain’t Joe
On the evening of September 1st, 1922…two sisters returned home from the theater to discover one of the sisters common law husband and former professional wrestler Joseph Lewis wiping blood off the face of their 86 year old mother Katherine Weiland as she sat in the living room. When the sisters questioned what happened…the mother accused Lewis of beating her. Lewis then allegedly warned the two sisters, that if they reported it to police, he would strangle them to death. Weiland went to the hospital that night and reportedly told a nurse of how she sustained a 2 inch deep gash on her forehead, plus a broken pelvis. She told the nurse that her son in law threw her to the floor and kicked and stepped on her.
Katherine Weiland died from her injuries about three weeks later. Lewis was arrested and was charged with first degree manslaughter. The prosecution could not prove indefinitely that Lewis (who was intoxicated at the time) premeditated her death. Lewis was found guilty and sentenced to a jail term of 5 to 10 years. He and his lawyer would appeal the conviction just two years later…but lost the appeal.
The Push to End The Push
Missy Hyatt recalled her very brief and unsuccessful run in the WWF. Missy readily admitted that it was horrible and she knew it from the start. She stated that they wanted her to play a babyface character, which she was unfamiliar with instead of playing a heel like she did her whole career up to that point. While her talk show segment called ‘Missy’s Manor’ was a flop, Vince had plans for her to do something else within the company that better suited her. Word was she was to play the valet named ‘Peggy Sue’ for the Honkytonk Man. That is, until one evening everything ended abruptly.
According to Missy, “Another thing is I wouldn’t f**k Vince (McMahon), that was another thing. He was really all into me until he tried to get into my hotel room and I pushed him out.
And the next thing I know we’re in Anaheim and he’s like, ‘Well, we want you to be a Federette and then you’re gonna do something with The Honky Tonk Man and do something with him’.
I’m like, ‘I don’t know if I wanna be a Federette.’ One of three or one of two, be one of three or something that takes ring jackets.
I’m thinking I’m Missy Hyatt. I’ve only been in the business like 2-3 years but I still knew that I didn’t wanna be a Federette and take ring jackets.” After that, Missy was gone from the WWF and never returned. Hyatt said that she is currently cooperating with prosecutors that are going after Vince McMahon in the case involving Janel Grant.