Posted on by bdamage1
Brian Damage
This is the 308th 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.
Eve of Destruction
Eddie and Vicki Guerrero held a New Year’s Eve party in 1998. The couple ended up having an argument and Eddie left the house. He went to a store to buy a few items and while out, decided to take a form of a drug called GHB. After taking the drug, Guerrero started driving and fell asleep at the wheel. With his foot on the gas pedal, it was believed that Eddie was traveling at speeds over 130 mph.
His car ended up crashing and ejecting Eddie 100 feet away from the vehicle. Guerrero would suffer multiple injuries including a fractured pelvis, severely torn calf muscle and a lacerated liver. The fact that he wasn’t wearing a seat belt probably is what saved his life, as his car was completely crushed. His wife Vickie was told by doctors that Eddie nearly died while on the operating table.
As serious as Eddie’s injuries were….they were surprisingly not career threatening. Eddie would only be out a few months and returned to action for WCW. He would later admit that he rushed himself back a bit too soon.
Byers Remorse
June Byers was considered one of the toughest women in pro wrestling during her career. She had a reputation of “stiffing” her opponents…especially newcomers. In January of 1951, Byers was suspended by the Cincinnati Athletic Commission for six months. She had allegedly “manhandled” a local referee during a match. Not only was Byers suspended from wrestling in the area for six months, but the Commission also looked into the possibility of dispensing women’s wrestling from Cincinnati permanently.
This, despite male wrestler Johnny Valentine who was only charged 50 dollars for striking a referee one year prior. The ban on women’s wrestling for the area never took place.
The Villain?
Ring of Honor wrestler and booker Marty Scurll was accused of sexual assault by a women named ‘Kitten.’ She alleged that her and Scurll had a sexual encounter while she was intoxicated over five years ago, when she was 16 years old. The girl’s father confirmed the allegations by revealing a series of texts between the two. Scurll allegedly convinced Kitten to go back to his hotel room after a show in the United Kingdom.
She admitted to giving Scurll oral sex, but he did not penetrate her as somebody walked in on them in the room. Scurll would later admit to the encounter and said that 16 years old is the age of consent in the United Kingdom. He issued two statements regarding his actions. None of which had a formal apology, but did say this:
“I am aware that a young woman has bravely come forward with her account of sexual abuse by some members of the wrestling community in the UK 5 years ago, a community I was a part of. Although I truly believe that our encounter that evening was consensual, and the fact that the encounter was legal; is almost not the point. I understand now that she now views our encounter as a part of a bigger problem within the wrestling community.
“What concerns me at this moment is that from what I have been reading, she is a fan of wrestling and was made to feel unsafe within that community. That is not acceptable. I also understand that some people have been attacking her on social media, and I implore you to please stop. She has a right to her voice and, and it our responsibility to listen.”
He would later add to his statement:
“In 2015 after a wrestling event in the UK, I had a brief consensual sexual encounter with a woman. In that moment, at a bar, in those circumstance, I had no cause to question her age. I don’t say of of this lightly or to seek absolution for my ignorance. Although I did not become aware of her age until after the encounter, the reality of the age disparity is not lost on me. I understand that although our encounter was technically legal in the UK, my lack of good judgement that evening has disappointed many fans.
“This week, the woman I’m referencing bravely shared her stories of abuse she experience while attending wrestling events during that time period. My name has been included in one of the recollections she has shared. I can only speak to what I know to be true and my own actions.
“It is my understanding that this woman continuously supported our sport through her attendance at events, seminars, and training sessions, and as an industry, we failed her. I cannot begin to understand the difficulties she must be experience, and in that spirit I ask that you please continue to respect her privacy.
“My immediate priority is to seek forgiveness for unknowingly contributing to a culture that for too long has promulgated ego over humanity and hurt many along the way. For those of us with a voice that can reach beyond our own doorsteps, it is our shared responsibility to be better and do more.
“The system must change to protect the most vulnerable and provide an ecosystem where female fans and athletes can engage and participate safely. The time is now. As a person who has been identified as part of the problem, I am unreservedly committing to be part of the solution. In the very short term, I am looking to work within the industry to create better security protocols at events to provide a safe environment for all fans. Words are no longer enough, action is needed.”
Ring of Honor has yet to formally take a stance one way or the other in this situation.
The Bossy Aussie
Craig ‘The Pitbull’ Cole is a professional wrestler from Melbourne, Australia. He is also a very outspoken individual on government corruption down under. Cole organized a protest on the steps of Australia’s Parliament. The rally was initially peaceful, but eventually turned violent with several protesters getting into a physical clash with police.
One of those arrested was the rally organizer himself….pro wrestler Craig Cole. Cole was busted open from his clash with police and issued a video statement after his arrest saying…
‘I’d like to thank the police for the fantastic chiropractic workout they gave me. My neck and back hasn’t felt this good in years.’