Posted on by bdamage1
Brian Damage
This is the 243rd 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.
Dead At Foti One
John Foti was a wrestler who competed for Stu Hart’s Stampede Wrestling in the 1950’s and 60’s. Foti, was a top of the card wrestler for Hart as he wrestled other greats like Lou Thesz, Stan Stasiak, Killer Kowalski and Billy Watson among others. His career started to spiral downward when he became an alcoholic. He was less reliable inside the ring and for showing up late or not at all to events.
Foti’s alcoholism caused him to lose his home. His wife and children left him and he became broke and destitute. He was living at a friend’s apartment and when he wasn’t drinking, he loved to paint. On April 29, 1969…Foti called his roommate and confessed to him that he had just swallowed an entire bottle of sleeping pills and was ready to die. He asked his friend to contact his estranged wife and let her know that he was committing suicide.
His friend mistakenly told him to just relax and sleep it off..thinking he was just depressed and not going to actually do anything. The friend then called Foti’s wife and informed her what Foti told him. The wife allegedly responded by saying, “He doesn’t have the guts to do it.” When the friend returned to the apartment, the door was unlocked and he found John Foti dead. John Foti was just 41 years old.
The Beast Within
Brock Lesnar was once known as ‘The Next Big Thing,’ but the next thing Lesnar always wanted to do while on the road full time with the WWE was drink and take pills. Lesnar admitted that life on the road was very difficult for him. He usually wanted to be alone and used pills and booze to keep him company. Brock said it wasn’t uncommon for him to drink at least a bottle of vodka and swallow a handful of Vicodin a day.
It had become all he would think about before and after his matches. Lesnar would often black out and not remember what he did that night. Realizing he had a problem, Lesnar decided to walk away from WWE and try his hand at something else. He got the tattoo of the sword on his chest, as a way to remind him of his dark days constantly on the road with WWE. Lesnar said “I felt like life was holding a sword right up against my throat, so I went under the ink gun because I never wanted to forget exactly how I felt at that time.”
Eve of Disaster
Former WWE Diva Eve Torres, took to social media to make a startling confession. She said that in 2009, she was the victim of rape. Eve admitted she was out partying with friends and in an environment she wasn’t familiar with. Possibly intoxicated, she had sex with an individual that was not specifically named by Torres. She said that while she engaged in the act, she voiced her resistance.
Eve Torres made it known that rape isn’t just about physical resistance to the act. Many times women go along with the act as a means to survive. She wanted to share her story as a means to educate and empower both men and women. While we do not know the name of the accused, it should be noted that this did happen to her while a member of WWE’s roster. Torres was a Diva from 2007 until 2013.
Roller Hate
Independent wrestler Jaden Roller who has competed for Ohio Valley Wrestling along with several other indy promotions…was accused of having an explicit online conversation with a 15 year old girl with special needs. It was alleged that Roller asked the minor if he wanted to see him naked. Several wrestlers and promoters went on social media to not only make the accusation, but bash Roller personally and professionally.
Jaden decided to fight back and denied the allegations. In a written statement, Roller had this to say…
I was wrongfully accused of a heinous and disgusting allegation. I am pursuing legal action and can assure you that there have not been any charges filed against me nor any open investigation for that matter. However I am moving forward in the process because an individual falsifying information regarding the involvement of a minor is illegal. What happened to me (via social media) is complete SLANDER or in other words, Defamation of Character. I find it absurd that the people in this wrestling business who pointed fingers at me instantly are the ones who are the most non-athletic, jealous, worthless pieces of garbage (yeah I said it). Shame on you and shame on everyone else including promoters and outsiders who jumped on the band wagon and believed in this nonsense. These days there are a bunch of “keyboard warriors” who all talk trash behind a computer screen. If you have a problem with me, come say it to my face. Attacking my appearance or my wrestling persona is one thing, but attacking my personal and professional life is distasteful and offensive.
This being stated, I am officially reopening my schedule for future bookings that will not only enhance my wrestling career, but are worthy of my presence. I am VERY excited to get back in the ring. Any questions, feel free to contact me and I can direct you to my attorney. Thanks. #pigtailpower
It doesn’t end there, because his accuser allegedly sent the online conversation to one of the promotions he worked for. An independent wrestler/manager named Midnight Guthrie posted the alleged conversation on his Twitter page.
Either scenario is unfortunate, but wrestlers, promoters and even fans have taken sides in the matter.