A former WWE star has shared a heartbreaking health update. Years of taking punishment in the ring and putting their bodies on the line can lead to issues later in life for many pro wrestlers.
This is what ECW icon Raven is dealing with right now. In an appearance on INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet, the veteran talked about his health issues. He said he is suffering from a sleeping disorder and also the early onset of Parkinson’s disease.
When asked what sleep disorder he has, Raven said the doctors don’t have a name for it. He mentioned that he is paying the price for putting his body through abuse for all those years.
“So I have to wear a special CPAP that makes me breathe the air. I’m sure, from years of drug abuse and chair shots to the head and stuff like that, and abusing my body, I’m sure this is the price I’m paying. So I go to bed, I can fall asleep, no problem. But then I start waking up. After about two hours, I’ll wake up, and I’ll wake up like every 20 minutes for the next six to eight hours. So when I wake up for good, I’m exhausted, so I’m waking up like 15-20 times a night,” he said.
Chris then asked him about his overall health, and the multi-time WWE Hardcore Champion said it’s good, but he has early-onset Parkinson’s, and the tremor is bad right now.
“It’s good. I mean, I got the early onset Parkinson’s, which I’m of the mind to say that I don’t have it. But it’s why I have the tremor, and that’s what they think it is. There’s no 100% proof tests, so I didn’t [get tested]. The test they give to prove it only proves it like 90% and there’s a lot of false positives and negatives in it. So there’s no reason, because he said he would treat me the same way, which is nothing as of now, because nothing’s bad enough, although my tremor is really bad right now,” he added.
Raven said WWE didn’t push him at all
Raven initially joined WWE in 1993, before becoming a legend with ECW. However, he returned to the Stamford-based promotion in 2000.
He teamed up with fellow ECW star Tazz initially and then feuded with Jerry Lawler. He then found himself primarily in the Hardcore division, winning the championship 27 times.
During the interview with Chris Van Vliet, Raven said he felt WWE underutilized him and didn’t push him at all. He said he should have been a strong mid-carder, if not a main event talent.
The former ECW World Champion said he may be biased, but felt like he could have made the company money.
