The tragic death of Eddie "Umaga" Fatu was announced here on Wrestlezone.com on Saturday, December 4th. The memories of "The Samoan Bulldozer" are still relatively fresh in all of our minds, and the passing of this tremendous athlete at the age of 36 resonates with even casual wrestling fans. Mainstream media has picked up the story in the last few days, and anytime a pro athlete – especially a professional wrestler – dies at such a young age, it begs one very particular question.
Is there someone to blame for this?
For many people who do not follow professional wrestling with a passion and fervor, this is a case of "just another dead wrestler." Eddie Fatu just adds his name to the long line of professional sports entertainers who passed away well before what should have been the "half way point" of their lives. Louie Spiccoli was 27. Mike "Crash Holly" Lockwood was 32. Chris Candido was 33. Andrew "Test" Martin was also 33. Adrian Adonis, Owen Hart, and Rodney "Yokozuna" Anoa’i were 34. Eddie Guerrero was 38. Davey Boy Smith was 39. Terry Gordy, Chris Benoit, Miss Elizabeth Hulette, Ray Traylor, Rick Rude, Mike Awesome, Dino Bravo, Curt Henning, Junkyard Dog, and Bam Bam Bigelow were all in their early- to mid-40’s. I think you get the point.
WWE instituted a wellness policy effective February 26th, 2006, meaning we are nearing the 4-year mark since Vince and co’s "aggressive substance abuse and drug testing policies" went into place. Still, professional wrestlers are dying from a variety of reasons. Heart attacks. Drug overdoses. Suicides. Alcohol abuse. Concussions.
At the Wrestlezone forums, we are inviting fans with an opinion to weight in on this very polarizing topic. A current discussion thread entitled "Does WWE have Blood on their Hands?" is open and has already received more than 50 responses. To view the thread, please visit this link: http://forums.wrestlezone.com/showthread.php?t=82153&page=6
You are welcome to read the opinions of wrestling fans from the US, Canada, the UK, Northern Ireland, Austrailia, etc. and if you’re so inclined, we at the forums welcome you to register and begin posting your own opinions. The Wrestlezone Forums have developed a reputation for being a highly elite professional wrestling discussion forum with in depth debates and a range of topics from the WWE, TNA, ROH, and International Wrestling to such non-wrestling topics as Mixed Martial Arts, Current Events, Music, Video Games, Movies, and TV.
To learn more about the forums and to get started, you may visit this page of useful forum links: http://forums.wrestlezone.com/showthread.php?t=31221. PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO READ THE FORUM RULES BEFORE POSTING.
Eddie Fatu, the prayers of the wrestling community are with you.
Chris "IC25" Fitzpatrick – Wrestlezone Forums Administrator
