Former WWE and WCW star Marc Mero recently spoke with SLAM! Wrestling about his Champions of Choices non-profit organization, which he began in 2007. Mero visits schools, churches and other groups to tell his stories of triumph and tragedy. Below are some interview highlights:
Mero told Slam Wrestling about his decision to star the project shortly after the Chris Benoit tragedy:
“Of course the thing that really catapulted me, unfortunately, was when Chris Benoit killed his wife and his kid and there was such a culture of so many of the guys that were dying. At that time I just wanted to make a difference and help younger people not go through some of the mistakes that I made. I don’t point my fingers at other people, but at what I did wrong, drug and alcohol abuse, broken relationships and broken dreams. I just wanted to help other people so I started the Champion of Choices program eight years ago and it is now taken off to over a thousand schools, churches and corporations around the world.”
With the help of friend Diamond Dallas Page, the embedded video below went viral and has received over 7.5 million views. Mero says he hopes he can work with WWE through his non-profit soon:
“The one thing that I hope comes out of it, and if it doesn’t I’m okay with it as I am busy, I would really like to reconnect with the WWE in a sense of working with them on their school programs. I see their school programs; of course, you put a wrestler in front of kids and they just go crazy, but they don’t really walk out of there changing a life. Sure it is great to see a superstar, but they are not delivering the same message that we are at schools. I would really hope someday that Triple H or someone in the upper echelon would come out and see one of our presentations and see the value of what we’re doing to associate with WWE once again.”
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
