Pro Wrestling: Pain. Drugs. Abuse.

CBC News: the fifth estate >> THE Dynamite Kid Anyone who saw Tom Billington’s very humble origins would have thought his nickname a cruel joke. Born in a room without heat in Wigan, a small mining town in Northern England, he was, nevertheless, likely to become a fighter. His father and uncle were professional boxers. He came from a tough family where a minor misdemeanor earned him a punch in the head. A Natural Athlete A local trainer saw Tom had a natural athleticism... Read More

A Fight to the Death: Concussions in Wrestling

CBC News: the fifth estate >> Doctors point to “tangible evidence” that ex-wrestler Chris Benoit suffered from a dementia that so impaired his judgement, as to compel him to kill his wife and son before taking his own life. The hunt for clues linking damage Benoit had done to his brain in the ring, and his last, ghastly acts, began with a phone call from the former wrestler and Harvard graduate, Chris Nowinski. He had a bizarre request for Mike Benoit: he wanted... Read More