This post is a little bit of a follow-up concerning last week’s where I discussed the A&E Ultimate Warrior biography. ***BTW***~~~the video I made about my thoughts on that has almost 600 views in one week! I am ultimately floored. Thank you all and for the comments. I read each one… I’ll link the video at the end.
I had mentioned near the end of last week about PTSD and how I believe that could’ve been a factor for many of the wrestlers back then. Again, my view. Today, probably not so much as the pressure isn’t quite the same. Pro-wrestling never takes a hiatus like other sports or even T.V. shows. Most competitive sports have their 3-4 months of time and then they are done for a bit. The other shows we watch on T.V. are similar with their episodes running for a season and then they break. Remember back when if you missed a certain episode, no big deal? You’d just catch it again in the summer when they air all the repeats. Now, we have DVR ( which I don’t) and even original summer programming. You may never find that lost episode again unless you pay extra 💵to buy it.
I have noticed on occasion ( no, I don’t watch often) but the wrestling shows may air an episode twice for an “encore presentation” but I believe this to be if there is a holiday or anything like that. Correct me if I’m wrong. Other than that, nope- they are “on” all the time. Warrior rarely took any hiatus during his first few years in the company which was how it needed to be so he could get “over.” Some performers may strive to always be on while others may not. Sure, personally they can get breaks like a “fake suspension” or something and take a vacation. Also, some have filmed a reality show or even needed to be gone because of a movie deal. That was basically unheard of then and very different today indeed. Not to mention possible injuries.
I believe the freshness of the shows also keeps fans coming back. They know it’ll be new, exciting, and filled with the drama of entertainment. On the other hand, there is such pressure because of little downtime or just relaxing with something we’ve seen before. How does this never having a hiatus affect the athletes and staff? Well, that’s hard to say because I’m not part of it all. Some love always being in that spotlight but then others like their time away. Producing that many shows, having new content, or even traveling may take its toll with everyone involved.
I have said this before but again- so glad Warrior didn’t have kids when he was in the business. It would be that much harder I think leaving them but most guys probably got used to it. Possibly also when coming home, they would get busy with being a Dad again which could’ve helped their mentality. That would work in their favor but it also may not. After being gone for a while, do they remember the kids routines or schedules? Do they want to? Some may have even not been as busy and started to think about the business of wrestling again, training, missing the excitement and on and on. The roar of your kids at home may not be the same as the roar of the crowd in an arena. It can be the same as women now but I’m talking Warrior time here. Some even have met in the business and became a couple.
Could having kids though have helped Warrior be “Dad” instead of the “Ultimate Warrior” when he came home? It’s hard to say so I won’t. I do believe PTSD affects more people than just our military personnel. Yes, they would be affected the most but on some levels it can be an issue mentally. I am not comparing those in the military to wrestlers at all and PTSD psychologically with what they go thru but there are similarities in many ways. Having to be at the top and often does take its toll and it will without a hiatus very much. Think about all the emergency response members throughout the height of the pandemic. It affected them too.
This poses the question to all you warriors. Do you take a hiatus when needed or do you keep striving without rarely stopping? We all need breaks and we need them before being forced or before our health is involved. Take that downtime however you feel because it will matter. Being a pro-athlete, T.V. star, or anything connected to fame does make this all different with how you view success. It’s your timeline and your choice. Just make sure you become prepared to handle the business end and the hiatus end with a balance. It needs to be in every area as our lives depend on it. I am NOT saying any wrestler ever had PTSD at all, just connectors.
Without wrestling taking a hiatus, it will influence their lives in many ways opposite ours. They need to make decisions to stay mentally balanced as well. Whatever your life path, take a rest, break, hiatus, or anything that moves you in another direction for a while. Without it, you will find things extremely challenging in this life. Warrior did take those hiatuses for different reasons and I am glad he did. I didn’t know what I know now. The shows may never take a hiatus but as people, it’s a must.
P.S. Here’s the link on my thoughts about the Ultimate Warrior bio:
~~~ if for some reason, this link isn’t active, just look up my YouTube page and you’ll find it there!
P.P.S. Oh, I realized we don’t carry the VICE network so couldn’t watch “Dark Side of the Ring’s” Becoming Warrior. BUT, I did watch after seeing it posted on a U.W. fb group. This was different than the A&E bio…
*** Despite all that was said by others, ( which most stuff by the guys I knew of already 🙄😡) I am glad his humor was mentioned. That I will say. We are ALL capable of doing great things as Warrior had said. Listen to your inner self, not outer critics.
*** Just because I watched this, doesn’t mean I am anti-Warrior or anti-Dana at all. That will NEVER EVER be. I am stronger mentally and emotionally now so I needed to prove it. 🙋🏻♀️💙🙏🏻💪🏻
www.spiritandbelief.com~ find me here for book info on Warrior’s energy in spirit guiding me with fun stories and lots of goodies! It is also available on Amazon and other retailers… I write a more spiritual blog there as well. You can also connect with me on Twitter and some other U.W. fb groups (:
mywarriorwritings.com 