Sean Morley, who you remember from his extremely oily, towel clad run as WWE Attitude Era stalwart Val Venis (and who now works as a weed salesman), took some time on his Facebook page to open up about taking “one of the most vicious chair shots to the head the wrestling industry had ever seen,” and to commend the company about their evolving policies on concussions and chair shots to the head.
It is a tough, but completely worthwhile read, and a fierce reminder of the sacrifices these men and women make to put on a show for us, hang on to their spots in the industry, and maintain their reputation as low maintenance workers. As a refresher on the chair shot he is referring to …
This is such a brutal spot, and the ridiculous thing is that it is just a footnote in the match. It isn’t the finish. It’s just a chair shot for the sake of a chair shot. In an age where the stars of the late ’90s and 2000s are really starting the feel the effects of the risks they took, and even stars of today like Daniel Bryan retire from the consequences of their high impact style, this post from Morley can hopefully serve as another page in the lesson book for independent wrestlers across the globe: work smarter, not harder. When Seth Rollins risking injury for a table spot at a packed house show has been proven an unnecessary risk, these massive stunts and huge spots you’re performing just aren’t worth your health.
