William Regal’s Viral Post Is Drawing Huge Attention From Wrestlers

He wrote:

"I broke my neck twice,9/93 in ring and a car wreck in ‘97 and stupidly never told anyone. And I was taught properly how to bridge and not land on the top of my head. It’s a skill that maybe 99.9 % of people don’t know or will ever learn anymore. I kept going somehow but knew all the tricks that again people don’t learn now and watch film and just copy. After Misawa San passed from his neck problems I thought it would stop this nonsense but it’s got worse and whenever I talk to people about them doing it it’s “well it doesn’t hurt….” Believe me it will."

Regal went on to talk about how people he's close to, like Daniel Bryan, are suffering daily. He added:

"The vast majority of fans don’t know the difference between a vertical suplex and a brainbuster, and that’s a far tamer move than many I see now. I’m 57 and become less relevant every day but fame has never been my thing so most of you doing this STUPID stuff are not going to listen to me but hopefully a few do. Stop it now if you want a decent quality of life after Wrestling because that part of your life will be over before you know it and wrestling done right is hard enough but broken necks or death are not something you should think is tough or cool. It’s idiotic thinking."

Wrestlers Have Responded And Applauded Regal

The post from Regal caught attention almost immediately. Several wrestlers commented on the dangers of injuries and the reckless tendencies from some of today's performers.

Former WWE star, Gail Kim, wrote:

"Thank you for sharing this. Safety should be number one bc unfortunately most don’t want to hear this but wrestling will never love us back the way we love it. Take care of your life bc you only have one. Work smarter."

Current WWE star, Piper Niven, also commented: "The line between “But I feel fine!” And “I just want to feel ok again” Is horrifically thin and you have zero idea how close you are teetering on the edge of it. Please take heed my darlings."

Kenny Omega noted:

"Regardless of timing or perceived intent, the general message from Mr. Regal remains a positive one. Tribalism, whataboutism, and other ‘isms’ aren’t needed here. Safety often takes a back seat when a wrestler is locked in and actively chasing the dragon. We all sometimes need a voice from afar to tether us back to reality and to tell us that the risks have consequences."

He added, "The odds aren’t in our favor, and none of us will walk away unscathed. This isn’t company vs company or wrestler vs wrestler. This is about a general awareness and a knowing that the cost of what we do is directly related to the amount and severity of risk(s) that we take."

Omega ended with, "Keeping that in mind, as athletes, we aren’t all created equally. As responsible adults, we need to be realistic and know our own physical limits. I’d have to give my head a shake if I wanted to try a twisting shooting star, but I’d never say a word to Pac. I look at this all as great food for thought. Something to always be cognizant of. It shouldn’t be about making it a competition. Thank you, Mr. Regal."