Memoir on local wrestler Fawcett
When my phone rang on the afternoon of Sunday, July 15, 2007, my heart sank.
Looking at the phone and seeing the name Robert Piskor, I knew what he was going to tell me before I answered.
That day and that exact moment in time will be ingrained in my mind for the rest of my life.
I was riding home with my dad from a summer league basketball game I had coached, and I know the exact spot on Pennsylvania Blvd. in Monessen when the call came in.
无毛视频淛immy无毛视频檚 gone,无毛视频� I told my dad, sensing what Robert was about to tell me.
When I answered, Robert was fighting through his emotions as he simply said two words, the same two words I had just said to my dad.
无毛视频淛immy无毛视频檚 gone.无毛视频�
The Jimmy he was referring to was Jim Fawcett, known in the Pittsburgh wrestling scene as Devil Bhudakahn.
Jimmy was found dead at his house after committing suicide, and his death rocked our wrestling community.
If you were Jimmy无毛视频檚 friend, he would do anything for you, and his viewing was a who无毛视频檚 who in the Pittsburgh wrestling scene.
We all grieved in different ways and each of us could share stories about Jimmy for hours.
Robert无毛视频檚 grieving was a multi-step process and he was eventually diagnosed with PTSD.
As a way to continue his healing process, Piskor has written a memoir titled 无毛视频淒evil Bhudakahn 无毛视频� The Man Behind the Mask.无毛视频�
The piece is through the eyes of Piskor, but he also invited several people to share our memories and share how his death affected us.
无毛视频淚 needed to do this to help me heal mentally and I did not hold back as Jimmy无毛视频檚 death affected me mentally,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淚 lost myself.
无毛视频淎nd I lost my passion for trying to make it to the top level.无毛视频�
Aside from being excellent in the ring as a wrestler, Piskor is also one of the top referees on the East Coast, using the name Bobby Williams, and at that time, he was performing in England where he was being scouted by Impact Wrestling.
However, Piskor had a complete mental breakdown while still grieving Jimmy无毛视频檚 death.
As he moved forward, Piskor learned to speak with others, and he discussed the important role that his wife, Natalie, played.
无毛视频淎 few years after Jimmy无毛视频檚 passing, I met my wife and she helped me over the years by giving me the motivation to talk about Jimmy无毛视频檚 death as well as the issues I went through over it,无毛视频� he said.
Piskor also shared who he wrote the piece for.
无毛视频淛immy无毛视频檚 three daughters did not get the chance to know him like we knew him as he was a pioneer in Pittsburgh wrestling history,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淚 want them to know what kind of man he was.无毛视频�
Fawcett无毛视频檚 role in establishing the importance of the Lucha Libre style in Pittsburgh is known well by those inside the business.
无毛视频淗e helped revolutionized the Pittsburgh scene when he debuted,无毛视频� Piskor said of Fawcett who briefly wrestled under the moniker Vince Viper when he first debuted. 无毛视频淎t the time, pro wrestling was a big guy sport and Jimmy opened the doors for smaller people to live out their dreams.无毛视频�
One of those people was Piskor.
无毛视频淲e met at a picnic for my mother无毛视频檚 employer,无毛视频� he said of his first encounter with Facwett on May 23, 1999. 无毛视频淎 small card was performed and after it was over, I introduced myself to Jimmy.
无毛视频淲e became instant friends, I built him a website and traveled with him locally (to shows).无毛视频�
Soon after, Piskor trained under Fawcett.
Piskor discussed what finally led him to write the book.
无毛视频淥ne day, my phone rang out of the blue and it was Jimmy无毛视频檚 mom,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淪he asked me to stop by her place to pick up something she found, and she ended up having his wrestling bag, complete with all of his wrestling gear.
无毛视频淚 was blown away and when I left her house, I had an epiphany that I needed to write about him and how much he meant to me, which led to a lot of my pain subsiding.无毛视频�
The process was arduous.
无毛视频淚 must have rewritten and redesigned this book 10 times,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淚 designed every page, sometimes just staring at it to make it perfect and it took a solid four months to come up with it.无毛视频�
This was when he reached out to others to share their thoughts.
无毛视频淎s days went on, I changed paths and asked several people to write pieces on him as well as I did not want this to be just my project,无毛视频� Piskor said. 无毛视频淚 wanted it to be a group project.无毛视频�
Robert asked me to write a piece, which I was honored to do.
Jimmy was blunt, told you how he felt and did not candy coat anything, but if you were his friend, he was loyal to a fault.
Robert无毛视频檚 memoir on Jimmy allows us to reminisce about our friend, the good times as well as how serious mental health is.
Piskor also had his six-year old daughter Lucy in mind when writing the book.
无毛视频淚 wanted to show her that you can do anything if you put your mind to it,无毛视频� he said.
Ironically, that was the same advice that Jimmy gave to so many of us as well.
The book is available through Blurb at www.blurb.com and it costs $20 plus shipping.
无毛视频淚t is filled with photos, stories that will make you laugh and stories that will make you cry,无毛视频� Piskor said.
All proceeds go to www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
Former WWE star drowns
Shad Gaspard, one-half of the former WWE tag team Cryme Tyme, drowned Sunday in Venice Beach.
Gaspard was pulled under by a strong rip current moments after getting his 10-year old son to safety.
On This Day无毛视频�
In 1984, Ric Flair defeated Kerry Von Erich to regain the NWA heavyweight championship.
For our younger readers, the NWA title was considered more of a 无毛视频渨restling无毛视频� championship while the WWE title, then known as the WWF title, was more of a prop for the 无毛视频淩ock N无毛视频� Wrestling无毛视频� era led by Hulk Hogan.
Sure, Hogan was better known around the world, but Flair was a working man无毛视频檚 champion and that is part of the reason why he is considered by many to be the best of all-time.
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