Unlike many of his peers who continue to wrestle on the independent circuit for years, ECW legend Spike Dudley has remained fully retired from in-ring competition for nearly 15 years. He explained the exact moments that led to his decision to walk away from the business.
Spike was a beloved figure in ECW, TNA, and WWE, known for his fearlessness and his ability to take incredible punishment. His career was built on putting his body on the line, but with a family on the way, he realized he could no longer continue down that dangerous path.
A Wake-Up Call from Sabu
Speaking on the Insight with Chris Van Vliet podcast, Spike pinpointed the exact match that served as his wake-up call. It was a hardcore match on an independent show in 2010 against his friend and fellow ECW original, the late Sabu. A self-inflicted blade wound to his arm went wrong, leading to a trip to the emergency room and a moment of clarity.
“My wife was a few months pregnant with our first daughter… And I was working for 2CW in Syracuse, New York… And they use me a lot at that company, but they booked me in a match against Sabu again… And I got my arm sliced. Look at that scar? Yeah, that’s my Sabu scar… I taped it up, and I got into my car and I drove home. And I got home at like, four or five in the morning… I fell asleep, and I woke up at like, nine the next morning, and I start to peel the tape off, and blood just starts gushing. And I was like, Honey, I think we got to go to the emergency room. But then that was the moment where I realized, Okay, I’m going to be a father. I can’t be doing this crazy stuff anymore, because physically, that’s what I did, was take bumps. And no matter how indestructible we all think we are, you hit a wall where you cannot do that anymore.”
“I Don’t Want to Be That Guy”
In addition to his own health, Spike was deeply affected by seeing some older legends continue to wrestle on the independent circuit out of financial necessity. He shared a story about being in the ring with Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka near the end of his life and career, an experience that solidified his decision to get out of the business and build a new life for himself and his family.
“Towards the end, as I’m working these indies, one of my last matches was like it was a six-man match with me and some local guys, and Jimmy Snuka, at the time, was 70-something, and he was there because he needed the money….He needed to be in the ring. And it was so sad… It was like, I don’t want to be that guy that’s hustling eight by 10s just to pay rent, and as with a kid coming, I was like, I can’t do this forever… If I were still in it, I wouldn’t, I don’t think I’d be alive. I’ll be honest with you. I think I would have either drank myself to death, or I would have taken some sort of crippling bump, because… when you’re taking the bumps out of desperation, it it it turns on your body. And I was getting to the point where I was taking the bumps. I was blading. I was doing all of this out of anger, out of desperation, out of some last hope to stay relevant… I was done.”
The full interview is available on the Insight with Chris Van Vliet YouTube channel.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Chris Van Vliet with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
