A story is making the rounds that World Wrestling Entertainment star John Cena suffered a concussion on Monday nights Raw show. The Concussion Blog even picked it up.
But since the source of the report is Cenas own Twitter feed, I advise all readers to raise three fingers in front of your eyes and count them, to make sure youre not seeing double yourselves. When real injuries occur in pro wrestling, they are usually covered up. When injuries are publicized, theyre usually part of the story line in this case, hype for Cenas match at WrestleMania against The Miz.
Heres what Cena tweeted: Sorry I have been away. Concussion on mon night from either del rio kick or mic shots. Took and passed IMPACT exam, rtg for fri! and Folks must take, and pass, post concussion in order to go back 2 work. I’m good and headed to CT.
James Caldwell of Pro Wrestling Torch had this analysis at http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/WWE_News_3/article_48549.shtml: If the concussion is legit or part of a storyline, at least Cena is drawing attention to and creating awareness for WWE’s concussion testing, which still needs work and more transparency, but is a significant development for the wrestling industry.
If Dr. Joseph Maroon, WWEs medical director, is allowing his imPACT concussion diagnostic system to be exploited with no medical basis, I would not be shocked. Maroon is the guy who last year told the Hartford Courant that WWE had no talent now on steroids. And in the 1980s, WWEs Pennsylvania ring doctor, George Zahorian who later did federal prison time for illegal steroid prescriptions and distribution, mostly to wrestlers used to participate directly in televised angles.
For the record, weve been around on this whole subject before on this blog. See Did He Or Didnt He? John Cenas Soap Opera Concussion, January 11, 2010, http://wrestlingbabylon.wordpress.com/2010/06/11/did-he-or-didnt-he-john-cenas-soap-opera-concussion/. Youd think these people could come up with some new material.
Irv Muchnick