I was once in an 8-way ladder match. It was the final main event for a company that was closing down. We had all taken blood tests and had tetanus injections prior to the match. The results all came back clean.
A few days later, we were all told to get tested again because one of the blood test results were wrong. One of the performers had hepatitis C going into the match. And as he got busted open early into the match (and definitely did get blood on the rest of us), we all had to be tested again. The good news is that my results came back negative, so I didn't have it. But the bad news is that all six other guys did contract the virus.
This devastated each of them. They were all forced to give up on their dreams of becoming WWE Superstars someday. Some had to face the possibility that they may never be parents. Three of them were kicked off sports teams. One had to face the reality that he had given it to his fiancee, and their unborn child could be born with it. Another guy was asked not to pick up his little brother from school because other parents were worried about him possibly spreading the illness. Two of them were victims of homophobic attacks because their attackers thought it only affected gay people.
And worst of all, one of my closest friends couldn't handle knowing that he had the illness, and took his own life.
And none of that has anything to do with what hepatitis C can do to a person. But I just understand how serious this can be. The social suffering is sometimes worse than the physical suffering.
The six that are still with us are getting on with their lives. They miss the dreams and ambitions that they once had. But they now have new dreams and goals which they are striving towards. It sucks for people like them, Nigel McGuiness and Bob Orton, Jr. that they have to walk away because of this illness. But the risk to others is huge.
As harsh as it may sound. I have to back the WWE on this one.
