BJ Whitmer suffers injury at ROH event

[Troy]

Ring Of Honor just released the following update on BJ Whitmer's condition:
"@BJ_WHITMER Update - BJ has full use of his arms and legs. He is still undergoing a battery of tests but hopes to be released sometime today, tomorrow at the latest."

That is good news. Whitmer was taken to the hospital during last night's show in Toronto after being piledriven by Mike Bennett.

I just spoke with BJ Whitmer, who is still hospitalized in Toronto, as he wanted an accurate update on his condition out there.

When Whitmer took the piledriver on the apron outside the ring at last night' ROH show, he lost feeling in his right leg and arm as that side of his body went completely numb.

After several minutes, as he was being checked out by EMTs and Davey Richards (who is an EMT), Whitmer began to get feeling back in the right side of his body. He gave the crowd a thumbs up side with his right hand as he was carried out.

Whitmer underwent a series of tests and X-Rays came back showing that he did not have any fractures. The current belief is that he ruptured a disc in his back. He will be undergoing additional testing today and ROH will re-book his flight back to Ohio once he is released from the hospital.

Whitmer has full feeling and movement in his back and was actually out of the hospital bed this morning under his own power. He noted the entire thing was very scary and he's still got pain but there's no paralysis or severe injury.

Whitmer wanted to also note he was extremely thankful for the outpouring of concern from fans online and from everyone who's reached out to him overnight.

ROH star BJ Whitmer is slated to be released from a Toronto hospital this evening.

On his Twitter, Whitmer responded to online criticism of Mike Bennett, who he was injured wrestling last night, writing, "What happened last night was an
accident. It was NO ONES FAULT . Keep your head up @RealMikeBennett love ya bro"

Scary situation, no idea why guys are willing to take those bumps on shows like this. It just isn't worth it on a small show for a small payday. Thankfully he is improving and it is great that he will be released from hospital tonight. Whitmer is a class act though with that last tweet about criticism directed at Bennett.

 

[Keith]

Glad to hear that it doesn't sound too serious and hope he returns to the ring healthy soon.

Agree with you Troy if guys are going to take this sort of a risk it should be in a match which really means something, This will just add fuel to the fire from people who think that the piledriver should be outlawed.

 

[Troy]

It was interesting to read that Davey Richards was one of those that came to the ring to help after the incident since he is a trained EMT.

I just don't know why anyone would risk it at this level, it may be a cool spot but when one slip up could paralyse you surely it isn't worth it. Not sure with these guys but I doubt they have medical insurance to cover them if they had been paralysed, hopefully Sinclair foot the bill and pay for all his medical bills until he returns to full health. Hopefully he never takes a piledriver again and Bennett should stop doing them from now on.

 

[Andrew]

I don't know why people do piledrivers, should be banned. Dangerous move to execute.

But hope BJ Whitmer is alright.

 

[Killz]

It shouldn't be done at any level on any night for any reason. No blading, no piledrivers, no direct head shots of any kind.

Blowoffs can still happen in the Cell or with weapon matches like Bryan and Orton delivered with kendo sticks etc a few weeks ago.

Still very sad situation overall, hope Bennett doesn't beat himself up too much even though you'd understand if he did, can't help that feeling. Glad the news coming out is positive and he's generally ok.

 

[Chris]

Fuckin' Piledrivers

 

[Deezy]

Piledrivers are fine when done by people who actually know how to protect their opponent and don't do on the fucking apron, what a stupid spot. second time BJ Whitmer almost broke hih neck from dumb spots last one being going through a table headfirst.

Jesus these guys are fucking morons for trying these insane spots for little money, who the hell is going to pay for bills if they break their necks? That Mick Foley-esque type of style is dangerous and shouldn't be copied, it hurts the business by grooming an entire generation into purposely hurting themselves to get over. Doing spots that look like it actually hurts a little, means it hurts alot, a fucking snapmare hurts a little. Taking moves on the hardest part of the ring is just Blue. Been saying that since I seen Benoit DDT Angle on the apron a few months before Angle had to go for more neck sugery.

 

[Troy]

I don't mind the Tombstone/kneeling piledrivers since it is a lot easier to protect your opponent that way, but the standard version that Bennett hit has so little margin for error. Still I would rather it was banned by a lot more companies but I doubt it will happen.

 

[Deezy]

It's not the move itself that should be banned, it should be the guys not knowing how to do it or take it properly. BJ Whitmer isn't a great talent, he is botchy and doesn't know how to protect himself, the piledriver is a move that should be done by guys who have big enough legs to make sure you don't bend your neck when you hit the mat, it is also up to the other guy to prop himself up with his arms upon impact, if you look at the picture you can see Whitmers hands underneath Bennetts legs, not the place your hands should be. And don't do the move on the fucking apron.

Terry Funk funk used to do the dangerous version of the piledriver and yet never hurt anyone, Bret Hart used to do the jumping version and never hurt anyone, Mick Foley never hurt anyone. It's all about the quality of the worker doing the move, ban shitty workers.....Not moves, I'd rather take a thousand piledrivers from Fit Finlay than one snapmare from an unskilled worker as Lance Storm once said.

 

[Keith]

^ Think that is fair. There are so many examples from back in the 80s and 90s of guys perfecting the move and never injuring anyone and yet it seems to be more of a problem nowadays. I can see why people might want it banned, but when done right it is a thing of beauty.

 

[Gimmick]

When I first heard about it I thought the whole thing was just unfortunate, but looking at it again I think doing the whole thing on the apron was just plain stupid. Sure, if the move was executed perfectly then no one would have blinked an eyelid about the danger of it, but it still doesn't justify that it was a really risky spot to do. Even the best of wrestler who've used piledrivers would have had a hard time doing a completely safe one on the apron, there's simply not a whole lot of space to execute it perfectly.

Both guys should have seen the warning signs. Bennett had been trying the move for weeks leading up to it and it never looked that good, so why proceed to do it on the apron where there's such little space?

I wouldn't ban the move entirely, but I'd make sure that only the people who can execute it perfectly can do it.

 

[Keith]

When I first heard about it I thought the whole thing was just unfortunate, but looking at it again I think doing the whole thing on the apron was just plain stupid. Sure, if the move was executed perfectly then no one would have blinked an eyelid about the danger of it, but it still doesn't justify that it was a really risky spot to do. Even the best of wrestler who've used piledrivers would have had a hard time doing a completely safe one on the apron, there's simply not a whole lot of space to execute it perfectly.

Both guys should have seen the warning signs. Bennett had been trying the move for weeks leading up to it and it never looked that good, so why proceed to do it on the apron where there's such little space?

I wouldn't ban the move entirely, but I'd make sure that only the people who can execute it perfectly can do it.

But then until someone has tried it you don't know if they can do it properly by which time it might already be too late. I agree with you than doing it on the apron should just be a no go altogether there are plenty of other cool looking spots you can do which are more safer.

 

[AZUCAR!]

Read about this the other day. Apparently Maria and Bennett stayed overnight with BJ in hospital when he was first admitted there. Glad to hear he's been released, and hopefully he'll get the ok from doctors to return to the ring.

 

[Tapout]

Needs to take a tip from these guys

[video=youtube;p0vNe6VinTw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0vNe6VinTw[/video]

They were able to pull it off on the steel steps. Then again, it was one highly trained wrestler doing the move, and another highly trained taking the move. I agree that only the people who know how to do it safe, both taking and receiving, should be able to do a piledriver like that. There's a reason why you never see it in WWE anymore. The last one was done by two highly trained people in Punk and Cena. The move isn't worth the risk.

 

[Chris]

A good way to judge who should do the move and who should would be if the guy taking it is comfortable. If he's stupid enough to want to take it from someone who could fuck him up, then it's his decision.