Rasche Brown, who worked for a number of Mid-Western promotions, Ring of Honor and was the inaugural Urban Wrestling Federation Street King champion, announced his retirement from pro wrestling today with the following statement made on his Facebook page:
"Hello friends family and fans. There comes A time when you have to call a spade a spade and I can't deny it anymore. Wrestling has been my life, my passion and all I ever wanted to do was be a wrestler, there was no back up plan that was just what I wasa going to be and nothing could stop me.
At the age of 19 I had my first Professional bout and 17 years later, I have to say I think this weekend was my last. About 12 years ago I broke my neck in a car accident that left me with nerve damage and spinal issues for the rest of my life. I was told never to participate in any full contact sports again at the age of 24. No doc is gonna tell me it's over right? Well 11 months later I was back in the ring and also playing Semi-pro football at a high level. Well I managed to get many more miles out of my body than any doc ever predicted.
Well dec 5th 2009 I wrestled for Ring of Honor in Chicago and I suffered the worst injury of my life. Do to some mistakes and misjudging, not on my part, I dove over the top rope and slammed the back of my head into the ground. This cause a concussion so severe that I had blood on the brain permanent short term memory loss Cluster headaches emotinal swings from depression to manic and many other post concussion syndrome issues.
After two years of taking it light and working back slow, I realize every time I get in the ring I'm a little bit more pain, the headaches come back and I regress with the healing of my brain.
This weekend after my match and waking up Sunday to nausea, spinal pain and stiffness as if i was in 10 car accidents, it's time to call it a spade.
My career is over, not by choice, for survival, this hurts me more that almost anything in my life because wrestling was there when life was bad for me growing up a poor kid in a community where people don't see a way out. It taught me right from wrong, good from evil and how to see through bullshit.
I had one goal since the age of 5, to be the NWA world tag champion and I did it. Work or shoot someone gave a damn about me and Keith to let us carry the torch and be the longest reigning champions in history. I've traveled Europe many times along with the US Canada and Mexico and I'm proud to say if maybe paid for two flights in my life to anywhere and one was only $20 because of flyer miles.
I have done more than many will and I am proud of what if done, to some because you weren't a star in WWE, they feel you did nothing. Anyone inside the sport knows different.
I would like to thank first Mike Thompson for allowing me to grow in his rings, Carmine Despirito for taking me under his wind and giving me the tools i needed to advance and my first couple Europe tours. Dave Herro who I became friends with when he had a Merch store full of only wrestling items, we spent many hours together in that store, you should have paid me like an employee...lol. Dave Marquez and the late great Ed Schuman for believing in the Skullkrushers, Adam Pearce My great friend, opponent, roomate on the road and fellow packer fan for bringing me to ROH to give me a chance to shine there and tech the young guys some things and learn even more. I want to thank Cary Silkin, then ROH owner for appreciating me and what I brought to the table and gave me the best year ever in the business as far as the amount of fun it was being with the boys and interacting with ROH fans, you are still the biggest wrestling company in America, the other two don't do what we do...
Most of all I want to that all you fans or people that have never met me but wanted to be a facebook friend or follow me on twitter or bought shirts pics etc. from me. I'd lie if I said I do this all for you, but I entertained you to the best of my abilities in the way that I was entertained by the men and women before me.
as the tears flow, all I can say is thank you, I tried but I can't shake this brain injury.
Never downplay a concussion, I beg you, its no joke.
I hope i did more good for the biz than bad, to all of my boys, it was a great ride and some of you I will never see again, but i have great memories that will kepp you all fresh in my head for many years to come.
Time to move on to the next chapter in my life, Thank you for taking time out of your day to read this.
