Pro-wrestling isn’t a sport for the faint hearted. To make it as a successful grappler, one must have nerves of steel, crocodile thick skin and the ability to take multiple mean punches. However, despite all the grit and grime, the human heart still has a place in the wrestling world.
Many WWE stars abide by that statement, some of whom have pledged their brains for concussion research – an issue that not only plagues wrestling, but also poses discomfort to war veterans, athletes of various sports, as well as the common man.
Pledging one of the most important parts of the human body for a pro bono cause is noble indeed. With that in mind, here are 5 WWE Superstars who have pledged their brains for concussion research.
#5 Chyna
Joan Marie Laurer aka Chyna, will remain nothing short of a legend in wrestling. Bursting onto the scene with the WWE back in 1997, Chyna took no time in rising up the ranks and making a name for herself in a male dominated sport.
When women in wrestling were mostly confined to being valets or eye candy, there was Chyna, beating stronger, much bigger peers to pulp and amassing titles while at it. And who can forget that infamous relationship with Triple H that blossomed over onto real life?
Then suddenly it all fell apart for Chyna after her much-publicized breakup with HHH, leading to her exit from the WWE and the collapse of her wrestling career.
Her sudden death due to OD was extremely tragic, but her legacy is set to live on after her representatives announced that her brain would be donated for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
#4 John Cena
One wrestler whose heart is as golden as the wrestling belts he’s grown accustomed to winning, is WWE superstar John Cena. From granting the most wishes in Make-A-Wish Foundation’s history to being involved in numerous causes that benefit the United States Armed Forces, the list of Cena’s philanthropic feats is a mile long.
And now, the wrestler is set to make another addition to his already generous charity list, after he announced that he would pledge his brain to CTE research. It all started after entertainment website TMZ interviewed Cena and briefed him about some of his peers pledging their brains to fight the concussion issue.
Impressed, Cena stated that he would pledge his gray matter to CTE research due to the good that it’s capable of bringing to people fighting against the disease.
#3 Mick Foley
Mick Foley is a lot of things. He’s a gifted wrestler, a WWE Hall of Famer, an excellent orator, as well as a superb wrestling analyst. The legend is set to add one more distinction to his already enviable list of qualities, after he announced that he had joined some of his peers in pledging their brains for CTE.
The 51-year-old announced his decision to the world via social networking site Twitter earlier this May. The revelation came to light after a Twitter user suggested that Foley donate his brains to CTE research after his death, to which Foley replied that he had already done so on the suggestion of his former colleague Chris Nowinski.
#2 Jeff Hardy
He’s one-half of arguably the best tag team pro-wrestling has ever seen, he’s won titles that most wrestlers would never dream of winning in one lifetime, he’s launched a successful solo career and shows no signs of stopping.
Yet, Jeff Hardy refuses to be content with an already phenomenal list of achievements and has made steps to ensure that his legacy is used to bring some good in the world. The steps being his decision to pledge his brain to CTE research after his death.
Hardy made up his mind after his wife told him of Kevin Nash’s similar pledge. The wrestler spoke about his choice, bringing up the number of times he took a few dangerous hits to his head and the impact it could have had on him.
#1 Kevin Nash
Kevin Nash is not only an asset to WWE but to the wrestling world as a whole. Using his god given talent, Nash absolutely dominated WWF in the ‘90s, winning the most prestigious titles, as well as being a part of one of the show’s most enviable groups – The Kliq.
However, Nash is another athlete who desires to use his fame for a good cause and recently announced that he would be donating his brain for concussion research to the CTE centre at Boston University and the Concussion Legacy Foundation on the event of his death.
His noble decision not only inspired several of his peers to do the same but also worked well in cementing his status as a legend.
