Former WWE Superstar Christopher Nowinski’s stint in the company isn’t a very memorable one, but the Harvard graduate has since made strides in concussion research. Forced to leave the WWE in 2003 owing to the blight, he founded the Concussion Legacy Foundation(CLF).
His organisation conducts research on donated brains of deceased athletes in order to better understand Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. Nowinski was the target of accusations that his organisation is looking the other way when it comes to concussions in the WWE.
Wrestlinginc.com reports that the Boston Globe alleged that CLF is “too cozy” with the WWE. Triple H serves as a board member for CLF and the organisation reportedly received a financial donation from the WWE in 2012.
Here’s Nowinski’s response to the implications of the article:
“I am releasing a statement regarding the Concussion Legacy Foundation's outreach and recruiting efforts within the professional wrestling community. This is in advance of a reporter writing an article attempting to create controversy where there is none.
“This statement makes clear that we remain committed to improving health outcomes of professional wrestlers, and explains how we accomplish that within the broader scope of our mission.
“Specifically, I have been informed that, in an upcoming article, a reporter is attempting to invent conflict by asserting that post-death brain donations among professional wrestlers have declined since CLF received an unrestricted gift from WWE in 2012 that has supported research aimed at accelerating a cure for CTE.
“These assertions ignore the facts; completely misunderstand the process and motivation behind CLF's brain donation recruiting and outreach; and disregard CLF's broad mission to advance research into CTE for all athletes and other at-risk groups, with a special focus on contact sports that millions of children play, as well as military veterans.”
