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What's the story?
Ted Turner is one of the most influential men in the world of professional wrestling. Spanning three decades, the media mogul brought the sport to televisions nationwide. Sadly, it's been revealed that Turner has been diagnosed with a serious progressive brain disease.
In case you didn't know...
Ted Turner brought Georgia Championship Wrestling to the entire US in 1976. Stars like Ric Flair, Magnum TA, Dusty Rhodes, and Harley Race made their television debuts thanks to the efforts of Turner, who wanted to turn GCW, which would become WCW, into a heavy-hitting brand.
WCW brought a different kind of product to the nation that WWF couldn't offer. While the northern company was targeted more to a younger audience, with Hulk Hogan leading the charge, WCW seemed to be fit for an older generation. The intense rivalries, wrestling talent, and overall production of WCW on TBS drew older fans to their product.
However, Turner really rocked the boat of professional wrestling when he began the Monday Night Wars, aiming to go head to head with Vince McMahon and the WWF. With Hogan and Macho Man Randy Savage, along with a returning Ric Flair, WCW was filled with top-level talent, while the WWF struggled to keep interest with unproven rookies.
In 1996, Turner and WCW forever changed the world of professional wrestling with the introduction of the NWO. A newly heel Hogan, something that had never been seen before, led Scott Hall and Kevin Nash in an attack against the company, in what became one of, if not the biggest angle of all time.
Though many issues arose later on, forcing WCW to shut its doors in 2001, Turner's influence on the wrestling world could never be forgotten. WCW's edgier content in the late 90's can be credited for the beginning of WWF's attitude era, which bred some of wrestling's greatest stars. While he was defeated in the Monday Night Wars, "Billionaire" Ted affected professional wrestling by changing the game, multiple times, and could very well have saved the industry.
The heart of the matter
Ted Turner has revealed that he's suffering from a progressive brain disease known as Lewy Body Dementia, PWInsider revealed. The disease affects the memory and motor skills.
Turner spoke with Ted Koppel about his diagnosis in an interview that will be shown on CBS Sunday Morning this weekend. There, Turner attempted to explain what he was dealing with.
It's a mild case of what people have as Alzheimer's. It's similar to that. But not nearly as bad. Alzheimer's is fatal. Thank goodness it's not that.
However, the weight of the situation seemed to fall on Turner later when he said," Dementia. I can't remember what my disease is."
What's next?
Ted Turner will continue to fight and live on as best he can. It's unknown exactly how severe his symptoms are at the moment. Those who are diagnosed can live up to 20 years after it's revealed, but the more likely timeframe is 5-8 years.
