Alright, so, WrestleMania 17. Man, that was a doozy. It was back in 2001, and it was a pretty wild time, not just for wrestling, but for me personally. I was super into ECW back then, and Tommy Dreamer, that dude was a legend. But, things were rough for ECW. It was basically on its last legs, and I remember feeling pretty bummed about it.
I was listening to Tommy’s podcast, House of Hardcore, and he was talking about some dark stuff. He mentioned how he was struggling with depression, like really bad. And the thing that hit me hard was when he said he actually thought about doing something terrible at WrestleMania 17. I’m not gonna repeat his words, but it was super dark, and it made me see him and the whole situation in a completely different light.
The Build-Up
- I was following ECW religiously: I’d always follow the storylines, the matches, everything.
- Things were looking grim: You could feel that ECW was about to close shop. It was depressing, man.
- WrestleMania 17 was huge: It was in Houston, and the energy around it was insane.
I watched every match. When Tommy came out I was like “This is my guy!”. It’s crazy to think now about the stuff he was dealing with behind the scenes. It just shows you never really know what someone’s going through, even if they seem like they’re on top of the world.
The Aftermath
- Reflection: It made me think a lot about mental health and how important it is to reach out if you’re struggling.
- Appreciation: I gained a whole new level of respect for Tommy, knowing what he went through and how he’s been open about it.
- Continued Support: I’ve kept listening to his podcast, and I like the way it talks about the good, the bad, and the ugly of wrestling.
It’s a heavy story, but it’s an important one. And it’s a big part of why WrestleMania 17 sticks with me, even after all these years.
