Entertainment
ECW legend Mikey Whipwreck stops public appearances as he battles hearing loss, ‘crippling social anxiety’, weight gain and more
Extreme Championship Wrestling legend Mikey Whipwreck is stopping all public appearances due to a range of family and health reasons.
The 47-year-old retired star – who won the world heavyweight, television and tag team titles in ECW – has opened up about his decision to take a step back after this weekend.
In a lengthy statement shared on Twitter, he said: ‘I want everyone to know…. I’m not stopping all public appearances after this weekend out of anger or bitterness. I could go in to a long drawn out explanation (some people already know the details) but I’ll “try” to keep it somewhat short.
‘Firstly, I have enjoyed being home with my family everyday. I never thought I’d be the type but I hate leaving them even for any overnight trip. I’ve had enough of my kids crying when I pack a bag.
‘Now for some of the s***ty reasons (all medical/mental).’
Mikey – who appeared for ECW from 1994 until 2001, besides a short period in WCW in 1999 – candidly listed his concerns, including not being able to drive at night, ‘crippling social anxiety’, having a ‘hard time hearing’ and putting on weight.
He continued: ‘I get confused easily. It’s happened where I’ll walk around for 20-30 minutes in a store with no recollection of what I was doing or where I was.
‘I stumble over my words quite often and get lost about what I was trying to say or what the topic was.
‘I have pretty intense mood swings. I’m able to mostly keep them in check but sometimes it’s a big challenge.’
Mikey admitted he is starting to ‘stutter and stammer a lot’, and he suffers with ‘major migraines practically every day for 6-8 hours’.
The wrestling veteran – who trained the likes of Matt Cardona, Curt Hawkins, John Silver, Tony Nese and more – pointed to the number of concussions he’s had throughout his career, and suggested the causes of his health issues are ‘probably a combination of things’.
He added: ‘Keep in mind I’ve had 14 concussions (that I remember) & they could very well be playing a huge part in all this.
‘Or they may have nothing to do with it. I’m leaning towards yes, but honestly it’s probably a combination of things.
‘My wife is a saint and I can’t thank her enough for her love and patience in dealing with me. All things considered, I’m blessed beyond words and thankful for her and the kids.’
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