wrestling / News

Hacksaw Jim Duggan and Bret Hart Discuss Physical Toll of Wrestling and Football

February 7, 2016 | Posted by Jeffrey Harris

Wrestlezone Radio recently interviewed former WWE Superstars Hacksaw Jim Duggan and Bret “The Hitman” Hart who weighed on the physical toll sports like wrestling and football can take on your body. According to Duggan, he almost went into the NFL before he ended up becoming a pro wrestler. Below are some highlights.

Jim Duggan on how he almost became an NFL player before he went into pro wrestler: “I went in as a free agent. I had a good college career. I played my college ball for Southern Methodist down in Dallas. I went with the Falcons and I got injured in training camp right after. Two surgeries in the same year in ’77. I was just hanging on anyway. I was an offensive guard. I was one of those dime a dozen guys. If I had gotten to play a year or two that would have been lucky. Actually it was a blessing in disguise because then I went back to Dallas, met Fritz Von Erich and things took off.”

Duggan on if the new information about concussion could cause the NFL to change or go away: “I don’t think overnight. I tell you, my daughters are 21 and 22. Eighteen months apart. If I had young boys I don’t know if I’d want them playing high school football. Not just the concussions. How many knee injuries? How many shoulder injuries? Now it’s so specialized. When I went to school I did football in the fall, wrestled in the winter and did track in the spring. I wasn’t just specialized in to one sport. I think slowly, with the next generation, it won’t be as popular. Let’s put it that way.”

Bret Hart on if he would want his sons Blade and Dallas to get into wrestling knowing about the injuries and the physical toll it takes on your body: “Wrestling, like football today. You look at football and you see the concussions football players have and you hear them say they don’t want their sons playing football. There’s a lot more reservation about wanting their kids to follow in their footsteps. In wrestling, I’m glad my kids aren’t doing wrestling. I think it can be a great life. I enjoyed the traveling and the money was pretty good. In the end there was nothing by way of pension. When your knees are breaking and your neck is broken and your fingers are all broken you need a lot of medical. I’m just glad I live in Canada where we’ve got health care. If I lived in the United States I’d be broke. I have had so many surgeries the last few years. I am just lucky I live in a country where we’ve got health care. I scratch my head all the time and say, “I cannot understand why they put up so much of a fight that they don’t want healthcare.” Who the hell doesn’t want health care? I don’t understand it. Every country in Europe’s got health care. England’s got health care. Australia’s got health care. Every modern country in the world has health care. You have all these yo-yos that don’t want it. They are going to put Obamacare out as soon as they get in to power. I just scratch my head and go, “Are they that stupid that they don’t want health care?” It really ceases to amaze me. I am so lucky I live in a country where I have health care and I’ve got medical coverage for anything and everything. It’s really a blessing. For my kids getting in to wrestling? I don’t see it. It’s a tough life. There’s a lot of fun and excitement and great memories I’ve had being a wrestler. In the end, the damage and the pain you go through. The injuries that you have to live with after your career. WWE doesn’t do anything for those wrestlers. They pretend they want to believe that they do. WWE is all about, “What can you do for me now?” And it’s like, “I worked for you for thirty years.” Like Marty Jannetty. I saw Marty Jannetty a few years ago and his ankle was completely broken on one side. He could barely walk and he’s got no coverage. He told me it would cost $70,000 to get a new ankle. I asked, “Will WWE help you?” He said they won’t even return his calls. I just find it really sad that there are so many wrestlers out there who are beat up and crippled and injured and, “That’s too bad for you.””