Davey Richards Explains Why He Stopped Wrestling, Says Missed Events Are Entirely On Him

Davey Richards’ wrestling career effectively came to an end in 2017, and the former American Wolves member explained why in a series of tweets today. Richards was part of the popular independent tag team along with Eddie Edwards and was considered one of the top independent talents at the time, but after he suffered a knee injury that put him on the shelf him for a year in 2017, his career essentially came to a close. He took all of 2018 off in order to complete his studies and promised he would return full-time in 2019, but that didn’t happen and he caught flack for canceling an Alpha-1 appearance in February of 2019. He has not competed in the ring since.

In the tweets, Richards discussed how the doctor in Impact where he was working in 2017 said that he “had the knee of a 70 [year-old]” and that he went through several treatments including the knee surgery that put him on the shelf for a year. He said that surgery didn’t help him and that led to him canceling shows, along to two more surgeries. He goes on to say that after he realized he needed a total knee replacement, Nanoknee promised to fix his issues. It worked and he says he’s been getting back a bit by bit every day until now he’s at a point where “I realized I can not only do everything I used to, I can do it better.”

Richards continued:

“To every snow I missed and every fan I let down – I am truly sorry, it is completely my fault. My ego would not let me admit that inside I was falling apart. I couldn’t admit to myself I couldn’t be the one thing I always identified myself as: wrestler.”

He concludes that he doesn’t know what will happen, but left it open that he might be able to wrestle again at some point down the line.

I don’t know if anyone has any interest in this but I wanted to share a side of the story for why I stopped wrestling and missed so many shows.
I’ve struggled with knee injuries throughout my amateur and professional wrestling career. 14 surgeries in all on my right knee.

— 🐺 (@RichardsWesley) November 18, 2020

During my run In Impact wrestling my right knee began to deteriorate badly.
I remember the Dr for Impact at the time telling me I had the knee of a 70 yo. I went through numerous treatments: PRP, scopes, Stem Cells, Synvisc, etc. Nothing worked.

— 🐺 (@RichardsWesley) November 18, 2020

I thought I found the answer in 2017: Biojoint. They told me me knee would be like new again. Only downside was 1 year layoff from anything physical. So I did it – they sawed of ends of my femur and tibia and took bone and cartilage from a cadaver and inserted it in me.

— 🐺 (@RichardsWesley) November 18, 2020

Months went by and nothing got better. At one year they said wait another year.
Nothing got better.
More and more time extensions- which is why I had to cancel so many shows.
Then I had another surgery to correct that one.
Then another to correct that one.

— 🐺 (@RichardsWesley) November 18, 2020

Finally I owned up to the truth – I needed a total knee replacement.
I researched the entire world and found Nanoknee. They said I would walk out of surgery, they said I would recover rapidly. They said I would be “me” again. I didn’t believe them.

— 🐺 (@RichardsWesley) November 18, 2020

Then it worked. The surgery worked. Then I found @SquatUniversity to help rehab me. Help rebuild what I had lost.
Little by little, day by day I felt more like me. Until Today , when I realized I can not only do everything I used to, I can do it better.

— 🐺 (@RichardsWesley) November 18, 2020

To every snow I missed and every fan I let down – I am truly sorry, it is completely my fault. My ego would not let me admit that inside I was falling apart. I couldn’t admit to myself I couldn’t be the one thing I always identified myself as: wrestler.

— 🐺 (@RichardsWesley) November 18, 2020

I’ll make no excuses, I own all of it. It’s funny – in 2 years I will be a Dr. I’ll have more money than I know what to do with, and I couldn’t care less. It wasn’t then, and isn’t now about the money. It was about the wrestling.

— 🐺 (@RichardsWesley) November 18, 2020

I don’t know what will happen. But maybe, just maybe I will be fortunate to be able to again participate in the greatest sport on earth: wrestling. Thank you for reading.

— 🐺 (@RichardsWesley) November 18, 2020