August 15, 2008

"World Wrestling Entertainment has come to terms on the release of ECW Superstar Stevie Richards. WWE wishes him the best in all his future endeavors."

In my seven and a half years with the Original ECW and 2 and a half here at WWE, I have read these announcements at least one hundred times. I think we all become somewhat callous to these announcments because people being fired from their places of employement are common occurances and just an everyday part of doing business.

However, Stevie Richards and I have been friends for over fifteen years and I and followed his painful quest to continue his dream of wrestling for a living through a broken neck and subsequent throat surgeries to repair a severed vocal cord as a result of the initial fusion of the vertebrae in his neck. In fact, earlier this year I interviewed Stevie on television about his painful surgeries and love of wrestling which kept him from retiring despite doctors' reccomendations.

http://www.wwe.com/shows/ecw/superstars/joeystyles/styles/122807mep

http://www.wwe.com/content/media/video/vms/ecw/2008/february1-7/6389974?zone=ecw_joeystyles

As I finish my blog for this week, I know that if ECW Original, Stevie Richards decides his future endeavors will include continuing to wrestle, then it shall be.

Joey Styles