CNN article on Umaga's death

The death of former WWE wrestler Umaga (real name Eddie Fatu) has sparked debates and discussion once again over how tough the sport of pro-wrestling is. Umaga is another on the list of many pro-wrestlers to have died way too young. Others include Owen Hart, Andrew "Test" Martin, and Eddie Guerrero, all of whom passed away before turning 40. The controversy is over the rigors of the sport, the toll it takes on the wrestler's bodies and health, as well as the fact that they receive very little in terms of health benefits, according to reports. Now former WWE divas, wrestling blog writers and other analysts are weighing in on this topic.

CNN has published an article on this, recently got comments from Baltimore Sun's Ring Post blog author, Kevin Eck about the brutal nature of the sport, as well as the fact that wrestler deaths receive less attention than other pro athlete's deaths might.

From CNN.com:

"It's happening a lot more frequently in the sport than it ever did, and it's a huge problem," Eck said. "If this was Major League Baseball and you had guys dropping dead under 40, it would be a much bigger deal -- but because it's wrestling, it flies under the radar."

"The expectations for what wrestlers are supposed to look like have evolved. In Albano's day, some were in good shape, some were not, but you didn't see the superhuman physiques like you started seeing in the 80s," he said.

Former WWE divas also have weighed in on this topic, with Dawn Marie Psaltis and Terri Runnels adding comments. Dawn is the founder of Wrestlers Rescue, a support group for aging and retired wrestlers. She said:

"He had his demons, but he found a lot of strength in his family," said family friend and former WWE personality Dawn Marie Psaltis. "He comes from a long line of professional wrestlers and did his family proud."

"We make above average income, but most of what we make goes toward the expense of being in the business, and health care is a huge expense for a wrestler," Psaltis said.

Terri Runnels added:

"To find health care that covers wrestlers costs quadruple the price of regular coverage, so a lot of the guys end up going without. They continue to wrestle way past their prime because there's no pension, and because there's no health care, they never prepared for their future health concerns. It's an endless cycle."

"Yes, we make good money, but for what we do it's paltry. We are like paupers compared to most other professions, but our pride in entertaining and making sure that when you pay money and come to a show you are absolutely entertained, that's why we do what we do," Runnels said.

Once again WWE finds itself in the spotlight over a wrestler's death, but will things change, or will the controversy only help grow the popularity of the sports entertainment?

Read full article here at CNN.com