Times when wrestling stopped being fun for the performers

[willywonka666]

Has anyone mentioned in shoots where wrestling stopped being something they enjoyed and they were basically there for the check?

I know Gorilla Monsoon famously said “Of you’re in wrestling for anything other than money, you’re a fool” or something like that.

But sometimes you can tell when the fun has been taken out of the job.

Bobby Heenan in WCW is a prime example.what are some other examples?

[jimwilliams]

Does Shawn Michaels losing his smile count?

[Cranjis McBasketball]

I'd imagine Bret in 97 right around the time the bell rang......

According to Heenan, once Joey died, Gorilla just lost all his desire to work.

[Deleted]

Godfather hated doing the Right to Censor gimmick. He didn't like Stevie and he had all the women and colorful costumes taken away.

[BrodietheSlayer]

While I'm sure it was known Punk was going to be doing something similar to that, in order to set up the match at WM, at the same time, you can definitely tell Punk doesn't give a f*** either way at this point.

[OVO 40 hunched over like he 80]

Jericho several times lol that's why he takes breaks, most famously he said that in 05 he stopped giving a f*** after Vince was offering him less money to sign a new contract.

Batista once Vince fined him a hundred grand for blading.

Austin getting phased out in 02, I think the Scott Hall program broke him.

Nash's home life was getting affected by the constant traveling so he left.

I think that the grind ends up f***ing you over more so than being passed over for pushes and opportunities. It's a great living but the roster has to bump and work like four days a week, then in their days off sometimes they need to do press. Also while being at home I've seen interviews from guys saying that instead of spending time with the family they sleep while trying to handle the pain their bodies are in. After that they do brutal traveling and the cycle starts again.

[4TheGlory]

I think it happens all the time unfortunately. Being on the road doing much of the same thing over and over again takes a toll on you

["Playboy" Don Douglas]

Kevin Von Erich after his brothers died.

[Deleted]

Sabu when he was told he had to keep doing the gurney gimmick early in his ecw run. Once he lost that he was happy again, but that was just Sabu not liking being told what to do.

[Honeybear Lyder]

Ric Flair around 1998

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Jan 14, 2018 2:44:41 GMT -5 OVO 40 hunched over like he 80 said:

Jericho several times lol that's why he takes breaks, most famously he said that in 05 he stopped giving a f*** after Vince was offering him less money to sign a new contract.

Batista once Vince fined him a hundred grand for blading.

Austin getting phased out in 02, I think the Scott Hall program broke him.

Nash's home life was getting affected by the constant traveling so he left.

I think that the grind ends up f***ing you over more so than being passed over for pushes and opportunities. It's a great living but the roster has to bump and work like four days a week, then in their days off sometimes they need to do press. Also while being at home I've seen interviews from guys saying that instead of spending time with the family they sleep while trying to handle the pain their bodies are in. After that they do brutal traveling and the cycle starts again.

Jericho, the ref and I believe Malenko also got fined for Batista blading too. Batista said to the rest, whomever all got fined, "I'm paying it all, no discussions". I think it totalled like $125K or so by the time all was said and done.

I don't really care for his in-ring work, but he's a jam-up guy IRL.

[Viking Hall]

Johnny Saint when he came back from Michinoku Pro in 1996 said he felt like enough was enough and that he was fed up with traveling etc and basically retired on the spot. Didn't have another match for years afterwards and now does just the things he finds appealing when it comes to anything to do with wrestling.

[Baldobomb-22-OH-MAN!!!]

CM Punk was clearly not enjoying himself anymore by the time he walked out. it seems really obvious in retrospect.

[fw91]

I want to say Big Show last year when Shaq backed out. Sure he had a great match with Braun, but dude always looks sad nowadays, like he knows his time is running out.

[CertifiedBA]

Jan 14, 2018 11:34:13 GMT -5 Baldobomb-22-OH-MAN!!! said:

CM Punk was clearly not enjoying himself anymore by the time he walked out. it seems really obvious in retrospect.

Was zero percent shocked, it was months in the works

[The Sam]

Dennis Condrey leaving Crocket in 88

[Famous Rocking Chimes]

Jan 14, 2018 11:34:13 GMT -5 Baldobomb-22-OH-MAN!!! said:

CM Punk was clearly not enjoying himself anymore by the time he walked out. it seems really obvious in retrospect.

I wasn't really shocked to be honest. Punk looked increasingly more shit in terms of his appearance seemingly every week like he didn't care as much anymore. Compare his Wolverine style look when he returned at Payback up to his final appearance at the Rumble. He looked like crap and he later admitted to feeling like crap as well.

Punk looked knackered as well. To be honest when I read that he had walked out on WWE, I was surprised more at the timing of it (right before WrestleMania) rather than the actual action.

[Jake, The Jake, Jake]

Carlito starting in like 2006.

[Aceorton]

By the time Hercules wrapped up his WWF run in late '91 and early '92, he had let himself go and was mailing it in. You could see in his face that he just didn't GAF.

[chronocross]

Jan 15, 2018 12:22:05 GMT -5 Aceorton said:

By the time Hercules wrapped up his WWF run in late '91 and early '92, he had let himself go and was mailing it in. You could see in his face that he just didn't GAF.

Seriously, I remember the match he had with Sid Justice in 1992 before Wrestlemania, he takes the powerbomb and after the finish gets up and walks right out like nothing happened.