Memoir on local wrestler Fawcett
When my phone rang on the afternoon of Sunday, July 15, 2007, my heart sank.
Looking at the phone and seeing the name Robert Piskor, I knew what he was going to tell me before I answered.
That day and that exact moment in time will be ingrained in my mind for the rest of my life.
I was riding home with my dad from a summer league basketball game I had coached, and I know the exact spot on Pennsylvania Blvd. in Monessen when the call came in.
鈥淛immy鈥檚 gone,鈥� I told my dad, sensing what Robert was about to tell me.
When I answered, Robert was fighting through his emotions as he simply said two words, the same two words I had just said to my dad.
鈥淛immy鈥檚 gone.鈥�
The Jimmy he was referring to was Jim Fawcett, known in the Pittsburgh wrestling scene as Devil Bhudakahn.
Jimmy was found dead at his house after committing suicide, and his death rocked our wrestling community.
If you were Jimmy鈥檚 friend, he would do anything for you, and his viewing was a who鈥檚 who in the Pittsburgh wrestling scene.
We all grieved in different ways and each of us could share stories about Jimmy for hours.
Robert鈥檚 grieving was a multi-step process and he was eventually diagnosed with PTSD.
As a way to continue his healing process, Piskor has written a memoir titled 鈥淒evil Bhudakahn 鈥� The Man Behind the Mask.鈥�
The piece is through the eyes of Piskor, but he also invited several people to share our memories and share how his death affected us.
鈥淚 needed to do this to help me heal mentally and I did not hold back as Jimmy鈥檚 death affected me mentally,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 lost myself.
鈥淎nd I lost my passion for trying to make it to the top level.鈥�
Aside from being excellent in the ring as a wrestler, Piskor is also one of the top referees on the East Coast, using the name Bobby Williams, and at that time, he was performing in England where he was being scouted by Impact Wrestling.
However, Piskor had a complete mental breakdown while still grieving Jimmy鈥檚 death.
As he moved forward, Piskor learned to speak with others, and he discussed the important role that his wife, Natalie, played.
鈥淎 few years after Jimmy鈥檚 passing, I met my wife and she helped me over the years by giving me the motivation to talk about Jimmy鈥檚 death as well as the issues I went through over it,鈥� he said.
Piskor also shared who he wrote the piece for.
鈥淛immy鈥檚 three daughters did not get the chance to know him like we knew him as he was a pioneer in Pittsburgh wrestling history,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 want them to know what kind of man he was.鈥�
Fawcett鈥檚 role in establishing the importance of the Lucha Libre style in Pittsburgh is known well by those inside the business.
鈥淗e helped revolutionized the Pittsburgh scene when he debuted,鈥� Piskor said of Fawcett who briefly wrestled under the moniker Vince Viper when he first debuted. 鈥淎t the time, pro wrestling was a big guy sport and Jimmy opened the doors for smaller people to live out their dreams.鈥�
One of those people was Piskor.
鈥淲e met at a picnic for my mother鈥檚 employer,鈥� he said of his first encounter with Facwett on May 23, 1999. 鈥淎 small card was performed and after it was over, I introduced myself to Jimmy.
鈥淲e became instant friends, I built him a website and traveled with him locally (to shows).鈥�
Soon after, Piskor trained under Fawcett.
Piskor discussed what finally led him to write the book.
鈥淥ne day, my phone rang out of the blue and it was Jimmy鈥檚 mom,鈥� he said. 鈥淪he asked me to stop by her place to pick up something she found, and she ended up having his wrestling bag, complete with all of his wrestling gear.
鈥淚 was blown away and when I left her house, I had an epiphany that I needed to write about him and how much he meant to me, which led to a lot of my pain subsiding.鈥�
The process was arduous.
鈥淚 must have rewritten and redesigned this book 10 times,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 designed every page, sometimes just staring at it to make it perfect and it took a solid four months to come up with it.鈥�
This was when he reached out to others to share their thoughts.
鈥淎s days went on, I changed paths and asked several people to write pieces on him as well as I did not want this to be just my project,鈥� Piskor said. 鈥淚 wanted it to be a group project.鈥�
Robert asked me to write a piece, which I was honored to do.
Jimmy was blunt, told you how he felt and did not candy coat anything, but if you were his friend, he was loyal to a fault.
Robert鈥檚 memoir on Jimmy allows us to reminisce about our friend, the good times as well as how serious mental health is.
Piskor also had his six-year old daughter Lucy in mind when writing the book.
鈥淚 wanted to show her that you can do anything if you put your mind to it,鈥� he said.
Ironically, that was the same advice that Jimmy gave to so many of us as well.
The book is available through Blurb at www.blurb.com and it costs $20 plus shipping.
鈥淚t is filled with photos, stories that will make you laugh and stories that will make you cry,鈥� Piskor said.
All proceeds go to www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
Former WWE star drowns
Shad Gaspard, one-half of the former WWE tag team Cryme Tyme, drowned Sunday in Venice Beach.
Gaspard was pulled under by a strong rip current moments after getting his 10-year old son to safety.
On This Day鈥�
In 1984, Ric Flair defeated Kerry Von Erich to regain the NWA heavyweight championship.
For our younger readers, the NWA title was considered more of a 鈥渨restling鈥� championship while the WWE title, then known as the WWF title, was more of a prop for the 鈥淩ock N鈥� Wrestling鈥� era led by Hulk Hogan.
Sure, Hogan was better known around the world, but Flair was a working man鈥檚 champion and that is part of the reason why he is considered by many to be the best of all-time.
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