In Memoriam

I went to another wrestling event on Saturday, this time in Philadelphia. This was a tribute show to Chri$ Ca$h, an indy wrestler who died in a motorcycle accident about a year ago. I've only followed this promotion for a couple of months, so I've only seen a match or two of Cash, but nonetheless I was moved, touched, and inspired, by the display I witnessed.

Chris' family was sitting in the front row. A ladder was placed in the center of the ring (Cash was known for his high-flying ladder matches, evidently). T-Shirts bearing his name were worn by virtually everyone in the audience. Men, women, and children. All had come to this event for a reason, to celebrate the life and memory of Chris Cash.

The show began with everyone in the company gathering around the ring, giving hugs to his family as they entered. A banner was unfurled, lights were flashing, the crowd was whipped into a frenzy, chanting his name over and over, with no signs of stopping. The owner of the company came out to give a moving speech that brought a tear to many an eye in the building, mentioning the influence that Chris had, that his newborn grandson was named after the late, great wrestling star, and even included a sobering nod towards the victims of 9/11, this being the eve of the eve of the five year anniversary of the terrorist attacks. A moment of silence was requested, and everyone obeyed. It was eerie quiet, no small feat considering this is a wrestling show in Philadelphia. The owner yelled Chris' name to break the silence, and crowd roared one last time...


...then they turned off the house lights to show a tribute video, which featured Chris smoking pot, popping pills, getting lap dances from strippers, chugging enormous amounts of alcohol, and hanging out of the window of a car speeding on the highway. The video got more out of control as it progressed, and culminated in Chris giving a profanity laced tirade. I don't remember it word for word, but I think he more or less told everyone to fuck off.

And naturally, everyone in the arena enjoyed the hell out of it, especially his family.

I am not being sarcastic.

I was moved by this, so I am going to buy a camera sometime and will record myself doing all sorts of outlandish things, many of which will involve crack rocks, Grey Goose, hookers, and small rodents. When I die (sometime within the next year or four, I imagine), I want the finished product broadcast on public access TV the day before my corpse gets blown up in a fireworks display above the Hudson River.

I also want this song played during the video and/or funeral. I also wouldn't mind being turned into an anime character.