Dark Side Of The Ring: Most Chilling Quotes

The show is called Dark Side Of The Ring – so if you’re expecting rainbows and butterflies about the wrestling business, then you’re not paying attention to the show. Over the course of four seasons and now in the middle of the fifth, Dark Side has chronicled the trials and troubles of all sorts of wrestlers.

Hearing these stories can be riveting and sometimes trying just to get through (you can only imagine how the people were who actually lived through them). As we’ve heard these stories, we’ve also heard some of the most chilling quotes you might ever hear about the wrestling business and the lives of our favorite wrestlers.

9 “I Used To Have Five Brothers, Now I’m Not Even A Brother”

Kevin Von Erich Is The Sole Surviving Son Of Fritz

• Patriarch Fritz was trained by Stu Hart.
• According to myth, a woman had cursed Fritz Von Erich for using a Nazi gimmick.
• The Family members were inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame in 2009.

The story of The Von Erich family, especially after the release of The Iron Claw, is one of wrestling’s grandest and saddest tragedies. The sons of Fritz Von Erich all sought to do their father proud and ascend to the top of the wrestling industry. Sadly, one by one, they all passed away in some tragic form or another. All except for Kevin Von Erich. Kevin said plain and simple, “I used to have five brothers, now I’m not even a brother.” That sums up the sorrow of one man and his family perfectly and tearfully. If you’ve seen the film, the line hits even harder when his sons reply “we can be your brothers.”

8 “Someone Doesn’t Just Fall From The Top Of An Arena And Die; Something’s Wrong Here”

Martha And Oje Hart’s Catwalk Story

• After Owen’s death, Martha found the resolve to become a doctor.
• Despite their brother dying in the ring, some of the Harts tried to sabotage Martha’s lawsuit.
• Thanks in part to Chris Jericho, Martha was willing to allow AEW to honor her husband.

The Final Days Of Owen Hart is the episode’s title. But it is a bit of a misnomer. The episode could have easily been referred to The Resolve Of Dr. Martha Hart just as much. That is what a lot of the episode is truly about. How Martha chose to not fall into despair and to get up, fight for her children, fight to see those who killed her husband brought to justice, and to preserve her late great husband’s legacy both in and especially out of the ring.

In one segment from the episode, Martha and her son, Oje, describe reliving the same walk Owen made up to the catwalk that he fell from and not only how this could not have and should not have happened. But also how wrong it was and what their father and husband must’ve been thinking and feeling in the last few moments of his life.

7 “Dad, This Ends With Stephen, Look At Her; She Doesn’t Deserve This”

Mike Graham’s Daughter Pleads With Her Father To End The Cycle

• Mike Graham was a second-generation wrestler.
• His father, Eddie, was a powerhouse in Florida and helped discover Dusty Rhodes.
• Eddie Graham adopted the name when teaming with Dr. Jerry Graham.

Suicide is one of the most tragic ways a person could actually choose to leave this mortal coil. Eddie Graham chose that path via a gun. Sadly, two decades later, Eddie’s grandson, Mike Graham’s son, Stephen, chose the same unfortunate path. His daughter Nicole begged and pleaded with her dad to not walk that same road for her sake and the sake of his grandchildren. Despite agreeing to break that cycle, it would ultimately fall on Nicole as the sole surviving member of the family to continue to live on and choose to do what the men in her life could not.

6 “Don’t Let Them Hurt Me No More Brother”

Bruiser Brody’s Dying Words To Tony Atlas

• Whenever Frank Goodish got to the airport, it was when he’d take his hair down and start to become Bruiser Brody.
• Brody famously no-sold for Lex Luger in one of Luger’s first matches.
• Along with Stan Hansen, Brody helped make Japan’s Ribera Steak House famous for wrestlers.

In the very first episode of the series, the show focused on the life and times of Bruiser Brody. The brawler made a name for himself, predominantly in Japan and in World Class. But in the blood and guts, Puerto Rico territory is where his life would be tragically taken from him.

After an argument with fellow wrestler Jose Gutierrez, Invader 1, he was stabbed and eventually succumbed to his injuries. According to Tony Atlas, Brody’s dying words to him were chilling – “don’t let them hurt me no more, brother.” Even though Mr. USA helped get him to the hospital, it was too late.

5 “The Nicer You Are To Him, The Bigger Your Payday Will Be, And You Could Use A Payday”

Princess Victoria Insinuates Moolah Tried To Pimp Her Out

• For decades, Moolah was one of the few ladies who trained the rest of the women.
• Even Chris Kanyon trained with The Fabulous Moolah.
• Her name was taken off of the Women’s WrestleMania Battle Royal.

Before the internet and before the death of Lillian Ellison, aka The Fabulous Moolah, there was little of any public knowledge of any of the allegations that have marred her legacy. She was once considered one of the greatest of all time – male or female. But underneath was reportedly a seedy underbelly of Moolah and her husband pimping her trainees out. Princess Victoria recounted a story where the former Women’s Champion insinuated to her that the nicer she was to a promoter, the bigger the payoff she’d wind up getting.

4 “Just This Wail From Deep Down, Like A Heartbreak; If You’ve Ever Heard One, This Is A Heartbreak.”

Chavo Guerrero Recalls Telling A Close Friend About Eddie’s Death

• There are a swath of fans who think that Nancy “Woman” Benoit belongs in the WWE Hall Of Fame.
• In the wake of the tragedy, very few people reached out to the family members to try and comfort them.
• The event helped to educate the world about steroid use and the dangers of CTE.

The Benoit episode was all about the life of Chris Benoit and the tragic final three days of it. Told from the people most affected by the events, it was also impossible to tell without telling the story of how his best friend Eddie Guerrero’s death affected him – and most likely was the tipping point of the beginning of the end. When Chavo told Benoit about his uncle’s death, he let out a cry, wail. As Chavo put it – it was the sound of a heart breaking.

3 “I Didn’t Try To Kill Him, But I Want Him To Get Close To Death”

New Jack On The Mass Transit Incident

• New Jack began his career in Smoky Mountain.
• D’Lo Brown was part of his crew in SMW.
• The Mass Transit Incident became infamous and nearly stopped ECW’s first PPV.

There are two schools of fans on New Jack – love him or hate him, for better or worse, no matter what. But when watching The Life And Crimes Of New Jack, it is just hard to sit through and listen to this professional wrestler speak so unprofessionally about his actions without a shred of remorse. While Erick Kulas did lie about being a pro and of age and his actions nearly ended ECW, New Jack seemed unfazed by the notion that he did nearly kill the boy. Just like the episode shows, he only used it to further his legacy.

2 “We Hear You Say Something Bad About North Korea, That’s It”

Scott Norton On His Experience In North Korea

• Before getting into wrestling, Scott Norton was a champion Arm Wrestler.
• He earned the Flash nickname by quickly defeating his Arm Wrestling opponents.
• Norton is part of the huge Minnesota crew that included the LOD, Barry Darsow, Rick Rude, and Mr. Perfect.

One of the great social crimes of the wrestling business is that, for some reason or another, Scott Flash Norton never got to showcase and hone his skills in WWE. But the bigger atrocity is what happened when Norton, along with plenty of wrestlers from New Japan and WCW, headed to North Korea on a supposed mission of peace.

Peace without freedom of speech. When Norton was finally able to phone home, he explained to his wife, Tammy, who was livid about the horrible squalor he was staying in. The horrible country that was hosting him. The phone immediately clicked off and guards stormed his hotel room. He was threatened to never bad mouth North Korea again. At first, Tammy didn’t seem to care about any of that, since she didn’t know the full extent of the danger that Norton and his friends were in.

1 “Aurelian Hasn’t Grown Since He Was 12-13 Years Old. I Put Him Away, I Had To, Cause It Hurt Too Much…”

Jake Roberts On His Birth Name

• Jake Roberts is one of the legends who never held a WWE title.
• The Snake was actually afraid of the snakes for a time.
• The nickname was derived from football player, Kenny Stabler.

After hearing the sordid details of the lives of all of the children of Grizzly Smith, it’s amazing all of them turned out remotely ok; albeit with the scars and whatever kind of therapy they have been through to tell the tale. Jake The Snake Roberts’ mother was young when she was raped by Grizzly and, later on, his own stepmother took to raping him. It’s chilling to Jake, Rockin’ Robin, Sam Houston, and Richard all hard their dark stories with their father. Jake, one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, flat out admitted that Aurelian (his birth name) isn’t gone, he just hasn’t grown up since being a young boy and is still just a scared little boy. That’s why Jake The Snake is the one who is the most comfortable being.