Davey Richards Reveals Why He Stopped Wrestling In 2017

For many years, one of the best wrestlers in the whole world was Davey Richards. One of the top stars of Ring of Honor and later Impact Wrestling, Richards had all the potential to shoot to the top of the business. However, injuries got in the way.

Now, he has opened up about why he stepped away from the ring in 2017. In a series of tweets, Richards revealed that he ended up needing a knee replacement. Here is what he said, copied from his official Twitter:

“I don’t know if anyone has any interest in this but I wanted to share a side of the story for why I stopped wrestling and missed so many shows. I’ve struggled with knee injuries throughout my amateur and professional wrestling career. 14 surgeries in all on my right knee.

During my run In Impact wrestling my right knee began to deteriorate badly. I remember the Dr for Impact at the time telling me I had the knee of a 70 yo. I went through numerous treatments: PRP, scopes, Stem Cells, Synvisc, etc. Nothing worked.

I thought I found the answer in 2017: Biojoint. They told me me knee would be like new again. Only downside was 1 year layoff from anything physical. So I did it – they sawed of ends of my femur and tibia and took bone and cartilage from a cadaver and inserted it in me.

Months went by and nothing got better. At one year they said wait another year. Nothing got better. More and more time extensions- which is why I had to cancel so many shows. Then I had another surgery to correct that one. Then another to correct that one.

Finally I owned up to the truth – I needed a total knee replacement. I researched the entire world and found Nanoknee. They said I would walk out of surgery, they said I would recover rapidly. They said I would be “me” again. I didn’t believe them.

Then it worked. The surgery worked. Then I found @SquatUniversity to help rehab me. Help rebuild what I had lost. Little by little, day by day I felt more like me. Until Today, when I realized I can not only do everything I used to, I can do it better.

To every [show] I missed and every fan I let down – I am truly sorry, it is completely my fault. My ego would not let me admit that inside I was falling apart. I couldn’t admit to myself I couldn’t be the one thing I always identified myself as: wrestler.

I’ll make no excuses, I own all of it. It’s funny – in 2 years I will be a Dr. I’ll have more money than I know what to do with, and I couldn’t care less. It wasn’t then, and isn’t now about the money. It was about the wrestling.

I don’t know what will happen. But maybe, just maybe I will be fortunate to be able to again participate in the greatest sport on earth: wrestling. Thank you for reading.”

It still remains unclear whether Davey Richards will be able to return to the ring one day.

As a former ROH World Champion, he had one of the best matches in the history of Ring of Honor against Michael Elgin at Showdown in the Sun in 2012. He would later go one to capture the Impact Tag Team Titles with Eddie Edwards five times.

What are your thoughts on the above story? Let us know in the comments on Twitter or Facebook.

• Ring of Honor
• ROH
• davey richards
• IMPACT

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