They are the toughest orders that Steve "Corporal" Robinson will have to carry out.
Doctors have told Robinson -- one of pro wrestling's most storied hard-core performers -- his grappling days are over because of a serious back injury. Robinson acknowledged this last Saturday night when forfeiting his Juggalo Championship Wrestling (JCW) heavyweight title in Detroit.
"Basically, the diagnosis is that I have to have surgery and there is no way around it," Robinson said Wednesday in a telephone interview. "I was going to do (cortical) steroid shots to try and rebuild the vertebrae in my back, relieve some of the pain and still try to do shows. But the doctor pretty much said that if I take any big bumps or even an awkward one, I would immediately be paralyzed or my spine would be completely severed and it would kill me."
Adding to the pain of losing his livelihood at age 36: Robinson wasn't even injured in the ring.
When not grappling, Robinson served on the concert security team for JCW owners Insane Clown Posse (Joe "Violent J" Bruce and Joey "Shaggy 2 Dope" Ustler). During a late October show in New York City, Robinson said he took a wicked fall when accidentally bumped off the stage.
"I was dropping straight down on my head from 10 feet up," Robinson said. "Because of my wrestling background, I went ahead and automatically tucked my head in (to my chest). When I did that, I took the brunt on my shoulder and back. I was completely laid out for almost five minutes."
The aftermath was even worse. Robinson said he was unaware spinal fluid was dripping into his bloodstream as a result of the fall. That caused the left side of his body to become numb and led to an accident where he fell down a flight of stairs at home.
Robinson suffered even more damage to vertebrae that had already taken a beating during a 15-year wrestling career. He was subsequently hospitalized for almost three weeks.
"That's the messed up part about it," Robinson said. "I've done all these crazy moves and been in all these crazy matches and I got seriously hurt not wrestling."
A standout high school baseball player in Sellersburg, Ind., Robinson served a four-year tour of duty in the Marine Corps in the early 1990s before deciding to pursue a lifelong interest in pro wrestling. Robinson debuted after being trained by some of the same performers he would watch every Tuesday night while attending live United States Wrestling Association (USWA) shows at the Louisville Gardens.
While possessing ample technical skill, Robinson was always enthralled by the hard-core style popularized by Extreme Championship Wrestling in the mid-1990s. He began venturing into that rough-and-tumble genre with a match against Mad Man Pondo in the now-defunct Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South promotion.
"It was my second show there and (promoter) Ian Rotten asked if I could do it," Robinson recalled. "I said, 'I have no problem with the weapons-and-glass thing but let me figure out how to do it right and get (the style) down.' We pretty much stole the show. That started my hard-core run. I started doing more innovative moves and things that were safer but looked crazier."
Robinson attracted the attention of independent promoters nationwide. That included Bruce and Ustler, who were wrestling and running shows when not focused on Insane Clown Posse's musical endeavors. Robinson became the JCW champion for the fourth time in July by defeating "Officer" Colt Cabana on an Internet pay-per-view show.
Robinson also was renowned for his hand speed, which led to some of the industry's most realistic-looking punches and a guest spot on a 2009 episode of "Operation Repo." Robinson plays a member of a "biker gang" that beats up cast member Froylan "Froy" Tercero.
"The guys in the (wrestling) business call them lottery punches because sometimes they would win and sometimes they would lose," Robinson said. "Either I would (pull them) perfectly or they would get battered."
Robinson said his career highlights were getting to wrestle alongside hard-core legend Terry Funk and pinning Scott Hall in 2007 before the former WWE and World Championship Wrestling headliner fell from grace because of extensive substance abuse.
Although he realizes it's a long shot, Robinson remains optimistic that he may be able to experience more memorable wrestling moments.
"I'm still hopeful that the doctor can get me fixed so one day I can be back in the ring," Robinson said. "Right now, it's way up in the air."
Comments