10 Second Generation Wrestlers That Should Have Known Better
The Family Business.
It's been said by several industry stars that most professional wrestlers enter the trade already broken, in that they will endure incredible physical and emotional torture to become stars amongst the select few that actually make it in the industry.
WWE's polished presentation of their Performance Centre > NXT > Main Roster trajectory paints a pleasant picture of breaking into a notoriously tough business, but plenty of performers have been willing to suffer for their art whilst chasing an impossible dream.
Unlike many talents that begin as wide-eyed fans, there are those that literally have wrestling in the blood. 'Born into the business', the children of wrestlers are unwittingly complicit in the incredible challenges associated with being a full time performer, especially if Mom or Dad are part of Vince McMahon's travelling circus.
Parents and progeny alike speak of missed birthdays, dance recitals and little league games with tearful remorse, but the allure of the bright lights and fiercely competitive nature of the industry always appears to make the the decision less of a choice and more of a painful reality.
Professional success stories so rarely match personal triumph in wrestling, with children often collateral damage in a performer's fierce dedication to their craft. In spite of (or maybe because of) that, there have been numerous second generation superstars in wrestling's rich history. A famous mother or father is often a golden ticket to WWE, or at least a side entrance. But those who don't learn from mistakes, are inevitably doomed to repeat them.
10. Cody Hall
The renaissance of Scott Hall thanks to the careful counsel and support from Diamond Dallas Page remains one of the best wrestling feel-good tales this decade. Despite 'The Bad Guy' himself admitting to occasional stumbles within his recovery, the erudite and lucid man that went into the 2014 WWE Hall of Fame is a far cry from the version almost every fan had pegged certain to die for over a decade.
Whilst the fatal shooting that accidentally occurred early in his life remains his other buried sickness, he medicated that with a lifetime of rampant drug and alcohol abuse thanks to over-indulgence in the hedonistic backstage world of professional wrestling.
Looking decades beyond his 58 years even after recovering from his personal rock bottom, Hall is a living embodiment of the industry's ugliest side.
Life on the road and at the bottom of a shot glass also resulted in a strained relationship with his only son. Now 25, Cody has tearfully reminisced about having to see his father portraying a drunk (during WCW's distasteful 'AlcaHall' persona) and recognising the real version from his rare visits home. Despite an unthinkably challenging upbringing and the entirety of his teenage years awaiting devastating news of his father's passing, Cody has followed in his father's footsteps into the wrestling industry.
He has thus far carved out a choice career in Japan, where his natural size and familial charisma has served him well. The only hope is that other potentially genetic conditions do not follow him.