There was a time when Val Venis was considered the kind of performer who might reach the upper echelons of WWE cards and become a main event player. In 2000, the company tried to move Val away from his porn star origins and simply make him an aggressive heel character. The change didn't work, and he returned to playing his more familiar guise soon after he left Right To Censor. Using pain medication to dull the pain of bumps and bruises suffered on the road, Venis admitted to the Two Man Power Trip Of Wrestling that he was on a slippery slope right up until 2009. That year, the man managed to clean up his act and move away from popping pills. The reason for his newfound sober thinking was the death of one of his friends. In March, '09, Andrew 'Test' Martin passed away at the young age of 33. Venis was just 4 years older than his peer, and knew that if he didn't make a change he could end up following the same path. The withdrawals were reportedly horrendous for the man, but he managed to come through them and clean up his lifestyle.
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.
