12 Things We Learned From Dark Side Of The Ring: Saving Paul Orndorff
2. Brian Blair Thinks Paul Was Abused
Brian Blair was one of Paul's closest friends in the wrestling business. In fact, he and Orndorff had graduated from a wrestling training school run by Hiro Matsuda. The only other graduate? None other than Hulk Hogan. So, all 3 guys shared a close bond, which is why Blair would always try to visit Paul whenever he was in the Atlanta area.
The last time he made that trip, Brian saw big changes in his pal every time.
His friend looked malnourished and had scars all over him. Later, he found out that Paul's wife Ronda was hooked on meth and wasn’t feeding Orndorff or even giving him the medication that he needed. “It was sad. Very, very sad”. Then, things impossibly got even worse for the man once known as 'Mr. Wonderful'.
His son Buzz (Paul Jr) had caused the family countless heartache with his legal troubles and arrests over the years, and he ended up breaking his father’s nose. Quite how that fight came about is anyone's guess, because it doesn't sound for a second like Paul was in any position to get antagonistic or start a brawl. He was close to the end, and yet one of his boys socked him one? Nah, that's unacceptable behaviour no matter the circumstances.
Blair was troubled by the scarring he'd seen on Paul when he met with him. A once proud and strong man had been reduced to a shambling mess who just wasn't being taken care of at all. That must've been hard to see.