Wrestling With Sin: 322

Brian Damage

This is the 322nd installment of the ‘Wrestling with Sin‘ series. A group of stories that delves into the darker, underbelly of pro wrestling. Many of the stories involve such subjects as sex, drugs, greed and in some cases even murder! As with every single story in the Sin series, I do not condone or condemn the alleged participants. We simply retell their stories by researching interviews, newspapers, magazines and various other sources of media.

Hemme Powered

In 2004, Christy Hemme won WWE’s Divas Search competition and with that, a one year contract and $250,000. For the next year, Hemme was being used on television heavily feuding with the likes of Trish Stratus, Victoria and Melina. She was also featured in a nude pictorial of Playboy magazine.

A year later, Hemme was assigned to WWE’s developmental territory OVW to improve her wrestling skills. At the same time, she was still making appearances on the main roster. Then, in December of 2005…she was surprisingly released from the company. The official reason given was due to budgetary cuts. Wade Keller of the Pro Wrestling Torch newsletter reported: The word on Christy Hemme’s sudden release is that on a recent tour she acted inappropriately toward Triple H, and word got back to Stephanie McMahon.

After her release, Christy Hemme gave two different reasons for her departure that didn’t quite match up. She first said in an interview, “I got the call that I was released. And I was heartbroken. Crushed.” A few years later, Hemme insisted that she left the company on her own. Rumors swirled around that Hemme and Triple H had an affair…but some close to the situation denied that, saying Triple H was nothing but professional. Stephanie McMahon was apparently not pleased about hearing the rumors of Hemme being flirtatious with her husband Triple H and that ultimately led to her firing.

Nash Potatoes

During Kevin Nash’s first run in WCW in the early 1990’s, he wrestled a match at Center Stage in Atlanta for the company’s television tapings. While he was in the ring, WCW’s head ‘Cowboy’ Bill Watts was watching intently backstage. Watts was not a fan of Kevin Nash and his look and wrestling style. After watching Kevin Nash’s match, Watts was visibly disgusted.

When Nash made his way to the back, he was met by Watts. One of the things Watts disliked about Nash, was his inability to throw believable looking punches. Watts scolded Nash…who looked annoyed about getting a talking to by his boss. Watts apparently became enraged and told Nash to bend down. Bill Watts then threw a legitimate punch on the side of Nash’s head. Watts then said, that’s what a punch looks like. Nash admitted he was dazed from getting hit, but decided to “no sell” it and walk away as to not give Watts the satisfaction.

White and Blacklisted

Jim White was a pro wrestler from the 1960’s until the 1980’s. He mainly competed for territories based in the southern part of the country. His biggest success came as one half of a tag team with a young wrestler named Jerry Lawler and managed by Sam Bass. The team won numerous southern regional titles and main evented across those territories like Memphis, Knoxville and Alabama.

Their successful run came to an abrupt end, when White married a fellow wrestler named Lily Thomas. Lily Thomas was a woman of African American descent and White was punished for it. A year after their marriage was revealed….White was no longer booked with Lawler and main eventing. Jim White’s career never reached the same heights as when he was teamed with Lawler. Years later, when Lawler became a much bigger star…he brought White back with him to the Memphis territory. Sadly, it was never the same again as when they first teamed together. The magic was gone.

Doom At Noon

Gerardo Martin Landeros Mendiola was a promoter based in Mexico who founded the independent promotion Generacion XXI in 2016. He booked several big name luchadors including LA Park, Blue Demon Jr, Bandido and Rush. His brother Diego wrestles as Angeluz Fly.

In February of 2020, Mendiola and his girlfriend went to a restaurant located in Irapuato, Mexico. Around noon, several men entered the restaurant and opened fire….shooting Mendiola multiple times.

The perpetrators then sped off in a grey van. Mendiola died from his gunshot wounds. Police determined that Mendiola was targeted in the attack as his girlfriend and other patrons were left unharmed. Mendiola was just 34 years old.