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CHRIS CANDIDO BIOGRAPHY 'NO GIMMICKS NEEDED' TO BE RELEASED THIS MONTH

CHRIS CANDIDO REMEMBERED

by Mike Johnson

Originally Published: 04/29/2005 12:15

Chris Candido used to really P*ss me off. I can't deny that, even as I am saddened by his loss. Several years ago, Candido looked to have permanently joined the club that no wrestling fan is proud of but every fan discusses and knows exists - the club of wrestlers who had that chance but lost themselves to their issues. Some members of the club, no matter how talented, like Brian Pillman, lost their way. Others, like William Regal, broke free and made a new life for themselves.

Candido used to really make me angry and sad because he had joined that club and he was so much damned better than that. He had everything going for him - a hot girlfriend, a love for the business, a great work ethic, an innate ability to make you laugh at just the right moment, and the knowledge to know exactly when and where to pull out the right bump, the right shortcut, the right snide remark. As someone who followed him from the point he billed himself as "Mr. Charisma" Chris Candido, in a forgotten age where Tammy Sytch was sitting in the front row cheering him on and taking photos like mad, it used to burn me up that he had gone from the local guy made good by making it to the WWF, to the burned out independent worker on the local indies, sometimes working for next to nothing, when he deserved so much more.

I had written him off a long time ago as just another victim to the business, but Candido proved me wrong.

Over the last year or so, Candido had turned his life around. Like many who follow the business, I couldn't help but be a little cynical - I guess it comes with talking to and writing about professional wrestlers, so many of whom have demented and unique theories on everything in the world. Candido proved every naysayer wrong. He had cleaned up and was having entertaining matches everywhere he was booked, whether he was working AJ Styles in TNA or Mike Tobin for UXW in New York. Some people had written that the old Chris Candido was back. I wouldn't go that far, because you can't go back in time. The person that was in the ring was a smarter, wiser Candido, someone who had gone from being the butt of the latest "Did you hear about Chris and Tammy?" story to someone who became the subject of the "Did you hear about that great match with Candido and Homicide?" type of conversation.

If there is anything that can be taken from his loss (beyond the memories of great wrestling and personal memories of those who knew him), it is the story of someone who fell from grace, hard and clawed his way back. He had regained his reputation, he had regained his performances, and he had regained the respect of many in the business - from Dusty Rhodes who went to bat for him to bring Candido to TNA on down to the most unknown indy worker, who Candido would treat the same as if he was a WWE PPV main eventer. There was no ego to Candido these days, as he would routinely poke fun at himself and his past problems when appearing on Frank Goodman's hotline in New York City. It just wasn't how he carried himself.

There were a lot of people in the business who cared about Candido probably more than he himself ever realized, and they were all shattered by his passing. I don't recall a passing being taken harder within the business for as long as I've been following it. The TNA locker room was unison in taking his death terribly hard. Old friends from the WWF and ECW were no different. Indy workers from all over the Northeastern area, who Candido had befriended, were equally speechless. It was something that no one saw coming. Candido had exited the Club a long time ago and was someone that a lot of the younger workers all looked up to. With his passing comes a major void in the indy scene, as there's one less wrestler to give back to the next generation. Although his influence was nowhere near as great, Candido took to a number of workers on indy shows the same way Terry Funk took to the ECW roster, advising and trying to help everyone improve. He did it because he loved what he did for a living, and took the good with the bad, his successes with his mistakes.

I don't know that he would have ended up returning to WWE in the end, but there were a lot of people pulling for him. Candido could have been the next Eddie Guerrero or William Regal feel good story, but instead Father Time had other ideas. Everyone in the business should take heed - things can change forever in your life in a second's notice. For those of you working to better yourselves, remember the work ethic Candido carried. For those who are dealing with their own problems, let Candido's passing be the warning sign you need to clean up, so if you get your chance to mount a comeback, you can do it before you run out of time as well.

I'll always remember watching Candido busting his rear on the independents against the likes of Tazz and Sabu. I'll always remember Tammy Sytch telling everyone who would listen at the last Weekend of Champions convention in NYC that the evolution of great wrestling in the business was "Buddy Rogers, Ric Flair, Chris Candido." I'll always remember him wandering around at the Fanfest of Wrestlemania 11 in Connecticut with Tammy Sytch, weeks after being signed by WWF but unknown by most of the fans in attendance, just taking it all in and signing for the few fans who did recognize them. I'll always remember that feeling of "indy guy makes good" watching him debut in Madison Square Garden, defeating Aldo Montoya (Justin Credible). I'll never forget the pride the late Dennis Coraluzzo had in Candido, who was truly "his boy." I'll never forget Candido's return to ECW, where he strutted out as a surprise to defeat Spike Dudley.

I'll never forget the great whiny promos. The baby bottle matches in SMW. The promos where the Bodydonnas looked out from the TV to tell everyone how fat and disgusting they were. The gimmick with Rad Radford (the late Louie Spicoli) as the Bodydonna in training. The striped trunks he wore as a tribute to his hero Terry Funk. The Triple Threat. The team with Lance Storm.

I'll never forget the last time I saw Chris Candido wrestle in person, facing Mike Tobin in a great comedy match where Candido kept trying different gimmicks to outwrestle him, from a Tazz t-shirt to his old BodyDonnas tights. It was good clean fun, the way wrestling should always be at its best. The way Candido was at his best.

Thanks for the memories Candido. I'm sure right about now Dennis is pouring you a tall glass of ice tea and regaling you with stories of some scheme he's cooked up, even in heaven. Enjoy the conversation.

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