Raven’s name is synonymous with a nostalgia that many pro wrestling fans cherish. Sadly, even legends grow old, and Raven is apparently suffering the damage after a very active career.

Raven was recently inducted into the Impact Wrestling Hall of Fame thanks to his accomplishments and contributions to that company. Impact isn’t the only company he traveled through, and millions of fans know him from ECW, WCW, and even WWE.

While speaking to PWMania, Tommy Dreamer mentioned Raven. The ECW legend is apparently going through some health issues. As Dreamer put it, Raven’s health “isn’t the best.” In all honesty, Raven’s ability to keep going for as long as he has is incredibly impressive.

“The reason why I wouldn’t give Raven the call, is that Raven’s health isn’t the best. And I look at Raven, and I’m like, Did I do that? Did I cause someone that? I mean, the chair shot heard around the world? Did I cause Raven to have health issues later on in his life? Seriously, it’s a big burden because, dude, I love everybody that I worked with. Pull the curtain back I love Raven.

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We had a love-hate relationship back then. But then when I see him and I’m like, oh, did I do this? I think the same as if I was a professional boxer. I love documentaries. I can’t watch current boxer documentaries because they’re showing a boxer speaking when he’s in his prime and then they’re showing a boxer speaking today.

You’re like, “What the hell type of stuff is going on in their brain?” You literally see that and I’m like, Whoa. Listen, it’s happened. Some people were great. Some people not so much. So that stuff really bothers me as a human being. So no, Raven won’t get the call. Why would you want to do that? He’s a pain in my ass to me. Come on, you followed my whole career since ECW. He’d be the last person I’d call. Raven cannot wrestle anymore.”

This is troubling to hear. Raven also had his own version of and update on his life recently. If you ask the leader of The Flock, things are looking a bit more positive for him.

Raven recently made headlines when he let everyone know that he was recuperating from a knee surgery. He also expressed desire to start taking bookings for tag team matches once he is healed. Hopefully, he can make that happen, because his in-ring return is supposedly still happening.

I’d been working off and on until I had my knees replaced. I had them replaced last year. [I gotta get my shoulder replaced. I had the left shoulder replaced in 2013. I gotta get the right shoulder replaced sometime in this year.

Hopefully, in the fall. Once my knees are healed up completely and my shoulder is healed up completely.] Once that’s done, I’ll probably still do tags. That’s what I’ve been doing. I don’t like being a babyface but on the indies, I have to be. The fans come to see the stars. It’s not fair to just turn yourself to make them boo you even though they don’t want to. Especially for a couple hundred people, it’s just not worth it.

“But as a babyface, I can tag with somebody. I come in on the shine, I beat the guy up, I don’t get touched,” he continued. “Then I tag in my partner in, he gets beat up, he makes the hot tag to me, I bump the other guys and go into the finish.

So I don’t have to take any bumps. But nobody knows because nobody realizes I’m not bumping because the way the storyline is set-up. Look at the Rock ’n’ Roll Express. Ricky bumped all the time and Robert just came in and got the hot tag. Instead of doing a bunch of false finishes, which everybody does anyway, I just go right to the finish.”

We’re sending out our best to Raven right now. He gave a lot to the pro wrestling business, and his body has tons of bumps and bruises to show for it. For more on this, and every other story in the pro wrestling business right now, stay tuned with Ringside News.

What’s your favorite memory from Raven in pro wrestling? Sound off in the comments!

Felix Upton

Felix Upton is a seasoned writer with over 30 years of experience. He began his career writing advertisements for local newspapers in New York before transitioning to publishing news for Ringside News. His expertise includes writing, editing, research, photo editing, and video editing. In his free time, he enjoys bungee jumping and learning extinct languages.

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