Vito informs that over time he started suffering from terrible headaches and he knew something wasn’t right. He also noticed that he’d have random spurts of anger that he was unable to control. He went to the doctor and was told that he’s affected by CTE. He notes that while the constant headaches are terrible, the nightmares he has every night are nearly unbearable.
These nightmares are full of anger, aggression and physicality, and they often consist of people trying to kill him so he has to kill them in self-defence. He admits that some nights he wakes up in a pool of sweat because he’s actually kicking and punching in his sleep. He mentions that his doctor told him he could have had anywhere from hundreds to thousands of concussions throughout his wrestling career.
Russo says those dreams are terrifying. He points out that when he hears Vito describe those dreams, it’s impossible for him to not think about Chris Benoit. The disastrous actions of Benoit – which took the life of his wife and young son – were by all accounts completely out of character for Benoit, and it’s difficult to not think that the effects of CTE may have played a role in these aggressive actions.
