Darren Burridge announces his "semi"-retirement

Important Message from ‘Pukka One’ Darren Burridge


"First off, I want to say hi to all my fans, and thank them for all the great messages of support you have been sending me on the internet to my facebook and such, this week marks the 1 year anniversary of the injury I suffered whilst wrestling Harlow. I tore my ACL and MCL ligaments and destroyed my cartledge.

So far I have had keyhole surgery where they removed the damaged cartledge and I was waiting to see the specialist about the second part of the operation. I didn’t want to mention anything until I knew for certain a date that I can say to everyone “this is the day I will be back” I was hoping that day would be today. I should have known that it wouldn’t have been that smooth.

I am now on the waiting list for a complete ACL reconstruction (the waiting list could be up to a year max). Once that has been operated on it is another year of rehab and physio and as the doctor says non physical contact sports, which basically means no wrestling. So in all we are looking at 2 years before I seriously consider getting back in to a wrestling ring in a competitive form.

I felt like crying when he told me this, I had assumed that today I would be told a day for my operation, I had assumed that today I would write a statement to tell everyone for the first time official confirmation when I can get back in the ring, but instead I am writing a slightly different statement.

It is with a heavy heart I am announcing my semi retirement from wrestling. Please notice I wrote SEMI. Any wrestler and fan for that matter knows that when you’re a wrestler you’re always a wrestler, it’s in your blood, for some reason we love to get in the ring and roll around with a bunch of sweaty men in Lycra and can’t get enough of it. I don’t want to be one of these guys who announces his retirement, gets all the fuss and then is back in the ring 10 minutes later. I will, however still carry on my role as manager in the maximus sports theatre productions in Harlow playhouse as the Essex cowboy (trust me, if you haven’t seen this yet, get down to Harlow!! It’s like nothing you have ever seen before!!)

I might be back I might not, I just thought it would be best to let you the fans know and those wrestlers who said "where you been? I thought you just quit or something " thanks (please insert sarcasm chip in to your computer, by the time I’m back wrestling they probably would have been invented by then).

But to tell the truth although I am gutted, I am wise enough to know that I will probably never be in the same condition as before and I hear a lot of people say that when you have your knees operated on they are never the same again. But luckily for me where one door shuts (well not shut just left on the hatch) another opens. I have shifted my focus onto other areas, other areas that would probably not be available to me if it was not for wrestling in the first place. So even if I never step in a ring competing again I can honestly say I have achieved so much in this great sport! I have done so many things I never thought I would but knew I could if I tried. There may still be even more that I was meant to achieve in wrestling, team shag anyone???. Who knows!?

Incase this is it, I would like to thank the following people for the ride:

Frank Rimer
Tony Scarlo
Vince Randell
Alex Shane
Charly Rage
Terry Frasier
Steven Gauntley
Brian Manelli
Paul Tyrell
Lee Darren
Jace The Ace
Jonny Storm
Scott Conway

What ever you do in life, do it and have fun,, and remember no man is an island except for when he is in the bath!!

Thanks,

‘Pukka One’ Darren Burridge"



credits: UKFF