"It got to the point where it wasn't fun," he said, noting that Gowen was worse off than he was, that Gowen was far from high-functioning then. Jacobs said. Gowen said that he suffered the "descent into the insanity of drug addiction." he asked. But plans had to change in a hurry. That was the culture. Gowen's current tag team partner and friend, Gregory Iron, credits WWE for helping his story avoid a tragic end. When the beastly man picked him up for an F5, Gowen said it felt like he was "on the back of a horse." Gowen said he has "never been better" as a performer. Zach Gowen (SmackDown; August 21, 2003) Following his annihilation of Spanky the week prior, Brock Lesnar was still hell-bent on reeking havoc. With his mother sitting at ringside, Gowen received a vicious beating. 109.6k Followers, 9 Following, 396 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Brock lesnar (@brock._.lesnar) "My whole life I was looking for relief for what was wrong with me," he said. He also challenged the WWE Champion Brock Lesnar in his hometown before being released from WWE in February 2004. The fingers on his right hand curl in a rigid pose. All of this was hard to take in. After perching himself on the top rope, he leaps backward, flipping his body over and crashing onto his prone foe. Zach Gowen immediately became a beloved character upon his arrival on WWE SmackDown in mid-2003. Zach Gowen recently spoke our for a new interview. He remembered how much he could feel Lesnar's power. "For those three hours, I didn't feel any pain at all. "I didn't comprehend the gravity of the gift I was given," he said. Jacobs said of him, "He's got such a level head now compared to the maniac that he was. There were no past examples of how to showcase a one-legged wrestler. "I felt ugly, weak, defeated, not good enough," he said. Lesnar smashed him with a steel chair and twice flung him into the ring steps. All quotes were obtained firsthand, unless otherwise noted. My school rallied around me," he remembered. #2 Zach Gowen In the week following the decimation of Spanky, Vince McMahon sought to one-better himself by unleashing Brock Lesnar on the hometown hero, Zach Gowen. 9:57. In case you haven’t seen it … It warped his sense of self. My school rallied around me," he remembered. On working with Brock Lesnar: “Brock Lesnar is my favorite wrestler — possibly of all-time. Gowen then lost several singles matches to wrestlers including Shannon Moore, Nunzio, and John Cena, with Gowen being attacked by Matt Hardy, Moore's mentor, following each loss. Defeated The Rock at SummerSlam 2002 for the WWE Undisputed Championship. August 21, 2003 – SmackDown: Zack Gowen beats Brock Lesnar by disqualification when Brock breaks Zack Gowen’s leg in two places.. September 4, 2003 – SmackDown: In an attempt to impress Vince McMahon, Brock Lesnar tossed Zach Gowen down a flight of stairs. WWE apparently caught wind of it. Gowen described the experience as "incredibly surreal.". Admitting to her that he had a problem kick-started his self-restoration. Brutalizing Zach Gowen in front of his mother, before later pushing him down a flight of stairs in a wheelchair. "the world had a secret, and they wouldn't tell me." "He was super-nervous. He's progressed as a wrestler, experience helping him advance as an in-ring artist. In a tactic that WWE had used in the past with grapplers like Earthquake and Hillbilly Jim, he played a fan who stepped out of the crowd and into the chaos of the ring. That and a divine source guided him back to normalcy. Ohio Valley Wrestling served as the company's farm territory. He just collected checks from home. The squared circle provided an escape from reality, a stage on which he could forget his brokenness. Gowen was diagnosed with cancer as a child, and lost his left leg due to amputation at the age of eight. "It got to the point where it wasn't fun," he said, noting that Gowen was worse off than he was, that Gowen was far from high-functioning then. In WWE at the time (can’t speak for how it is now), it was understood that we all traveled together and helped each other out. Zach became an instant inspiration to millions worldwide proving that nothing is impossible. "I didn't comprehend the gravity of the gift I was given," he said. "It's easier because the guy's only got one leg. It makes the storytelling. But if a performer wasn’t comfortable in that system, I don’t think it’s fair to ostracize and criticize. 2) Brock tied me to a wheelchair and threw me down a flight of stairs. Jacobs credits Gowen's self-awareness, dedication, will and perseverance for being able to break away from his addictions. "WWE and their rehab program saved his life. Gowen was attempting to do something that had yet to be done—become the first one-legged pro wrestler. He sees himself and the narrative that followed all of that as a source of hope. If he got to mix it up with Sabu, a fearless wrestler famous for dangerous dives, he would be ecstatic. Early on, he trained while wearing a prosthetic leg. Below are some of the highlights from the interview. Life is about how you react to what happens," he said. He was often "handed a script and told what to do" and sometimes "felt like an actor for a TV show," he explained. Gowen's drinking got out of hand. ET Monday, June 13 on NBC. With that came pressure. I respect anyone for staying true to themselves, even it means going against the grain.”. But this was new territory for both wrestler and promoter. The idea behind his debut and his involvement in the Piper-Hogan drama was supposed to lead to a tag match with Piper and McMahon against Hogan and Gowen. There were no past examples of how to showcase a one-legged wrestler. Gowen first gained national exposure wrestling for Total Nonstop Action Wre… For Gowen, his and Iron's disabilities aren't gimmicks; they are tools to reach an audience like no other wrestlers can. Ryan Dilbert is the WWE Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. Defeated The Rock at SummerSlam 2002 for the WWE Undisputed Championship. With CEO Linda McMahon recuperating from her injuries sustained during her recent Raw experience, Sable crosses the line with Stephanie McMahon. He had no aspirations of grand stages and world championships. He found it awkward, dead weight hanging off his body as he worked. He is the client of Paul Heyman. When he got good enough that he thought he could perform for a bigger audience, he reached out to TNA (Total Nonstop Action) in early 2003. Perhaps he wanted to hear stories of him clocking McMahon in his bloody brow or rescuing Hogan in his first WWE appearance. To me that felt really good. 17:01. Brock Lesnar defends the WWE Championship in a Triple Threat Match against Kurt Angle and The Big Show. He did. He says that Big Show told him that Lesnar was the strongest man he had ever competed against. And so that left Gowen and McMahon alone in this storyline, a 20-year-old kid asked to take on the most prominent heel in the business, a man who also happened to be his boss. Gowen makes connections when he's not wrestling, too. Things were tumultuous backstage during his tenure. The following week, Lesnar threw Gowen down a flight of stairs. Losing his WWE position made him lose his identity. An eight-year-old Zach Gowen woke up from surgery without his left leg. But that came from Vince himself, that's what he wanted because it was best for business. He freely admits that he was to blame for much of it. Having known Gowen before and after his descent, Jacobs understands why things unfolded as they did. Wrestling locker room etiquette is built around respect and a built-in, unspoken hierarchy. Mr. Moxie asks about Gowen’s thoughts on Truth Martini. Jacobs said, "It takes a super-well-balanced human being to handle that kind of change.". Iron has similar thoughts about their act, one built on authenticity, as the two wrestlers share their real-life struggles and touch on the obstacles they have faced during wrestling promos. You would never have guessed that he would have come out the other end such a respectable member of society.". As a result of his feud with McMahon, Gowen was forced into a match with former WWE Champion the heel version of Brock Lesnar. He sees himself and the narrative that followed all of that as a source of hope. He had no aspirations of grand stages and world championships. "I didn't think coming out of rehab he would make it, because I think most people don't," he said. Sight unseen, the company called and offered him a deal. What ended as a bloody, brutal match began with Gowen delivering light wrestling punches and McMahon yelling at the kid to hit him harder. #4 Brock Lesnar mauls Zach Gowen Brock Lesnar Back in mid-2003, Brock Lesnar had turned heel on Kurt Angle on an episode of SmackDown, joining forces with Vince McMahon in … We might not be having this conversation right now if not for that," Iron explained. In front of his hometown of Detroit, Michigan Zach Gowen was brutally assaulted by Brock Lesnar at WWE Smackdown. The storyline was cut short on the August 21 episode of SmackDown, when Gowen defeated Brock Lesnar by disqualification after Lesnar broke Gowen's leg in storyline. ... #5 Zach Gowen - 5ft 11in. Lesnar or Hogan or Vince do not stand across from him in the ring anymore. When his dream career ended in early 2004, Gowen didn't do the same for himself. "How could anybody with two legs teach someone with one leg if it's never been done before?" But even when Gowen was in the program, Jacobs had doubts about his friend's future. Then came a meeting with Jim Ross. Eventually, though, he needed guidance beyond what he figured out on his own. At that point, all he wanted to do was go to recess and play Nintendo. While some wrestlers may view Gowen's disability as a challenge, Jacobs thinks of it as an advantage. Iron asked Gowen what the highlight of his career had been so far. He said, 'What if it goes bad? Zach Gowen immediately became a beloved character upon his arrival on WWE SmackDown in mid-2003. Watch Zach Gowen vs. Brock Lesnar WWE SmackDown 08.21.03 - Mazden529 on Dailymotion Some of Gowen's best work has come alongside. As Gowen put it, the WWE-sponsored rehabilitation planted the "seed of recovery." Jacobs said that what began as casual partying had morphed into something darker. Despite being a villain, the audience treated the powerhouse like a hero. Gowen's left leg was amputated when he was eight years old. Brock Lesnar Brutally Destroys One-Legged Zach Gowen If there's one way to guarantee heel heat, it's beating up a one-legged cancer survivor. i know this weird but i saw on youtube brock lesner beatin the livin crap outta zach gowan in front of his momma.but i couldnt find the video of brockl lesner facing zach gowan in … Maybe something would open up in March. That dark match became legendary, in a way. WWE wanted to instead punctuate Brock Lesnar's heel turn and needed a martyr for The Beast Incarnate to slay. When Gowen performs today, he does so in front of much smaller crowds, inside rec centers and churches, in places like Warren and Chesterfield, Michigan. Ross explained that the door would be open for the young wrestler after he improved his body in the gym and his craft on the independent circuit. His grandmother ordered the 1992, Wright Way Photography; Courtesy of Zach Gowen. I got carte blanche to punch Vince McMahon as hard as I could in the face, and I did that repeatedly! And I don't know what to do. "I offered my one-legged, 150-pound body to him," he said. She suggested he speak with WWE, even though it had been years since he last wrestled for them. 2) Brock tied me to a wheelchair and threw me down a flight of stairs. Brock Lesnar faced a one-legged man, Zach Gowen, on Smackdown back in 2003, and I would like to know more details about the match; why it happened, what led up to it and what happened after. That role went to Gowen. He has been cultivating that seed ever since. In Kenny Johnson's documentary The Handicapped Heroes, Gowen said, "I tapped into something greater than just good guy-versus-bad guy, bully-versus-victim or whatever the story may be. The storyline was cut short on the August 21 episode of SmackDown! Relive the moment on Bloody Elbow for Brock Lesnar week. In August 2003, Gowen's scheduled fight with Matt Hardy got changed. The crowds have shrunk and the spotlight has dimmed, but Gowen is experiencing an up-close-and-personal response from the audience each night. Wrestling so often provided that relief. Judgment Day was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Kurt Angle, Zach Gowen & WWE Champion Brock Lesnar battle Big Show & the World's Greatest Tag Team. Affiliate Disclosure: Evolve Media LLC, and its owned and operated websites may receive a small commission from the proceeds of any product(s) sold through affiliate and direct partner links. A part of that comes from gratitude from his stay with WWE. When WWE flew him to New York for the sole purpose of firing him, Gowen wasn't surprised. Some of Gowen's best work has come alongside Gregory Iron. Three weeks after the amputation, he left the hospital and returned home for the first time. He is the client of Paul Heyman. Today, he now freely shares the secret to overcoming opponents internal and external. Gowen knew the bout had to be brutal and was plenty willing to let that happen. WWE Champion Brock Lesnar teams with Kurt Angle & Mr. America to take on Big Show, Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas. Cerebral palsy has left Iron with limited use of the right side of his body. John Cena gets more than he bargained for when he … But Gowen proved him wrong. I can see the benefits to that system. Zach Gowen 03/24/2015 With Wrestlemania this Sunday and the main event being Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar, I thought this would be a good opportunity to speak on my former co-worker Brock! Then, as David Shoemaker of Grantland wrote, "WWE fired him after the interview aired. The one-legged Zach Gowen clashes with The Beast Incarnate Brock Lesnar. ZACH GOWEN DISCUSSES WHY HE LOVED BEING KILLED BY BROCK LESNAR, DIDN'T LIKE KISSING SABLE, WHAT WWE TOLD HIM TO DO (AND WHEN HE ACTUALLY STARTED DOING IT), TNA, ROH AND LOTS MORE FROM HIS WWE RUN | PWInsider.com PWInsider - WWE News, Wrestling News, WWE The company suggested that he go to Ohio Valley Wrestling to work on his ring skills. The WWE run ended right there, and the shock of that separation stung. Brutalizing Zach Gowen in front of his mother, before later pushing him down a flight of stairs in a wheelchair. Piper and McMahon against Hogan and Gowen. Gowen's goals during that time were small-scale. "When I woke up, I was pissed off that I hadn't died," he said. John Cena gets more than he bargained for when he … "Truth was the one who really pushed me and believed in me and thought that I could do something in wrestling," Gowen said. brand divisions. That theory seemed to hold water as he spent the early part of his contract on his couch. 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