On Tuesday, former WWE NXT superstar and indie standout Jake Atlas made an announcement via his twitter account that he was stepping away from professional wrestling to focus on his mental health. Atlas’s last professional wrestling appearance was for Ring of Honor at the Death Before Dishonor pay-per-view against Taylor Rust. It had appeared that Atlas looked to be injured or distracted during the match.
Atlas addressed Sunday’s match and his future plans in a tweet thread on Tuesday:
“I’m not concussed or “banged up.” I simply just can’t keep going anymore. Take your mental health seriously, both for yourselves & for each other, because we only have one life to live. Thank you to anyone who did support me for 5 years. I didn’t do much, but what I did was fun.
I’m stepping away from wrestling completely right now so please don’t ask me to do interviews/appearances. I’d like my privacy to be respected. At 26 years old, I’ve got my entire life ahead of me & I’m choosing to explore completely different industries to find my passion again.
Unfortunately, it was unhealthy for me the entire time. I just learned how to hide it really well. I hope that friends & fans I’ve made alike continue to support me no matter what.
I have major anxiety just having done that, please be sensitive. Thank you.”
Atlas, whose real name is Kenny Marquez did an in-depth interview with Denise Salcedo last week about his NXT career and how his mental health was the worst it has ever been over the past two years. He also talked about how WWE assisted him with getting help with therapy and counseling sessions.
He was scheduled to work the tapings this week for Ring of Honor, but it is unknown if he appeared as planned.
Mental health is just as important as physical health. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call 911, go to the nearest emergency room, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to reach a 24-hour crisis center, or text MHA to 741741 at the Crisis Text Line.
