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Charlie Haas "Excited" About Reteaming With Shelton Benjamin

Posted: Aug 26th 2010 By: CMBurnham

Charlie Haas' bitterness toward pro wrestling has some justification.

In the span of nine months, two of Haas' closest friends from World Wrestling Entertainment -- Eddie "Umaga" Fatu and Lance Cade -- have died after battles with substance abuse. Haas also was released by WWE in February, ending almost a decade with a company that he claims never delivered upon a promised promotional push in recent years.

But while transitioning to a career outside of wrestling, Haas started to regain his love of the business working weekends on the independent circuit. He then was given an opportunity he couldn't decline: The chance to re-form his "World's Greatest Tag Team" pairing with best friend and fellow WWE castoff Shelton Benjamin in Ring of Honor Wrestling. They will team Sept. 11 against "The Kings of Wrestling" Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli on ROH's "Glory by Honor IX" Internet pay-per-view show emanating from New York City.

"I'm not only excited to be back with Shelton, but also being able to have the handcuffs taken off so we can wrestle the way we want to," Haas said last week in a telephone interview. "We're going to work for a company that appreciates wrestling and wants you to go out and steal the show. You don't have to play political games. This is going to be a great match."

Despite only teaming for about 2-1/2 years-- their last full-time run together ended in November 2007 -- Haas and Benjamin are still fondly remembered by fans for their in-ring work and chemistry. Initially pushed as proteges of Kurt Angle, Haas credits then-WWE road agents Jerry Brisco, Arn Anderson and Jim Cornette with backstage tips while both he and Benjamin made the transition from amateur wrestling. All three of those mentors made their own tag-team marks as either wrestlers or managers.

Unfortunately for Haas and Benjamin, neither performer achieved the same level of WWE success as single performers. Haas blames his plight on a combination of backstage factors. Haas contends he was badmouthed by several WWE headliners with whom he wasn't close on a personal basis as well as scriptwriters whose loyalties were elsewhere.

"When you've got guys on top who hate you and are burying you behind your back, you're not going to go anywhere," said Haas, who had long asked for his WWE release before that move was made.

Even after establishing himself as one of WWE's best technicians, Haas was saddled with a comedy gimmick in 2008, imitating icons like Hulk Hogan and Steve Austin. While privately miserable, Haas tackled the role with gusto to prove a point and support his family. Haas married former WWE valet Jackie Gayda in 2005.

"They couldn't break me," Haas said of WWE management. "If you think I'm not entertaining enough, too intimidating to be marketable or too tenacious in the ring to promote and want to throw this (character) on me, that's cool. I can still do it and entertain. I got to show another side of me.

"I have a wife and we had new babies. I had to do that for them. Believe me: If Jackie and I weren't building a family, I would have quit."

The Haases began preparing for life after wrestling in 2006 when opening the Custom Muscle Nutrition and Smoothie Shop in Frisco, Texas. The business is connected with the supplement business (nutritionmarket.com) being run by former WWE star John "Bradshaw" Layfield. The Haases are also running weekly "boot camp" training sessions in their store (more information is available at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Frisco-TX/Custom-Muscle/200939280622).

Haas believes that few if any of his WWE peers are prepared for what they will do post-wrestling.
"They're all fed that they're going to be the next top guy," said Haas, who was a Goldman Sachs stockbroker before becoming a full-time pro wrestler. "Except for two or three guys, that's not going to happen."

Haas did laud WWE for its wellness program, drug-testing and willingness to pay for rehabilitation -- all steps instituted after a spate of premature wrestler deaths and the negative publicity that followed. Substance-abuse issues contributed to the firing of Fatu and Cade (real name Lance McNaught). Fatu, 36, died from a combination of medications and heart failure. The cause of Cade's death on Aug. 13 hasn't been determined yet. He was 29.

"WWE is cleaning things up," said Haas, who received a 30-day suspension in 2007 after a federal investigation revealed that he received steroids from an Internet drug mill. "There was a group of guys who were addicted to all that stuff before the wellness program. They thought you need to do pills, drugs or whatever to live the life of a wrestler. People are being really educated now that you don't have to do that anymore.

"With each individual person it's different. Some have addictive personalities that might be in their genetic code. A lot of times, it's an individual decision. I get angry about a lot of it. Once you're an addict, you don't see how badly you're hurting people. Eddie's kids won't know what it's like to have their daddy in their life. Lance will never be there to walk his daughter down the aisle or see her graduate. It really breaks my heart."

Tags: Charlie Haas, WWE, Jerry Brisco, Jim Cornette