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WWE Turns Its Back On A Fallen Superstar?s Family; GCW Picks Up The Slack

Posted: Jul 5th 2013 By: CMBurnham

On Friday, June 28, 2013, the world of the family of Matthew Wade Osborne was turned upside down when Matthew?s girlfriend found him deceased at the home their shared in Plano, Texas.

For those that do not automatically recognize the name Matthew Wade Osborne, Osborne was a former professional wrestler that competed in such companies as World Wrestling Federation (WWF), World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW), Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and even appeared once for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

Shortly after Osborne?s unexpected death, Genesis Championship Wrestling (GCW) and Fever Keeps It Real announced that there would be a tribute show for Osborne where part of the gate would go to his children.

Also, shortly after his death, it was announced on Facebook by Osborne?s daughter, Teagan James-Osborne that her mother had called some airlines and informed them that she was a single mother, with two children, and they needed to get to Oregon on July 5, 2013 for the funeral of the children?s father. She was informed that it would cost $940.00 a ticket to get the three individuals airline tickets to Oregon so that they could say goodbye to their father one last time.

GCW CEO & Co-Owner: W. Terry Banner began to notify individuals in the professional wrestling industry through his Facebook page about the Osborne children?s situation and asked if anyone was able to help donate monetary funds to help get them to Oregon on Friday. When I was made aware of the situation, I sent messages to WWE Chairman & CEO: Vince McMahon, Linda McMahon, WWE Executive Vice President of Creative: Stephanie McMahon, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent & Live Events: ?The Game? Triple H, WWE Hall of Famer: ?The HeartBreak Kid? Shawn Michaels, WWE Hall of Famer and current TNA General Manager: Hulk Hogan, former WCW President: Eric Bischoff, TNA President: Dixie Carter, and the WWE company?s Twitter account along with a photo of Teagan?s Facebook message on Twitter. I asked all of them to please help these two children and their mother to get airline tickets so that they could see their father one last time.

I never have received a Twitter message from any of those individuals. None of them re-tweeted my message to them so that way others would be made aware of the situation and could possibly help. There was never a press release on WWE?s or TNA?s official websites that stated either that they were going to help the children by donating the entire amount, a partial amount, or even a statement about the situation so that again, others could be made aware of the situation and could possibly help. When individuals posted messages about the tribute show and the children?s situation on WWE?s Facebook page, they were removed by the administrators of the WWE Facebook page.

This past Monday, I was notified that WWE told those that were trying to help the Osborne children that they ?sadly? could not help the family financially but they were going to air a tribute to Osborne during that night?s episode of WWE RAW. No such tribute, graphic, or even a mention took place during the three hour episode. Nor did WWE air a tribute, graphic, or had the commentators mention Osborne?s death on last night?s episode of WWE Main Event, which airs on ION Television.

On Tuesday, I contacted Albert Stavola, a WWE spokesman, requesting an official statement from the company regarding this article and asked why the WWE is not planning on helping the family out. I sent the e-mail at 1:10 PM Eastern on Tuesday, July 2, 2013. I heard nothing back from WWE or from Mr. Stavola on Tuesday. On Wednesday, July 3, 2013 at 1:51 PM Eastern, I sent another e-mail to Mr. Stavola, reminding him that I had requested a statement from WWE regarding this situation. I explained to him that this article would be published whether I had a statement or not but I would like to have an official statement to go with the article so that way readers would have WWE?s side of the story. I heard nothing back from WWE or from Mr. Stavola on Wednesday or as of press time (3:31 PM Eastern on Thursday, July 4, 2013).

The bottom line is this?WWE and those that were contacted via Twitter turned their backs on a man who once competed for their companies (Except for Mrs. Carter. Osborne never competed for Total Nonstop Action but I contacted her anyway because I thought she would try to help his children.). Let?s face it, WWE and all of those that were contacted are not financially worried and could have helped Osborne?s children go to his funeral. However; where WWE and the men and women behind the company failed, the men and women of Genesis Championship Wrestling ? an independent wrestling organization that is in NO WHERE the size of a WWE or a TNA ? stepped up and helped find donors and in the end, gathered enough money for the Osborne children to attend their father?s funeral.

Earlier today, Mr. Banner posted the following statement on his Facebook page: ?Thanks to all of your help Genesis Championship Wrestling and Fever Keeps It Real was able to raise enough money for Matt Wade Osborne?s children to attend his wake in Oregon. God bless all of you. We will now continue our effort on July 27 to assist his children in further efforts!?

Osborne?s daughter also made a statement on Banner?s Facebook page: ?Thank you. Means so much. My mom, brother, and I really appreciate it. My dad would appreciate it too if he was here right now. He is smiling down on all of you.?

I would like to publicly state that I feel that it is shameful on WWE?s part to A) Remove the postings on their Facebook page regarding the tribute show., B) Decline to help the Osborne family financially., and C) Say they would air a tribute on their television program and then not even mention the death at all on TV.

For a ?family friendly? company?that?s not very friendly.