5 months ago
41 ARTICLE AD
AEW star Chuck Taylor has been dealing with a nagging injury that he recently revealed may end his career, though he has begun pursuing other opportunities within the industry. Appearing on "Close Up with Renee Paquette," Taylor went in-depth on various aspects of the injury. In addition to confirming that he's been working as a producer for AEW, Taylor stated that he's holding off on surgery until after he settles into the new role.
Advertisement
"It's not really [an] emergency," Taylor said. "I can't do anything athletic [because] they said eventually I'll get terrible arthritis, and then all they can do is fuse. That's years down the line, so I'm hoping [to] maybe take the summer to really feel comfortable in the job. I don't want to learn half of it and then piss off for a while."
Elsewhere in the interview, Taylor confirmed that there is still some hope that he could one day continue his wrestling career, with performers like Bryan Danielson, Adam Copeland, Christian Cage, and Saraya previously coming back from severe injuries that pushed them into early retirement. However, Taylor shared that he feels ready to hang up his boots for the time being.
Advertisement
"Wrestling as a verb — to me, I didn't love it as much as I used to. But I still love wrestling as a noun, more than ever," Taylor continued. "[I] was just getting old and beat up. It hurts and knowing you're kind of reaching the end of your career kind of puts things in perspective. I don't really want to be a broken down guy just because I wanted another couple of years in the sun."
For now, the former Best Friend is focused on other aspects of the industry. Along with becoming a producer, Taylor expressed interest in joining AEW as a commentator or a manager.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Close Up with Renee Paquette" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
