NWA rising wrestler Colby Corino, the son of former ECW champion Steve Corino, recently underwent major emergency surgery.
Videos by Suggest
“I’m sorry to everyone who has worried about me these past few days,” the 28-year-old wrote on Instagram Aug. 3, alongside a snapshot of him wearing a neck brace while in what looked like a hospital room.
“I went to the hospital on Thursday night and was told I needed emergency surgery on my neck and back,” he continued. “I never thought something like this would ever happen. I’m still processing everything, but I will be okay. I don’t know if I’ll be in a wrestling ring anytime soon, but at this point, I just want to be able to pick up my son again.”
“I’m not looking forward to this long road of recovery, but I pray that my family and I make it through it,” he added.
Independent wrestler Sean Henderson has launched a GoFundMe campaign to support Colby Corino on his journey to recovery. “Pro wrestling is his main source of income, and unfortunately, Colby has suffered a serious neck and spine injury recently that will put him out for a while, leaving many bills to stack up,” the campaign reads.
As of this writing, the fundraiser has earned over $17,000.
Wrestler Colby Corino Gives Fans a Health Update
Meanwhile, a thankful Corino returned to social media over the weekend to give fans an update.
“I really want to thank everyone who has reached out/donated to my GFM in the past week,” he began in the caption alongside a snapshot of himself looking much better and standing with the help of a walker.
“I’ve been trying to get back to everyone individually, but the (positively) overwhelming support and love everyone has shown me has been, well, overwhelming, in a good way though,” he added.
“After 5 nights in the hospital, a haircut, and picking up my old man walker, I am finally home!” he continued.
However, the wrestler didn’t give fans much hope for a return to the ring anytime soon.
“I have no idea how long I’ll be out for, even the shortest estimates place my return to the ring far on the horizon,” he explained. “At least I will be able to take it one day at a time at home with my wife, son, and our animals.”
He also mentioned that he plans to sell some major merch in the coming weeks to help make ends meet. Despite the setback, he did promise he’d be back in the ring eventually.
“Thank you, everyone who’s shown me love this past week,” the wrestler, also known as American Tiger, added. “It really has helped me accept this situation and focus on my recovery and moving on to becoming the strongest I’ve ever been. No roadblock is big enough to keep me out of a ring. It’s just a matter of time.”