Flash Barker announces retirement.
We are sorry to report that much feared and respective FWA competitor Phil “Flash” Barker announced his retirement from wrestling yesterday to his close family and friends. Phil, who was training for his comeback after knee surgery, blew the recovering knee out just before Crunch 2004.
At the time of the show FWA management were told about the injury but not to what degree the seriousness of it was. Doug Williams, Barker’s best friend inside of the wrestling business, had spoken to Phil’s fiancée over the phone who had seen him in hospital and feared as soon as the incident happened that he may have to retire. Doug was told to pass this on to several of Flash’s friends backstage but not to announce it to the fans in case he was wrong.
Sadly Phil Barker was not wrong and the injury to the already operated on knee was the final straw for Barker’s wrestling career. At present a full tribute to Flash Barker is being written which we hope to put on the site within the next 10 days but until then we want to wish Phil the best of luck in his future endeavours and to let him know he will always have a place in the FWA.
When Flash appeared at New Frontiers as a guest ring announcer in March he also brought with him several wedding invitations for his upcoming wedding. Phil was as happy as many of us had ever seen him and was looking forward to married life again. Phil openly stated in interviews that he felt wrestling and its schedule ruined his first marriage and almost lost him access to his children and feared ever getting involved in wrestling that deeply again at the expense of his loved ones.
If every cloud has a silver lining maybe this injury happened to prevent the very thing that Flash Barker, the most feared man in the FWA, feared most himself.