Larry Sweeney Passes Away

[blake639raw]

http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/Other_News_4/article_49214.shtml




OK, this isn't a thread for Gertner to blast indy fans. Larry Sweeney, one of the most charismatic managers I've ever seen, is apparently dead. I mean, I really thought this guy would have made it to the WWE someday. Such a shame. Feel free to post videos of Larry Sweeney. May he rest in peace, and condolences to all family and friends. :(

[St. Jimmy]

29? Awkward. :(

[Swiss Ultimate]

Holy shit, just found out from Shiima Xion. WTF?

This was one guy that I think Gertner would have, maybe he did even, really enjoyed. He wasn't the typical indie guy by any means.

I met the guy at one of the two FIP shows I went to down in Florida.

[#1-norm-fan]

This is bizarre. I just started playing some wrestling sim games again within the last couple weeks and Larry Sweeney was literally THE one guy out of thousands on the game that I was signing and planning on pushing to be my mega-heel. I'd never even heard of him before seeing him on the game and I checked out some stuff on youtube and loved it.

It sucks that we're not gonna see what he might have done in the big leagues.

[Seth82]

this guy was really talented and it's a shame he never made it to WWE

[BizarroKing]

Apparently he committed suicide via hanging... :(

[Seth82]

yeah he's apparently been battling drug addiction and depression for years

[HBPunk]

he was a great manager? So he would come out and slap the canvas to get the crowd on his guy's side? Thats so awesome!! Tragic that he's dead, fucking suicide is bullshit, hate it.

[Nicky Fives]

never heard of him until today..... condolences to his family.....

[RGWhat316]

Yeah sucks to hear about this. He actually did have one WWE appearance when he played Nick Hogan when Orton was feuding with Hulk back in 05. RIP Larry

[Blitz]

Awful. Possibly the most talented talker on the indies. I didn't care for him in ring much, but his commentary made awful matches good. RIP.

[Rammsteinmad]

Only saw videos of him once or twice, but whatever, R.I.P.

[The Show Off]

This is sad news. This guy had a talent and he was way too young.

[Gertner]

I wish Larry a speedy recovery and I hope he gets well soon.

[Seth82]

I wish Larry a speedy recovery and I hope he gets well soon.

lol that's cold man

[What Would Kevin Do?]

Pretty sad. :( Definitely one of the best talkers in the indys. Not a fan of suicide, but from what I've heard, he did have some serious problems. Not trying to justify suicide, which I really think is a pussy way out, but apparently he did have serious problems with depression.

RIP

[BizarroKing]

I wish Larry a speedy recovery and I hope he gets well soon.

If he somehow recovers from a case of death I will eat my hat.

And I have none.

[Dorkchop]

I worked some local shows (not as a wrestler or anything) and he was pretty good. Some of his promos were so great that I even went backstage and told him so. At the time he sure looked like an "indy" guy, but he talked like a pro. He definitely could have made it to WWE if he persisted enough. Pretty sad news. From the few, but brief, experiences I had with him he seemed like a good dude.

[thecc]

Pretty sad. :( Definitely one of the best talkers in the indys. Not a fan of suicide, but from what I've heard, he did have some serious problems. Not trying to justify suicide, which I really think is a pussy way out, but apparently he did have serious problems with depression.

RIPHe was bipolar. It's such a shame, as he had all the potential in the world.

FORMER ROH AND CHIKARA STAR LARRY SWEENEY PASSES AWAY
By Mike Johnson on 2011-04-11 14:59:54
I am very sorry to Alex Whybrow, professionally known as Larry Sweeney, was found dead this morning in Lake Charles, Louisiana, where he had been residing as well as training and wrestling independently in recent months.

The news, which was a major topic of conversation among those in the independent wrestling community this morning, was broken by Chris Hero, who had been one of Sweeney's closest friends via Twitter, writing:

"We lost a dedicated friend and an overwhelmingly talented performer this morning. Alex Whybrow aka "Sweet & Sour" Larry Sweeney has passed. We spent a few yrs together on the road & Alex was gifted beyond measure. He could enthrall you with colorful stories from his personal life or he could captivate thousands with his undeniable charisma. I loved him & my heart is with his family, friends & his countless fans. First he was my student & he transcended that almost immediately. I will forever cherish our in depth conversations & time spent together."

In speaking to a number of Sweeney's friends, I can confirm the cause of death was self-inflicted. Sweeney, who was only 29 years old, had very publicly and privately dealt with being bi-polar.

In speaking to number of people who were close with Sweeney and had worked with him in different promotions, the common theme that came up was just how eclectic and creative he was as a person and what a life he had lived, even outside of professional wrestling. For every insane road story that wrestlers had to share, Sweeney could discuss what it was like living and wrestling in India. The same adjectives kept coming up in the conversations – one of a kind, driven, creative, genius, cultured, unique.

What made Larry Sweeney, the persona, such a great talker and over time, a very good worker, were the same things that drove Alex Whybrow as a performer. Like many in the business who want to make it do bad that they drive themselves harder than anyone outside of their immediate world can understand and appreciate. At times, you couldn't even separate the two sides.

There's no denying Sweeney had personal issues stemming from his bi-polar nature, something Sweeney blogged about, dating them back to a car accident from years ago. His ROH run was cut short after an out of nowhere departure, which led to rambling, angry statements being made about the company. While pop culture has embraced Charlie Sheen for similar antics in recent months, Sweeney was way ahead of that curve. What was entertaining for some fans was worrying for friends, but like so many others who have dealt with bi-polar behavior, there was no way to reason with someone when they are in that "zone", because to them, they are right and everyone else are the ones who just don't understand.

It's going to be very easy for some on the outside to dismiss Sweeney as someone who had problems and fell to them but as someone who's known many people that have dealt with bi-polar issues, every last one of them were conflicted, complicated and in many cases, genius-level personalities who were their own best friends and worst enemies. There was no in between and there was no barometer for when and why things would go one way or the other. In speaking to Sweeney's friends today, that is exactly what many of them were going through. It's a rough situation for anyone to deal with, because you never know how far the person suffering might take their issues.

While Sweeney's most high profile run was working for Ring of Honor as the nucleus of "Sweet and Sour, Inc." as a heel sports manager (think Jerry Maguire), he had been part of a generation of talents that were working just about every independent they could find, working everywhere (and I mean everywhere) from CHIKARA to Action Zone Wrestling in Hawaii to Pittsburgh's IWC to NWA Upstate to promotions so small, you probably never heard of them. He was everywhere, to the point that even in the day of the Internet, you heard the name before you actually saw his work.

Sweeney initially debuted in 2000, working the Chicago independent wrestling scene. As a wrestler, there was nothing special about him - at first. When he was given the chance to speak, however, there was magic. The first time I heard Sweeney speak, I immediately had visions of Bobby Heenan. There was that perfect blend of comedic wit with serious delivery. You didn't look upon him as someone playing a character but as someone who lived what he was doing and believe me, there's a huge difference between the two.

Sweeney eventually migrated to CHIKARA, where he honed his training under Chris Hero, who was his closest friend in the business and Mike Quackenbush, among others. Over time, Sweeney's in-ring work caught up to his promo skills and he exploded, working everywhere and beginning to build attention for himself. Hero and Sweeney were soon working everywhere together with Sweeney as the mouthpiece as Hero evolved as a performer inside the ring. He was as important a piece when it came to building CHIKARA’s unique cult following as anyone.

Soon, Sweeney began carrying and defending The ICW-ICWA Texarkana Television Championship on all sorts of independent events. I have no idea what the origin of the belt was but it was a great nod back to the days of the traveling champion and someone who took their belt from group to group to prove he was the best. During a time period where everyone was about the strong style of indy wrestling or playing off an ECW thread, Sweeney had a nice throwback quality to his work.

Sweeney was soon managing Hero and Claudio Castagnoli, The Kings of Wrestling, in ROH. The Kings, who were already garnering momentum on the independent scene, hit ROH in a big way. ROH had grown from just being an independent group to one of the more well known staples. The Kings and Sweeney had been one of the hotter things on the indy scene during that time period, so when they finally moved over into ROH, it was a major deal for those who had followed them.

Sweeney's delivery was pitch perfect in ROH where the in-ring work was always good but great promos were immediately noticed, especially in placed like NYC that had become an important market for the group. In keeping with his character, Sweeney announced he was creating a hostile takeover of the company. He was the perfect foil for the storyline, bringing in names like Adam Pearce and Brent Abright and even Daniel Puder into the fold. Sweeney’s abuse of hapless, overweight Bobby Dempsey resulted in making Dempsey one of the most sympathetic characters in the promotion. For several years, Sweeney was a major part of the ROH machine.

Then, he was gone. There were issues behind the scene and concerns about his behavior. Sweeney publicly announced he was quitting and demanded all sorts of money owed. Some fans thought it was an angle and loved it but the reality was Sweeney was dealing with far more than a wrestling storyline. Some of his friends wanted to help and others even tried, but when an adult wants to live their life how they see fit, how do you force them not to, even if you are worried for them? That was among the comments several friends made today.

The legend of Sweeney seemed to follow him in the months after he left ROH. He was, allegedly homeless. Then, he pooped up at Wrestlemania in Houston, offering to wrestle in a parking lot for money. Fans paid, loving the craziness of the situation. Sweeney was all over radio shows and the Internet, and depending on what side you were on, you were either loving the out of control aspect or you were worried for the guy.

At some point, the burnt bridges were repaired, because Sweeney returned as an announcer for the company’s first Internet PPV. But, then he never appeared for ROH again. Sweeney was back all over the independent circuit again with all sorts of stories following him. What were true and what were rumor, I couldn’t begin to tell you.

Sweeney, who in recent years, had talked of running promotions, had been training and wrestling for independents in the New Orleans area. According to one friend, Sweeney had been arrested for a DUI recently and missed his trial date. Of late, he had been worried about the possibility of going to jail. But, no one that had spoken to him in recent days could have predicted that he was coming close to ending his own life.

On behalf of everyone associated with PWInsider.com, we send our deepest condolences to Alex Whybrow’s family, friend and fans.

rip

[#1-norm-fan]

Not trying to justify suicide, which I really think is a pussy way out

lol. I hate that phrase. So stupid.

I can't imagine ever even considering KILLING MYSELF! I think between myself and Larry Sweeney, who did KILL HIMSELF, I'm definitely more of a pussy.

[CSL]

No sympathy for him, feel sorry for his family and friends, especially if one of them found him. Shame though, he was talented, probably would have done well 20 years ago.

[Seth82]

I fucking hate when people say that suicide is a "pussy way out" or coward's way out

you have no fucking idea what they were going through and to say they're a coward just makes me angry

[CSL]

My Dad killed himself. He was a fucking coward. Peace :)

[SlickyTrickyDamon]

That sucks. He was funny as fucking hell on the mic. RIP.

[HBPunk]

I fucking hate when people say that suicide is a "pussy way out" or coward's way out

you have no fucking idea what they were going through and to say they're a coward just makes me angry

Aw the poor sensitive princess. fact is if you know someone who has committed suicide you will understand the 'pussy way out' idea. and if your an ill informed retard like seth82 here, then you will probably argue against it. idiots are always angered/confused about something they cant grasp

[Seth82]

I actually had a close friend of mine commit suicide so yeah I know what I'm talking about

and your the idiot not me

[theregulator]

RIP buddy

[theregulator]

also seth don't pay attention to stupid assholes on this site, i have already seen there are some ignorant people out there. Ive also had a friend kill himself, not really a laughing matter, and whoever makes slight of it, is a horrible person.

[Jimmy Cones]

I saw him once, loved his talking.

[HBPunk]

I actually had a close friend of mine commit suicide so yeah I know what I'm talking about

and your the idiot not me

as did i you fuckin cunt. deal with it whatever way you want but it IS cowardly to me. so ill just keep thinkin like that shall i. thanks

also seth don't pay attention to stupid assholes on this site, i have already seen there are some ignorant people out there. Ive also had a friend kill himself, not really a laughing matter, and whoever makes slight of it, is a horrible person.

just fuck off

[HBPunk]

James Dean fan!! thats what a 7 year old girl would write but she'd change her mind for fear of embarrassment. wow

[voncouch]

Sorry to see him go. But maybe it's for the best he never made it in the WWE. All they need is one suicide, then nobody's allowed to be sad on TV anymore.

[theregulator]

HBPUSSY neg repped me and said this

your 'friend' was probly imaginary and id imagine death is better than even speaking to you.


ban request. that is just way out of line.

[Seth82]

yeah this dipshit needs to leave already

[HBPunk]

im just responding to you guys neg repping me first. dont talk to me and we'l have no problem

[St. Jimmy]

Suicide is for cowards, sorry. Any other idea besides that is wrong.

[ron the dial]

who are you to judge another man's capacity for punishment?

[St. Jimmy]

A man just like any other. We are all the same WeX, we are all the same.

[ron the dial]

complete fantasy.

[SlickyTrickyDamon]

Suicide is for cowards, sorry. Any other idea besides that is wrong.

When you share the same believe as HBPunk you should see that as a red flag that you might be mistaken.

[parkmania]

"12 Large, brother!"

RIP

[HBPunk]

HBPUSSY neg repped me and said this

your 'friend' was probly imaginary and id imagine death is better than even speaking to you.

that is just way out of line.

i think i hurted his widdle feewings

When you share the same believe as HBPunk you should see that as a red flag that you might be mistaken.

Red Flag of awesome more like

[Joesgonnakillyou]

I think calling Suicide the 'pussy's way out' is a pussy way out. It's an easy thing that people who don't think about the pain that person must feel roll out because they haven't got the balls to try and empathise.

I also think it's fucking disgusting that a thread that was meant to show respect to a talented man, who died tragically, has descended into half literate and pathetic bickering.

RIP Larry

[St. Jimmy]

You're wrong, but that's okay. Most of you are uneducated and slacking through life. Either way let's talk about the life of "Sweet and Sour" Larry Sweeney.

[thecc]

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