In the spring of 2005 with Damian's son almost two years old, Damian made the decision, with much encouragement from his wife, to return to a fuller wrestling schedule...or so he thought. During a "Ken-do" stick match with his best friend turned arch rival, Chris Ikon, Damian broke four meta-carpul bones in his right hand only minutes into the match. Damian and Ikon went toe to toe for thirty minutes before Damian lost the match to Ikon , thus recieving ten lashings from the ken-do stick. After the match his wife and the New Era staff convienced Damian to go to the hospital and have his hand checked out.
The doctors in the hospital x-rayed Damian's had only to find out what he already knew, that he had broken it. From there Damian was refered to a specialist that set Damians hand and placed two steel pins between the knuckles to assure straight and strong regrowth of the bones, followed buy an arm cast to hold his hand and fingers together. This was not the news he wanted, especially now that he was trying to restart his wrestling career.With the cast on his hand the owner of N.E.W. refused to let Damian compete in the ring, thus putting Damian out for 13 long weeks.
After Damian's doctors decided to remove the pins, Damian went throught a 4 week rehabbilation and was released to return to the ring. After only being released for 30 days Damian suffered yet another injury that kept him out of the ring.This time he had broken his right ankle at his home in Shelbyville over the fourth of July weekend. Damian once again returned to the medical staff that had worked on his hand, their prognosis was not to operate but to put Damian in a short leg cast and to keep all his weight off of it, and as you might know, off your feet means out of the ring! Damian spent eight weeks of the hot humid Indiana summer with his leg in a cast and unable to walk without the help of crutches. At the beginning of week nine the doctor put Damian in a walking cast that allowed him to walk without any assistance. Damian wore the aircast for two weeks before he was released from his doctor. With his ankle free from restraint and cleared to return to the ring yet again, Damian decided to hit the gym and strengthen his whole body. When he made his return to wrestling on August 27th, Damian was the last man standing in a battle royal for the New Era Wrestling Worlds Heavyweight Championship, only to be thrown out by Tom VanZant, who unknown to the referees (that were busy dealing with another wrestler on the outside of the ring) had already been eliminated. Although the ref did not see this infraction, owner Justin Tyme did and issued a rematch between Tom and Damian later that night. Damian saw this as a sign, a sign that it was his time. Later that night Damian faced TomVanZant in the main event for the Worlds Championship but it was not to be. Damian re-injured his right ankle and dislocated two ribs during the match that ended up as a triple threat when former champ, Hillbilly Jed stormed the ring furious that his title had been stripped . Damian saw a local chiropractor who told him that nothing was broken, except maybe his spirit. So Damian has begun training harder than ever in hopes to obtain the New Era Wrestling World Heavyweight title.
Damian's championship dreams were cut short when Tom Van Zant was placed in charge (by himself) in the absence of owner Justin Tyme and allowed for a match after Damian ran out to save Don Pike (a sponser of N.E.W.) from any further harm after being attacked by Big Jon Wall and Tom VanZant during an interview on Ikons spotlight segment show. Damian recieved numerous shots to the head from Tom's title belt. Then, after being pinned, the almost unconcious Cole was drug to the corner and "vader-bombed" buy Big Jon with a chair over his ribs who was following orders of a payback from Tom who had his ribs broke last month by Cole. The referee and ring announcer helped Damian back to the locker room area where it was confirmed that he had reinjured (but not broken)two of his ribs. Damian, even though he was still in excruciating pain from his match, ran out to help when Troy VanZant lost his title to Big Jon Wall later that evening
So if your ever out and you see a flyer or a poster promoting pro-wrestling in your area, buy a ticket, sit down and enjoy the show,because with out a crowd, with out fans, there is no wrestling.
