By Andrew Ravens

Copyright newsweek

Wrestling icon Raven, real name Scott Levy, has spoken candidly about his current health challenges. In a new interview, he revealed a diagnosis of early-onset Parkinson’s disease among other issues stemming from his long, physical career.

Appearing on The Ariel Helwani Show to promote his new documentary, Nevermore, Raven addressed a tremor that sometimes affects him. “I got early on-set Parkinson’s,” he stated. “So if you see me tremor, that’s why.”

He directly attributed his health issues to his famously hardcore in-ring style. “Of course. Absolutely,” he said when asked if his career was the cause. “Look, you got to pay the piper… for all the drugs and alcohol and chair shots I took to the head. You know you gotta, you gotta pay for the damage at some point”.

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Despite these challenges, Raven explained that he has found a sense of contentment later in life. “I got tons of regrets… but they made me who I am and I’m happy with who I am,” he stated. “I want my golden years to be golden”.

His career has led to a series of major surgeries in recent years. “In ’22 I had both knees replaced. ’23 I had my shoulder replaced. ’24 I had spinal stenosis flare up,” he recounted (H/T to WrestlingNews.co). “So I’ve been just rehabbing, rehab, rehab, rehab”.

He also detailed a severe sleep disorder that leaves him constantly exhausted. When asked if he feared dying young, a common concern among wrestlers, he said he did not. “No, not to be glib, but I was on the dead pool list for years… And, no, I don’t feel that way,” he stated. “But I don’t want to live forever either, because I don’t want to be old… old age ain’t for pussies. You got to be tough to get old”.

Raven’s candid discussion of the physical price of his hardcore style is a powerful reminder of the risks involved. While the “chair shots to the head” he mentioned are now banned, the style he helped popularize continues to influence modern wrestling, with promotions like AEW often featuring brutal matches such as the upcoming Texas Death Match at their Full Gear pay-per-view.

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