By Frank Rizzo
JEFFERSONVILLE — September 5, 2000 – "Say It Ain’t So, John Diamond":
This was a recent headline in the wrestling website lwrestling. com after an interview with Jeffersonville resident and Hancock native John Diamond (aka John Schmitz).
The website talks about how John Diamond made his name known while trying to be held back by those jealous of him and proved many people wrong on his abilities and character in and out of the ring.
John Schmitz made it to the top in wrestling, is considered a top star in Puerto Rico, has WCW talking big about him, is booked to tour Australia in October, and just appeared on “WWF Smackdown.”
Happiness and a dream come true, right? Wrong!
The man considered to be one of the top 100 independent wrestlers in the world (out of about 7,000) is seriously considering quitting the wrestling business due to wrestling politics and how it hurt the most important part of his life — his wife and family.
A 5-feet-ll-inch, 240-lb. package of blonde hair, blue eyes, and one of the top bodies in business, John may be giving up a dream that has many fans hoping he will reconsider.
Diamond stated, “All the championship belts, achievements, publicity, and notoriety are nice, but not as important as my lifelong desire… my wife and family, which I may have lost.
“People have to realize what truly is important in life [which is to] stay focused, and take nothing for granted,” Diamond continued. “Wrestling was a dream come true, but my wife and family are a lifetime of dreams that I don’t want to lose. To all my fans, I thank you for your support over the years and hope I didn’t disappoint you. I put it all on the line in the ring each night, but lost track of the importance of my home life.”
lwrestling. com commented that “John Diamond is and will be considered one of the nice guys in the business. He always talked about his family to the guys in the locker room and always was proud to be a good husband. John is truly respected by the wrestlers and fans as always willing to teach the younger wrestlers and answer questions to whoever asked. John was never seen to pass up an autograph or treat a fan in a negative manner.”
lwrestling. com also noted, “we have received over 500 hits to our site since the article ran by fans asking John to reconsider."