No way. It's notorious for grinding down the wrestlers mentally and emotionally until they commit suicide, OD on drugs, or get stabbed after a show in Puerto Rico where the murder goes unprosecuted because of the corrupt local police.
Actually, that sounds kind of up your alley.
Even for the top tier talent? That's what I meant. I'm sure it sucks to be the equivalent of a salaryman pro wrestler.
If you parlay it into a more general fame and can get out with your health and sanity intact (eg Hulk Hogan, the Rock) you've got a shot.
But the constant travel, inevitable painkiller addiction, lack of a support system, and completely callous management leads to a ton of premature deaths. Most of the people involved are a half-step away from being carnies anyway.
There's this tag match from a pay per view that the WWF ran in the late 90's. Within five years, three of the five guys on one team were dead, and a fourth was crippled by a stroke. These guys were in the main event.
We're talking classic rock icon casualty rates here, at least.
