Kamel Dickinson Says Once NXT Coaches Were Aware Of His Concussions, He Knew He Was Done In Wrestling

Kamel provides an update on his life post-WWE.

Concussion-related issues have ended a handful of careers in the sport of professional wrestling. The current WWE Champion Daniel Bryan is a rare-case of a severe concussion-related issue that was able to be triumphed by the in-ring performer and Bryan is now leading the charge on SmackDown Live and is coming up on the one-year anniversary since he was cleared to return to in-ring competition. 

Unfortunately, those circumstances were not in the cards for former NXT talent Kamel Dickinson. Dickinson had to step away from pro wrestling after piling up a number of concussions that dated back to his time in Ring Of Honor. With his multiple concussions, he was forced to step away from wrestling and his dream of becoming a WWE superstar was no longer in the cards. Kamel has since dedicated his time to bodybuilding and will be a part of the Arnold Classic which kick-starts at the end of this month in Columbus, Ohio. He recently chatted with ‘The Royal Gazette’ and shared that he feels like he has a new lease on life and reflected on his time with NXT and stated that once the coaches found out about his injuries, he knew he was running short on time.

“It’s like a new lease of life really, and I’m really enjoying this being my new focus,” said the 32-year-old. “I suffered a really bad concussion early on and then they kept happening. I didn’t want to let anyone know because I knew that would create doubt about my ability to wrestle. Once the coaches found out, I knew that was the start of the end for me. It was my lifelong dream to get into the WWE and once I had been cut I was heartbroken. I didn’t really know what to do with myself for two years. I was painting houses, I thought of running martial arts shows and then I fell into bodybuilding. I’d always loved lifting weights as part of my previous training and so it felt like a natural transition. The Bermuda Night of Champions was my first event, and the result was really promising. It’s funny because people told me I’d never be a wrestler and then people told me I was silly trying to be a bodybuilder. I want to prove people wrong and that has given me [the] extra motivation to succeed. I want to be an inspiration and show people to go out and follow your dreams, even if you fail.”

To check out the full profiling of Kamel Dickinson, click here. While mentioning the WWE Champion Daniel Bryan, he and Kofi Kingston will sign the contract for their championship match at ‘Fastlane’ this upcoming Tuesday on SmackDown Live.