Joe Doering passed away

It was with profound sadness that I read the news that Joe Doering, former All Japan and Impact Wrestling star, passed away yesterday at the age of just 44 after an extensive battle with brain cancer. After breaking into the business in the early-2000s, Doering found himself as a journeyman of the industry, working in Puerto Rico, the previously mentioned Japan, and even a cup of coffee in the WWE developmental system in 2010 before a return to All Japan saw him eventually land in Impact Wrestling, partially during the pandemic. Doering was one of the few foreigners or "gaijin" talent to win the All Japan Triple Crown championship, and worked with all the top names of the Japanese league. Despite downsizing since its heyday in the 80s and 90s, All Japan still draws solid crowds in smaller venues. Furthermore, the product remains a reflection of the history of the organization with names like Misawa, Kobashi, Kawada, and Taue as the "four pillars" of the group. The Great Muta, the real-life Keiji Muto that wrestled until his real name and gimmick name for years in New Japan, was able to reinvente himself during a legendary run in All Japan in 2001 after Misawa left the company to form Pro Wrestling NOAH. In short, a wrestler isn't going to reach the top level of the Triple Crown championship unless they can go in the ring, and there's no question that Joe Doering worked at that level during his runs in the organization.

Doering had multiple runs with the All Japan tag belts and is a two-time Triple Crown champion, as well as a former Impact Wrestling tag team champion. But, all of that seems secondary in the grand scheme of things. When he was working with Impact, I'd written in previous articles that given his skills, persona, and experience as a main event guy, Joe Doering could be a performer that the organization put into the world title picture, especially at a time when Impact was looking for fresh talent to bring it a more stable number of viewers throughout the uncertainty of the pandemic. Basically, the throwback All Japan style could've given Impact something unquie to offer to the audience at a time when the landscape of the industry became more crowded with the launch of All Elite Wrestling. But again, all of that appears to be moot in the big picture.

Joe Doering was touted for his skills and a gimmick that framed him as the next generation Stan Hansen, which worked very well for the Japanese audience that places such an importance on the tradition of the industry. Keep in mind, All Japan might not be as big of an organization as it was in a previous generation, but the fan base is built on that traditional brand.

Still, the courage, bravery, and determination that the real-life Joe Doering showed against the life-threatening scenario of a brain tumor surpassed any scripted foe that he had in the squared circle. Originally diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2016, he amazingly returned to the ring the following year after surgery to remove it. He continued to work in All Japan as one of the top foreigners, which eventually prompted an offer from Impact.

As mentioned, it was unfortunate that when Doering had his biggest exposure in the United States of his career when he started with Impact Wrestling in 2020, it was at such an unprecedented time because of the COVID-19 pandemic so some of his earlier work from that run was held at closed set tapings. After almost two years in Impact, a second brain tumor was found and the surgery to remove it effectively ended his in-ring career by late-2022.

The effects of the surgery and treatment of the second tumor might've cut his career short, but the sheer guts it takes for someone to push themselves through such a grueling situation is admirable.

Sadly, and in some ways unbelievable, a third brain tumor was found in November of last year, It's situations like this in life that you have to ask yourself, "why?" Why is this talented guy that you've never heard a negative word about from his peers, which is very rare in the professional wrestling business, have to go through another life-threatening brain tumor after such toughness to fight his way through the two tumors prior? I don't know the answer, and maybe there isn't truly an answer as to why other than by mere chance the same person had three brain tumors since cancer is known for its recurrence rates.

However, the one thing that I know for sure is that it took an incredible amount of toughness for Joe Doering to fight the terrible disease as long as he did. I found myself even sadder when I think about how much hope that he had at one point, especially after he was able to continue his career, only for the disease to return, taking his pro wrestling aspirations away again. I'm not religious so I don't think that Doering's illness in itself was a part of any divine plan, but there are certainly takeaways from his admirable fight.

The ironic part of it is, as Stuart Scott once put it when he received the Jimmy V award on ESPN before he passed away in 2014, ""When you die, it does not mean that you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and in the manner in which you live."

We're all going to pass away one day. Obviously, you can't focus on that all the time or you will miss out on living your life. The point is, if someone dies from old age or an illness, the result is the same, nobody outlives every aliment in life, even if they pass away peacefully in their sleep at 100 after an accomplished life. True to what Stuart Scott said, death is going to come for all of us at some point so that alone doesn't determine a victory or a defeat from cancer. It is rather how someone approaches their life, and the fight against the illness if it happens.

Some people might measure a successful life by the money or material possessions that they had, but that all seems superficial when the sum total of our lives is tallied at the end of it. Instead, the impression made on others and the world has a much more lasting impact than any dollar amount.

Joe Doering beat brain cancer twice. That exemplifies a toughness that very few have, and when you take into account the outpouring of tributes from across the sports entertainment world, a business that Doering worked in for almost half of his life, he undoubtedly had a positive impact on the industry. His courage and determination are inspirational, and can serve as a reminder for those going through tough times, medically or otherwise, that pushing forward is always a chance for hope.

As I said, I'm not religious, but at the very least, Doering can finally rest after years of battling cancer, and at best, maybe he's training hammerlocks with Terry Funk? If there's a heaven, Joe Doering deserves a ringside seat. He beat cancer two out of three times, which gives him the win on the score cards. Joe Doering definitely didn't lose to cancer. My sincere condolences to his friends and family at this difficult time.