Sam Thompson's Spirit Will Always Be "Among the Living"

I barely knew Samuel J. Thompson, having only met him once or twice.  Yet, because of all of the stories and pictures, I feel like I have really gotten to know him.  Unfortunately, most of my knowledge of Sam came posthumously.

Sam was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at 9 months and not expected to live to age 16.  He endured numerous hospital stays, bouts with pneumonia and other assorted complications.  Yet Sam persevered.  A double-lung transplant, when he was 21, saved his life.  Although it was not an easy process, Sam had beaten chronic rejection through 10 years.  Tragically, stomach cancer delivered one more blow ending Sam’s life at the age of 31 on June 7, 2012. 

This was when I really started to learn about this great man.  This is when I saw hulking, monsters of professional wrestling, breaking down into fits of tears at the mention of Sam.  Men, who would brutalize their bodies and others regularly inside the ring, were so touched by the gentle Sam.  It was truly a spectacle to witness the outpouring of love from everyone.

Like me, most of these wrestlers knew Sam a relatively short time.  Sam had worked for Resistance Pro Wrestling from its inception (about a year prior to his death), when Gabe and Jacques Baron brought him and brother Zach into the R Pro company (and family). 

Sam’s connection with R Pro meant the world to him.  Zach put it best in saying, “After years of thinking he'd never be well enough to hold a real job, let alone one he loved, along came this opportunity and it really set him off. R Pro was really it for him.  His dream job.”

While Sam only had a short time on his dream job, his presence will live forever in the R Pro family.  Zach summed Sam’s continuing effect by saying, “If Billy Corgan is the Dr. Frankenstein to R Pro, the Baron Brothers are the lightning and my brother is the spirit that holds the parts together.”

On Sunday February 24, Sam’s spirit will be one with the wrestlers, family and fans as R Pro hosts a benefit event for the Samuel J. Thompson Memorial Fund.  All are donating their time and energy to make this a special event.

How fitting is it that the Samuel J. Thompson Memorial Tournament will give eight men a shot at their dream by awarding an R Pro contract to the winner?  There will also be other matches, surprises, an auction and more.

How special is this event?  I sat in on an informal meeting of the R Pro street team.  I heard Gabe and Jacques talk from the heart about Sam and how they wanted this event to be great for Sam.  Nobody mentioned storylines, profit, exposure or any of the other usual business goals.

The event will be at the Lockport VFW Post 5788 with a 4 p.m. bell time.  If you are in the area (wrestling fan or not) and you want to experience a fun event and support a great cause, I guarantee this event will be special.

From my usual first row seat, I will be celebrating the spirit of Sam.  It is only fitting that the event is called “Among the Living,” because Sam’s spirit lives on through everyone who knew him.