Davey Boy Smith Jr. has been out of action since January, and now hes revealed whyhe had to undergo eye surgery after developing cataracts. The former WWE and AJPW star spoke on Cafe de Rene with Rene Dupree about what led to the unexpected health scare and how years of tanning bed use may be to blame.
I came back home in January from a really successful trip, and I somehow got cataracts in my eyes from the 20 years of those shitty tanning beds. Hopefully, people can learn from that, Smith Jr. said.
Like many wrestlers, he admitted to skipping proper eye protection while tanning. I didnt like the lines [it would leave] around your eyes when you go tanning, so a lot of times, I just put a towel on, he explained. And the last six months or so, I was using the old tanning beds over in Japan, you gotta lay in them for 30-40 minutes, and theyre the old UV, theyre lousy bulbs.
Smith Jr. didnt waste time getting surgery, but it wasnt cheap. It cost me about fourteen grand, and I had to pay it. For people, with wrestlers, its always like, learn from this guy, dont do this. Hopefully, they learn from me and yourself and your dad to save your money because you dont know when stuff like that will happen. Luckily, I had the money to pay for it.
His vision quickly improved after the procedure, but the experience shook him. I couldnt even fly. I couldnt drive or do anything, he said. Thankfully, doctors confirmed the issue wasnt from in-ring damage. They said it was a protein buildup behind the eye. But you know what, it gave me a whole new lease on life.
For three weeks, Smith Jr. struggled to do even the simplest tasks. There were bad times. I couldnt even watch YouTube, I had to order in Uber Eats, and I had to scroll and really zoom in to actually see the menu. But now that hes back to full strength, hes more motivated than ever. Since Ive come back from it, Ive been extra motivated and doing great. So it was a lousy thing, but it was something that made me appreciate how important your eyesight is.
Losing your eyesighteven temporarilyis a wake-up call nobody wants, but Davey Boy Smith Jr. turned it into fuel for his comeback. From struggling to read a menu to getting his vision fully restored, hes now more motivated than ever. If nothing else, let this be a lessonprotect your eyes, and maybe skip those sketchy old tanning beds.
What do you think about Smith Jr.s warning on tanning bed use? Have you ever ignored health advice and regretted it later? Let us know in the comments!
