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He might not be a name you hear much about now, but for those of a certain age, Perry Saturn was one of the best and most loved wrestlers. From ECW, WCW, to WWE, Perry Saturn was a constant force, and saw himself put in many feuds with future legends of the sport. In 2004, in an act of bravery, Perry Saturn saved a woman from sexual assault. Her attackers shot Saturn. He lived, but his life would never be the same.

UPDATE: 2024/02/01 07:30 EST BY MICHAEL CHIN

Perry Saturn was a unique wrestling talent. It was a cruel twist of fate that his real-life heroism nearly ruined his own life, though fortunately he was able to overcome a number of the ensuing demons. It's unfortunate that Saturn's work tends to go overlooked nowadays, particularly because his biggest claim to fame--at least by WWE's standards--was probably his involvement in The Radicalz. Despite their overwhelming talent, that's a faction that has become very difficult to celebrate now based on what one of its core members did at the end of his life. Sadly this group that may have been Saturn's best shot at making it into the WWE Hall of Fame seems to have, instead, only buried his legacy further.

Perry Saturn’s Wrestling Career Through ECW, WCW, & WWE

Perry Saturn Was A Contributor In All The Top Wrestling Promotions Of The 1990s

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  • Perry Saturn made a name for himself teaming with John Kronus as The Eliminators in ECW.
  • Perry Saturn worked in WCW, including a run with Raven's Flock.
  • Perry Saturn debuted in WWE with The Radicalz.

He’s only 5’10” but Perry Saturn was well known for his intimidating look. The broad shoulders and muscles, the shaved head, and the tattoos all screamed that you had better not mess around with this man. That intimidation went beyond a look. Saturn was once an Army Ranger before he started his wrestling career.

In 1995, Saturn joined Paul Heyman’s ECW. He became a tag team specialist with John Kronus in a team called The Eliminators. In two short years, The Eliminators would become three-time ECW Tag Team Champions. In 1997, as WCW was hitting its peak, Saturn joined Ted Turner’s promotion. It was also the peak of Saturn’s career, which saw him win the TV title and two more tag team championships. While he never reached the heights of a Goldberg, Sting, or Hulk Hogan, Saturn was a solid midcard performer, where he enjoyed notable feuds with Eddie Guerrero, Chris Jericho, and most memorably, Raven.

In 2000, Saturn jumped ship to WWE as part of The Radicalz. The faction feuded with DX, and as a singles wrestler, Saturn became a European Champion and a two-time Hardcore Champion. He got his most attention ironically in the form of a punishment. After beating an enhancement talent during a match, Saturn was given a crazy gimmick that saw him losing his mind and falling madly in love with a mop named Moppy. It was the epitome of Vince McMahon weirdness, but Saturn made it work, and got over with the fans.

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After Saving A Woman From Being Attacked, Perry Saturn Was Shot By Her Attackers

Perry Saturn Did The Right Thing But Faced Dire Consequences

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  • Perry Saturn was out of the wrestling limelight when he helped a woman in need.
  • Perry Saturn got shot in the process of stopping the attack.

After an injury, Perry Saturn would be released by WWE in 2002. He worked for a time in TNA and NJPW, but then, in April 2004, his life would be altered forever. In Atlanta, Saturn was taking his girlfriend to work when he witnessed a woman being raped by two men. He stopped and jumped the attackers, saving the woman’s life. Being that Saturn was a former Army Ranger, it was no surprise that he would be a hero when many others would have simply ignored what they saw.

Though Saturn stopped the men from attacking the woman, they fought back, and one shot Saturn in the neck and shoulder. Saturn was lucky to survive, but the attack did permanent damage, as he now carries around a steel plate and three screws in his neck. The pain from the injury saw Saturn becoming addicted to meth as a way to deal with the physical pain and the anger that resulted from it.

In a 2010 interview with Bill Apter, Saturn opened up about his struggles.

“I developed a bad drug habit. What people do when they’re down, you do stupid things to make it worse. You know? So I hated the world. You know, I was pretty screwed up from being shot, and, uh, instead of just, like, buckling down and gettin’ better, I started doing meth, and I started doing meth by the tons. I got addicted to it, and that took over my whole life.”

Drug Addiction After The Attack Destroyed Perry Saturn’s Life

After His Act Of Heroism, Substance Abuse Haunted Perry Saturn

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  • Perry Saturn turned to drugs to cope with his pain.
  • Demons overtook Perry Saturn's life for a period of time.
  • Perry Saturn is still dealing with the after effects of a traumatic brain injury.

The drugs that Saturn took to keep him going and to numb the pain quickly left him in ruin. As he told Apter, “I was homeless for two years, and that’s a pretty rough life. I got clean for a little while, and I got an apartment, and since I got an apartment now, things are going well, I started doing drugs again, and I was back on the streets for another six months, and then I just couldn’t do that anymore…I had to make a change.”

As Saturn once fought against a woman’s attackers, he fought back against the resulting demons that plagued him, and won his battle with addiction. Still, the injuries and the drug use had taken a massive toll on his body. He now deals with the effects of a traumatic brain injury. He showed early signs of dementia and a GoFund me page was set up to help him with mounting medical bills.

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In 2016, Bill Apter caught up with Saturn again and asked about his progress, which now involved dealing with CTE from his years in the ring. “I don't have [the drug problem] anymore," Saturn said. "Nothing's going on now. I'm recovering. Getting better from the CTE. Huge gains. Gotten a lot better. It was very bleak at first. Some people, it goes good for. Some people, it doesn't. I was one of the lucky ones."

That’s certainly great to hear, especially when for a time it seemed almost certain that Saturn would be another unfortunate name added to the list of wrestlers who died before their time.

Perry Saturn's Legacy Is Difficult To Place

Despite His Talent And The Respect People Have For Him, Perry Saturn May Never Make It Into The WWE Hall Of Fame

  • Perry Saturn had a respectable career, but it may not be WWE Hall of Fame Worthy.
  • Participation in The Radicalz may have been Perry Saturn's best shot at induction.
  • Perry Saturn's next biggest claim to fame was probably the success of The Eliminators in ECW.

The way Perry Saturn's life played out offers profound insight into a principle fans all too often forget--that wrestlers are real people. More than action stars who perform for our entertainment, they, too, have chased their dreams, worked hard for their money, and had to make difficult choices. Saturn proved himself a hero first via his military service and later in choosing to come to a woman's rescue. Tragically, related health and substance issues would take over his life for a time.

While Saturn is widely respected as a person and as a pro wrestling talent, it's unfortunate that his career in the ring isn't a sure bet for WWE Hall of Fame induction given he never reached the main event level or had a sustained enough run to shore up his spot in sports entertainment immortality. His best shot at earning such an honor probably would have been as part of The Radicalz.

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Examining The Legacy Of The Forgotten Radicalz Member, Perry Saturn
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The Radicalz made a historic defection from WCW to WWE during the Monday Night War and the fact that two out of the four members went on to not only win world titles in WWE, but be the kinds of talents who were able to raise their belts overhead at the end of a WrestleMania. While Eddie Guerrero remains one of wrestling's most celebrated figures and Dean Malenko is at least as respected as Saturn, it's unfortunate that the final choices Chris Benoit made at the end of his life have, among other negative effects, barred WWE ever wanting to celebrate the full Radicalz faction. With that group out of the Hall of Fame running, Saturn's ECW tag team, The Eliminators, with John Kronus would probably be his next best chance at induction, but it's far from a sure thing given WWE has never, to date, inducted a tag team that never made it to a larger stage than ECW.

Perry Saturn is a too-often overlooked, forgotten figure. Nonetheless, fans from the 1990s in particular remember him as a unique talent who certainly should remain in wrestling fans' collective memories out of a combination of his on-screen work and who he was as a person.