By James Caldwell, Torch assistant editor

Former WWE wrestler Christopher Nowinski said in a radio interview this week that he doesn't believe WWE has a safe working environment for its wrestlers. He said one of the key reasons for his statement is there not being a policy for what happens if a wrestler is hurt or knocked out mid-match.

"There are plenty of stories about guys getting hit in the head during a match, everybody knowing they're blacked out on their feet, yet they don't have a protocol in place to stop the match. It's absurd," Nowinski said on The Fan 590 in Toronto. "I feel it's something the feds should look into because that's not a safe work environment."

Nowinski has done extensive research into brain damage resulting from repeated concussions that affects pro athletes, especially wrestlers. He says WWE exposes its wrestlers to excessive risk despite having complete control over scripted matches and elements - such as chair shots - that are part of matches.

"There are two major issues with wrestling. The one that is really frustrating about the poor management of concussions is because wrestling is performance and is essentially fake; you can work around an athlete and not take away from the show," Nowinski said. "On the flip-side, I think the risk of having a guy who has been concussed in the ring too fast is greater than it is in other sports."

Nowinski made headlines this week when three NFL players signed on with Nowinski's Sports Legacy Institute to donate their brains for research and raise awareness for concussions in sports. Nowinski said WWE isn't doing enough on their part.

"I think what happens in the WWE is a real shame. I think those guys are pretty badly exploited," Nowinski said. "I was not too happy about what was in place when I had my concussions in terms of there were no proper management protocols in place, there wasn't education in place and people didn't know what to do with me, but also the way they handled the (Chris) Benoit situation."

WWE's latest Wellness Policy update now includes mandatory brain scans to the list of tests a wrestler must pass before he or she can sign a contract with WWE to detect possible concussion issues before a wrestler comes on payroll. Nowinski contends more should be done to monitor wrestlers even in the midst of a match.

Link: Read the rest of Nowinski's interview with Fan 590, including his thoughts on Chris Benoit.

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