Chris And Tammy – The episode opens with James E. Cornette (Jim Cornette) introducing Skip (Chris Barrett Candito) and Sunny (Tammy Lynn Sytch). He describes their life as a “story of everything.” The narrator (Chris Jericho) narrates a story of intrigue and hype. High school sweethearts, Tammy and Chris’s sheer desire and dedication would push them to the top of the world of professional wrestling. Their relationship began to deteriorate due to serious opioid and substance abuse.

Chris’s younger brother, Johnny Rae Candito explains what professional wrestling meant to Chris. He gives viewers a tour of room a filled with Chris’ wrestling memorabilia. Chris was more than a powerhouse in the ring. He was also a creative artist. The nickname, “Cook,” emerged from Johnny’s inability to properly pronounce his brother’s name. He verbally reminisces about a proud moment in Chris’s life when he founded “Eastern Kids Wrestling Foundation.” The organization’s title belt was developed from an old wedding platter. Chris and his best friend, Scott were known for sneaking out during sleepovers to wrestle at the “Galaxian Club.”

Peggy Rae, Chris’s Mother, admits to not wanting her son to wrestle. Against her wishes, he was destined to be a professional wrestler at the age of 13. She recalls her reluctance to attend his wrestling match at Madison Regional High School. Chris teamed up with Johnny Hotbody. It was also the night she first saw Tammy. Chris attended a party at Tammy’s house after the event.

Tammy would become Chris’s other obsession. The infatuation was so powerful, he broke a prom date to spend time with Tammy. After high school, he had more time to focus on his wrestling career. Already doing everything he could on the local circuit, he discovered “Smokey Mountain Wrestling” and its prolific promoter. Jim Cornette credits himself for Chris and Tammy’s introduction to the world of professional wrestling. Although thrilled to bring Chris along, Cornette couldn’t justify the scant paydays to ask him to relocate to East Tennessee. To put Tammy on the payroll, Cornette came up with a plan to make her Chris’s manager. The only question was, could she deliver?

Peggy refused to let Chris withdraw from college to wrestle. To appease her, he agreed to transfer to the University of Tennessee. She honestly believed it would be temporary. “Hardcore Legend,” Mick Foley recalls some of his most memorable encounters with Chris. He points out Chris’ innate ability to be a standout heel (bad guy). He was a natural at making fans dislike him. In light of everything, it would be Tammy who took the gold playing the heel. In college to be a plastic surgeon, with little to no desire to be involved in wrestling, she accepted Cornette’s proposal.

In the early 90s, Bill and Hillary Clinton were at the forefront of the Democratic party. Tennessee being a primarily Republican state, Cornette came up with the genius plan to build a political platform for Tammy. As Tammy Fytch, she would capture Hillary’s “go-getter” image and present herself as a member of the prominent New England Fytch Family. She joined Cornette’s promotion, Smoky Mountain Wrestling to chase a dream in a predominately male industry. Cornette admits her ability to make people hate her was stunning. She wasn’t playing a part, but merely being herself on camera.

Chris’s former tag team partner, Dr. Tom Prichard recalls how Chris and Tammy’s relationship deepened when she joined the professional wrestling world. Her decision to accept Cornette’s job proposal was for Chris’s sake but that changed overnight. A single interview pushed her to stardom on a higher level than Chris. By the mid-90s, the couple caught the eye of WWF. Signing with the wrestling promotion in 1995, the couple was well on their way.

Cornette wasn’t offended when Chris and Tammy’s fame surpassed him. He considered himself a sort of mentor and maintained contact. Peggy was thrilled with Chris making the “big leagues” but knew it would mean withdrawing from college. Tammy’s aspiration to reach the top was even with Chris’ one big difference, her inflated ego.

WWF’s plan for Tammy and Chris was professional fitness trainers. Skip and Sonny’s most memorable “Body Donnas” promo was in the WWF fitness room working up a sweat. It was a success, so much so, WWF forced Tom Prichard to get a new hairstyle to fit the gimmick. Not happy, Prichard along with Chris earned themselves a title shot. Tammy, the fitness guru, earned an army of loyal followers. At 24, WWF promoted her as a sex symbol when she became the most downloaded female on AOL. A WWF career in full swing, Tammy’s backstage popularity faltered. Mick Foley points out that it isn’t a bad thing to have aspirations. Nearly early everyone in the industry at the time came with a chip on their shoulder. Prichard says Tammy’s nice-person persona was a “front.” Tammy was all about Tammy.

Cornette remembers a momentous moment when pig farmers, Henry and Phineas Godwinn dumped a bucket of slop on Sonny. Before the live event, people backstage added their DNA to the bucket of slop.

Pritchard says Tammy being a likable superstar was derailed by her inflated ego. Her lifestyle became about partying which eventually led to drug addiction. At the time, WWF’s biggest superstar was Shawn Michaels. It was bound to happen, they would cross paths. Rumors of the two being together began to swirl in and out of the ring. All the wrestlers knew, it was unmistakable that Chris didn’t know. Terri Runnels reckons being loved by someone on top is better than someone on the bottom. Chris’ options were zilch because any feedback would put his career at risk.

Johnny Candino looks back at a blowout altercation between Tammy and Chris. Giving Chris the boot, Johnny tried to convince him to leave Tammy. Chris’ good guy instinct wouldn’t allow him to walk away from her. He remembered who brought her into the business. Once their relationship ended, Chris’ life spiraled out of control. A broken neck at Madison Square Garden led to drug addiction and a fall from fame. He sometimes found himself at the end of bullying in the locker room. As her popularity was pushed to an all-time high, he struggled to maintain control in and out of the ring. Refusing to be a mid-card wrestler, Chris parts ways with WWF to try his luck in ECW. It didn’t take long for him to win over the fans with his old-school style. Cornette believes Chris’ time at ECW was some of the best of his career. A strong desire for hard-hitting matches resulted in many injuries and pain masked with pills like Soma.

Soma was the “go-to” muscle relaxant/painkiller for professional wrestlers during the late 90s and early 2000s. Wrestlers would ingest enough Soma to achieve what seemed like an unobtainable euphoria. The introduction of Sable (Rena Marlette Lesnar) would push Tammy to follow in Chris’ footsteps. Her drug and alcohol dependency became even more obvious after signing with ECW. She stumbled her way to the rung with Chris at her side. The reunion pushed their addiction to the point of spiraling out of control. ECW promoter, Paul Heyman invited Tammy to do a tell-all documentary under his direction. Cornette is the first to express his disgust with Heyman for airing this. It wasn’t just unproductive, but it was disheartening. Lance Storm (Lance Timothy Evers) felt it would have been better to force the two into rehab, but Heyman didn’t see it this way.

Johnny Candito remembers an intoxicated Tammy threatening Chris with knives. He was shocked when the next morning, it was as if nothing happened the night before. While they were on enforced leave, Heyman handling flight and hotel accommodations that were billed on a card. A crippling financial loss forced ECW reimbursements to halt reimbursement, leaving the couple with significant debt.

Connections with corrupt pharmacies an endless supply of Soma pills at their fingertips on a given day. Chris suffered a seizure while waiting at a pharmacy for a Soma prescription to be filled. Waking up in the hospital and finally realizing what had happened, Chris pulled out his IV and walked out with Johnny in tow. With ECW now officially bankrupt and with no other career prospects, things could only go downhill while accruing more debt in the process. When an independent Puerto Rican organization came calling the two didn’t have any choice but to accept. This would not be the revitalization they hoped for.

It’s the horrible treatment from the fans that stay with Tammy to this day. It would be Chris’s love for the sport that would eventually draw him out of his Soma stupor. He underwent drastic training to get back in shape. Tammy by his side, he would return to the mainland and join TNA (Total Non-Stop Action). Clean, he promised himself to reach the limelight once again. He gave Johnny a heartfelt apology. During a TNA event, Chris would be forced to make an awkward sidestep to avoid collision with a cameraman. His boot would get caught in loose canvass and it resulted in a bad fall and a broken shin. Trying to stand and finish the match, Chris would fall back down to the point where officials had to escort him out and immediately to the hospital. This would be more devastating that the physical pain of the injury.

Determined to put the event behind him, Chris would go back on TNA a mere two days later in crutches and cast to talk about the injury. Receiving a good reaction from the crowd, he would travel home the following Wednesday. Johnny received a call that Chris was in the hospital. He wasn’t prepared for finding Chris dead.

Tammy recounts the day in the waiting room when the doctor said a blood clot formed in his ankle after the surgery. Blood flow to the heart and lungs was cut off. Cornette perhaps expresses it better than anyone, pointing out that this kid’s never done anything wrong to anyone and he finally starting to get his life back on track when he suffers a horrible injury. It would be his love for the business and wrestling that would send him back to the ring two days later and on that flight home. Despite it being a well-known fact that it’s highly dangerous to fly after surgery, Chris chose to embark on the flight that ultimately claimed his life.

Chris’s death would only send Tammy spiraling further and faster over the edge. Many hoped it would give her the desire to clean up her act, but a stint of DUI and petty arrests would ultimately result in a rear-end collision that would claim the life of an elderly 75-year-old driver. No license, no insurance, and under the influence, the authorities would throw the book at the former Diva.

 

Dark Side Of The Ring Review

Nearly every episode is a heart-wrenching tale, but this one was especially wrenching. Chris was no doubt a very special person with a very special talent, despite the ups and downs of his career. Although his life was cut short, he would do not in his short 30 years that most will do in entire lifetimes and careers. For me, it’s hard to rate series like these because it’s more about the story than the acting or production. That said Chris and Tammy’s stories were extremely intriguing, and I would have to rate it as a 6 of 10.

Chris seemed like such a decent person, surrounded by a world filled with barracudas. The most shocking thing is although Tammy is breathing; her life has essentially ended, as she is confined behind bars for the 2022 vehicular manslaughter charge.

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