in memory

About our mutual interest

Sometime back I bought Jerry Lawler’s autobiography “It’s Good to Be the King… Sometimes” for the exorbitant price of RM5 (got to love POPULAR’s sales). Lawler wrote about his life, basically on how he started wrestling in Memphis then in the WWF (now known as WWE). Throughout the book he revealed certain truths on wrestling, lots of kayfabes. The book was honest; it was wonderful!

When one of my YBF friends, Shan Chong found out that I was into wrestling, we became rather good friends. We would talk about characters and story lines as we followed the twice a week screenings on telly (one on Singapore’s Channel 5 and the other on TV3). WWF of course; WCW lacked the fireworks and excitement. Back then the feuds were ‘real’; none of those silly soppy storylines they churn out these days. There were less talking and more wrestling. There were only a couple of chicks instead of the silicone-galore babes today. There was Sunny whom Shan Chong positively adored…

… whom I found out looks like this today, after the demise of her real-life boyfriend Chris Candido (Skip) in 2005.

It was the time of Big Daddy Cool Diesel and Razor Ramon’s feud with Shawn Michaels. It was the time of Bret Hart, who had a feud with The Undertaker with his scary entrance music (and Paul Bearer) and Shawn Michaels. Shawn Michaels’ coma during a match with Owen Hart which forced him to surrender his Intercontinental title to Dean Douglas. Shawn Michaels’ feud with Sycho Sid, his ex-bodyguard, British Bulldog and just about everyone else. Shawn Michaels entered the ring at Wrestlemania 12 with so much dazzle and showmanship that I still remember till today, and won the WWF championship in an hour long match against Bret Hart.

Very obviously I was a Shawn Michaels’ fan while Shan Chong preferred Bret Hart.

There was also Jerry Lawler and Bret Hart’s ‘Kiss My Foot’ match. The Ringmaster broke free from Ted DiBiase and became Stone Cold Steve Austin. Craps, Yokozuna had the biggest arse I’d ever seen! Isaac Yankem the evil dentist became The Undertaker’s long-lost brother with a painful past, Kane. The Rock made his debut. So much memories!

Those were the days indeed.

About the man

Literally tall dark and handsome, Shan Chong was born on 31st December 1979. I don’t know much about his childhood days, but for the many years that I’d known him, he was always smiling and never once uttered a foul word to me. The only time he got remotely angry with me was all for 5 minutes and then he was back to grinning. Soft-spoken and a real gentleman, we always wondered how he became Head Prefect in his Form 6 days. He loved to cycle on his black and green mountain bike, often cycling from his house to the temple along with a couple other YBF members. That was the reason I wanted a mountain bike in the first place. He played the guitar. He loved Bon Jovi. He was a Manchester United and Nike fan. When he smiled, you could hardly see his eyes. When my rabbit died he was my first friend to console me. When he could drive, he didn’t mind being the chauffeur for most of us did not possess a license at that time. Everyone really adored him, including my mom and my sisters.

About the call

Five years ago today, a mutual YBF member and my senior HH called my mobile. Through her sobs she managed to relay the unfortunate news that Shan Chong had passed away. I was shell-shocked. I didn’t cry until I called my mom to tell her the news. Until today my mom and my sis would tell me that I sounded like a mad woman. I don’t remember.

A few friends and I took the bus to go home. Everyone was puffy-eyed at his funeral. The most heart-breaking scene was when SL took his funeral photo and wiped it lovingly. He was then cremated. He was gone.

Shan Chong had complained of chest pains and was admitted to the hospital. Two days later he passed away. We asked why, but apparently no one knew. The only thing we knew was that he had confided in his mother the night before that he was afraid. Of what, she didn’t tell me. I did not ask.

I think about him a lot, especially when I am in one of my thinking moods. I’d always think of him smiling because I can’t remember him any other way. Wherever he is, I wish him well. That’s the least he deserves.

Ong Shan Chong
31 December 1979 – 6 June 2001

I will pray every night little pal
That you will come out right, little pal
So till we meet again
Karma knows where and when
Pray for me now and then, little pal.