Tammy Lynn Sytch was once highly popular on AOL as the most-downloaded woman. Despite her induction into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011, the past decade has been marked by legal troubles and personal challenges. Her decline from being one of the original WWE Divas and a prominent figure in 1990s professional wrestling is evident. Now, she has a 17-year prison sentence ahead of her due to her decisions.
Ringside News provided comprehensive coverage of Tammy Lynn Sytch’s sentencing hearing. There is a lot to unpack at the end of the day for the former WWE Diva.
PW Insider noted that many within the pro wrestling world are pretty upset by how Tammy Lynn Sytch’s defense tried to plead her case. Blaming Chris Candido’s death on her downfall in pro wrestling wasn’t the right move, and as they saw things, her behavior was already problematic prior to Candido’s tragic passing.
We heard from a lot of people within the wrestling world upset about Sytch using the death of Chris Candido as her “downfall” in her statement to the court before sentencing, feeling there was behavior from her well before Candido’s passing that were red flags as to the direction that he was going in personally, as well as noting that there was infidelity there and it wasn’t on Candido’s part – and that Sytch’s own autobiography admits that. I took the comments to mean that when Candido passed, she spiraled out and never regained her footing, which is certainly true.
Some also reportedly expressed their skepticism regarding one of the experts testifying on Tammy Lynn Sytch’s behalf, who cited pro wrestling and “blows to the head” as factors influencing her behavior. They found this argument disingenuous, pointing out that Sytch rarely, if ever, wrestled in her career. Most of her appearances were in SMW, where she played a managerial role and a gimmick character, never being presented as a credible wrestler. However, it’s worth noting that Sytch did occasionally take bumps during matches in which she was managing.
Tammy Lynn Sytch had a chance to speak during her sentencing hearing. They kept repeating the phrase that she is “more than the worst thing she’s ever done.” Her attorney pleaded for the judge to find a mix between incarceration and mental health rehabilitation. They did not want the full 25-year sentence, with six months of probation after that, but the prosecution pushed for the full incarceration period.
We will have to see if there are any updates, or appeals, but there is a very slim likelihood that Tammy Lynn Sytch will have any sunny days ahead of her.
What’s your take on Tammy Lynn Sytch receiving a 17-year prison sentence? Let us know what you think in the comments section!