Posted on Aug 30, 2003 By                     <<BACK TO NEWSBOARD

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Courtesy of the Omaha World Herald "Wrestler's death gives life to others" BY BETSIE FREEMAN Paul Mason was willing to go to the mat for his goal. He knew some people thought it was weird. He knew it would take years of hard work. But that didn't change his single-minded pursuit to become a world-class professional wrestler. Mason graduated a year early from Millard North High School to study with a highly regarded trainer in Missouri. He worked at Wal-Mart to support himself as he pursued his dream. "He knew he was right on the cusp of huge things," said his mother, Jean Mason of Omaha. "He was ecstatically happy." Paul Mason was in demand for wrestling shows and had a number of fan clubs. But an aneurysm stole the 18-year-old's dream of stardom with World Wrestling Entertainment. He died Saturday at a Columbia, Mo., hospital. It's a story of a life cut short, his mother said, but it's also a story of hope. Doctors could use all of Mason's organs in donations, down to muscles, tiny foot tendons and skin for grafts. "Over 100 people were helped directly," she said. "If there's any sense to this, maybe he'll inspire somebody else to reach for the stars." Mason was phenomenally focused on pro wrestling, ever since he won backstage passes to a show when he was 12, Jean Mason said. He got his start at age 16 with the Omaha Wrestling Association after excelling in traditional wrestling, shot put and football at Millard North. As his alter ego, Chip Douglas, Mason displayed charisma, choreography and more than a dose of Hollywood showmanship, Jean said. Mason participated in independent shows throughout the Midlands, and his reputation grew. He had fan clubs in Topeka, Kan.; Sioux City, Iowa; and Des Moines. Retired wrestling great Harley Race chose Mason as one of the handful of students to mentor at his Missouri school. Mason auditioned as soon as he became eligible, on his 18th birthday. On Aug. 13, Mason finished a workout and suddenly passed out. He never regained consciousness. He was taken to the University of Missouri Medical Center, where he died three days later. Jean Mason said her son had no blows or bumps on his head, so doctors are sure he died of an aneurysm, not a wrestling injury. She said her son was a humble man who drove an old, dented pickup truck and was "as genuinely kind as they come." A memorial service is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Andrew Episcopal Church, 84th and Pacific Streets. Other survivors include his father, Mike; a brother, Bill, 21; a sister, Jennie, 15; grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Memorial show A wrestling tribute for Paul Mason, aka Chip Douglas, will be held Aug. 30 at Woodrow Wilson Junior High, 715 N. 21st St. in Council Bluffs. Doors will open at 6 p.m., and the show will start at 7.