Return to wrestling

After a colorful adventure in the Philippines, Dr. Don Juan Moore Jr. is back doing what he loves most, “breaking” backs in the wrestling ring and fixing them outside of it. The gregarious giant recently wrote The STAR to share what he has been up to since he had a falling out with his Filipina business partner in their chiropractic clinic in Quezon City last year.

“I was very disappointed that my experience in the Philippines was cut short, due to irreconcilable differences between myself and management of the office I affiliated with,” said Moore, who first felt his powerful attraction to professional wrestling seeing Hulk Hogan on television as a five-year old. “But having the proper guidance and role models in your life help you stay focused on following a positive path. Former WWE Superstar Big Daddy V (Viscera) stated at one point ‘Life rolls on and in order to climb the next mountain you must first come down off the other.’”

Growing to 6-6 and over 250 pounds in high school, the younger Don Moore took up various martial arts, and started doing physical therapy. Instead of pursuing his being accepted at Cornell University, he elected to attend Stony Brook instead to be near his ill mother. His dream was to become a chiropractor and professional wrestler. The latter pursuit was something his father initially objected to violently. After two years, Moore transferred to Ithaca, finally choosing chiropractic over physical therapy, believing it would actually better his chances at becoming a professional wrestler. When he graduated from Ithaca in December of 2003, the driven Moore felt ready to make the leap to the WWE.  

As he worked three jobs he despised and received a surprise windfall from his father to fund his tryouts for the WWE, Don faced his own health issues. His wrestling training took its toll. He had to battle back from surgery on his left shoulder and various sprains and broken fingers. He had traveled to WWE tryouts without success. In 2001, he broke his right leg while training.

After more unsuccessful tryouts all over the US, Don was getting frustrated. He had also been studying, pursuing his chiropractic while training, and was actually making a good living covering for other chiropractors in the New York area. At a tryout in Connecticut, Moore struck up a friendship with WWE champion John Cena, because they had a mutual friend. This led to an attention-getting demo match, and a job. Thus began a wild year of finding his identity and constant travel. He was learning so much, and having the greatest time wrestling as “Cable Jones,” treating fellow wrestlers backstage and building a close friendship with Mick Foley, who still wrestled part-time and supports charities in the Philippines. 

When he unknowingly tore his right bicep and wrestled with it for six months, Moore thought he should explore other options. Though he had other injuries, he overcame his fear, took Foley’s advice, and accepted an invitation to partner in a chiropractic clinic in the Philippines. He writes about finally having the procedure upon his return to New York.

“I had knee and ankle surgery in July which was way over due and needed before coming to the Philippines,” Moore revealed in an e-mail to The STAR. “I put it on the back burner and just endured the pain during my experience in the Philippines because I didn’t want to miss the opportunity of helping the people of that country and introduce what chiropractic can do for them. After my recovery I continued working as a chiropractor and training. Very soon after that I was back in the ring, wrestling on the weekends.”

Though he found fulfillment treating patients in the Philippines, including athletes and television personalities, Moore was increasingly unhappy with the treatment he was receiving at the clinic from his partner, whom he had met subbing for chiropractors in New York. He claims that, when things finally reached unacceptable levels, he packed his bags and went home.

“Since I’ve been home. I got back in the gym and back into practice, covering offices all over Long Island. I was actually interviewed at a wrestling convention in New Jersey for Completely Damaged Television, though I was only showing up to meet my friend that was in town,” says Moore. “They wanted to hear about my experience in the Philippines and my comeback to wrestling. They asked me to write about my story and it’s been getting posted on the Completely Damaged TV website.”

The friendly giant has also been getting his share of breaks. He finally put up a clinic called Tanglewood Chiropractic in his hometown of Coram, New York. Last weekend, he met into former world heavyweight boxing champion Riddick Bowe and introduced him to the benefits of chiropractic. And most important of all, he has been wrestling again. In some matches, Moore strikes an imposing stance when he enters the ring, wearing a doctor’s robe and playing with a model spine and pelvis as if it were an electric guitar. Of course, it’s all for show. All his patients in the Philippines and New York know he doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. Though he looks forward to visiting the country again, he has set his sights back on his first love: pro wrestling.

“My current goal is to continue introducing people to the benefits of chiropractic, wrestle on the weekends, and reclaim a position with one of the three big companies (WWE, TNA, ROH),” Moore explains. “What I have learned during my travels around the world is with a strong mindset and the determination to succeed, there is nothing that’s out of reach. Everything in life is open for the taking, you just have to be determined and focused to take it when the opportunity presents.”

After all he’s been through, that’s easy enough to believe in.