There are only three types of pro wrestling news on the Internet:

1. Show recaps where people pretend they could do a better job than the professionals (got those covered)
2. Backstage gossip that is 5% true at best
3. Updates about wrestlers dying or going to jail

Believe it or not there is occasionally good wrestling news, and I’m happy to share an example of that with you now — WWE tag team champion Daniel Bryan responded to a request from 7-year-old kid with brain cancer to visit him in the hospital and let him tap D-Bry out to his own submission hold. It’s one of the best things I’ve seen in a long time, both because of how heartening it is to know my favorite wrestler in the world is an awesome guy beyond the camera and because this kid has fantastic taste and didn’t just ask for John Cena.

It all started with a YouTube video of 7-year-old Connor Michalek making a plea to meet his all-time favorite WWE wrestler, Daniel Bryan.

The Shaler Township boy was diagnosed with cancer of the brain and spine when he was just 3-years-old. He’s had multiple surgeries and several rounds of chemotherapy.

Word of Conner’s desire to meet the WWE star spread like wildfire on social media and local radio stations. And on Tuesday, Conner’s wish to meet Bryan and put him in his signature “no lock” position came true. (via Pittsburgh CBS Local)

Picture and video of that are below, because tears.

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(L-R) Matt Overton, Pat McAfee and Adam Vinatieri

First the good news – doctors say that Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano is progressing wonderfully in his battle with leukemia, and they’ve even declared that he’s in remission. In fact, according to USA Today, doctors estimate that at least 80% of people diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia, like Pagano, can be cured because science is awesome and stuff. So everything is looking up for Pagano, including his Colts’ 5-3 record and playoff aspirations in his absence.

Now, that’s not to say that Indy is just motoring on without ol’ coach, because he’s still the first thing on most players’ minds each day. That brings us to the cool news – at least 24 of the Colts players shaved their heads as they left the practice field yesterday to show their support for Pagano, who, despite success, will still have plenty of chemotherapy in his future.

“It’s all for Chuck,” punter Pat McAfee said Tuesday evening. “We all don’t look good. I’m not built to have a bald head. I’ve got a huge sniffer.

“But we all love our coach so much that we want to show unity and let people know we’re all in this together. It’s a really cool thing.” (Via the Great Falls Tribune)

What was especially cool about it was the team’s director of player engagement, David Thornton, hired a barber to ambush all of the players with clippers as they walked off the field. I like to think that any of the guys who said no were held down by all 327-pounds of Mike McGlynn as they kicked and screamed under his sweaty jock. Mmmm, who wants some breakfast sausage?

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Pre-show notes:

- If you guys don’t mind clicking the like button on this post or sharing it on Twitter, I’d be greatly appreciative. Comments are also appreciated, especially if they have something to do with anything in the column, and not just what you think of John Cena’s pink shirt.

- Follow us on Twitter @withleather, follow me personally @MrBrandonStroud and like us on Facebook.

- Subway is a terrible restaurant.

- I wasn’t able to watch Night Of Champions, so the existence of that report is pending. Not a lot happened, honestly, that wasn’t indirectly recapped by this column. I might just call it and prep myself for a massive Hell In A Cell report. Or I might skip that too and just start reviewing Kaiju Big Battel DVDs. Regardless, tons of writing in here, so enjoy.

The Best And Worst Of WWE Raw for September 17, 2012, is after the jump.

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Grave Digger is always a relevant metaphor.

Richie Reynolds was recently diagnosed with terminal cancer, and his doctors told him that he has between 6 months and a year left to live. But instead of sitting around and feeling all sorry for himself, Reynolds decided it was time to enjoy life one last time, and his family agreed. So they called up the Sports Car Driving Association and worked out a deal to let Reynolds, a huge racing fan, get behind the wheel of a stock car and take a few laps on the track at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut.

I wish they would have also asked for a live AC/DC soundtrack, but I guess you can’t really push your luck with last wishes.

Reynolds said racing around the track made him forget all of his troubles.

“When it’s my time it’s my time,” he said. “It’s totally a dream come true. Never expected it in my wildest dreams.”

Richie’s feelings are if these are his last days, he may as well make them days of thunder. (Via WABC New York)

I think this is amazing, but then I’m a sucker for stories like these. I’m not sure it can get much better than a man finding out that he’s dying and his family showing their appreciation by fulfilling a dream that he probably never thought could come true. Unless maybe if a really attractive woman re-tells the story. And of course I can make that come true for us all.

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Manny Ramirez asked the Oakland Athletics to release him from his minor league contract on Friday, and they obliged.

“It looked like he was down there for a while and I think he wanted out,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “He wanted an opportunity, if we weren’t going to do something, to go somewhere else. It is what it is. Certainly we wish him the best.”

“Manny believes he has demonstrated that he is ready to return to the major leagues,” Ramirez’s agents, Barry Praver and Scott Shapiro, said in a statement. “However, given that the Oakland Athletics could not give Manny any assurance that they plan to promote him in the immediate future he asked for his release. Manny thanks the A’s for providing him with this opportunity.” (via Chron.com)

As straightforward as that seems, a helpful YouTube upload reveals that desire and opportunity had nothing to do with it — Manny Ramirez, posing under the name “Manny Rodriguez”, was making the Sacramento Rivercats less wholesome and giving them cancer with his dreadlocks. Just like Lance Armstrong The Bike Guy! A local 69-year old fuddy duddy reports:

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This makes me want to plug my ears with my fingers and shout-sing DO WAH DIDDY DIDDY DUM DIDDY DO. (via Cosby Sweaters)

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Links

10 Athletes Who Would Have Been Greater If They Listened To Kenny F*cking Powers - If you missed this yesterday, kiss my ass and suck my dick, everyone. (but no, seriously, read it) [With Leather]

10 Celebrities Who Look Like Abandoned Mattresses - Somehow this may be the greatest meme in Internet history, simply for how accurate it is. Poor January Jones. [UPROXX]

Madonna Joins Twitter For A Day, Flirts With Deadmau5 - Prince should join Twitter, he should have a midi of one keyboard note playing in the background and every tweet should be the continuation of the same non-stop sentence. [UPROXX]

5 Directions Medicine Can Go In Now That Cancer Is Toast - More stuff that gives 70-year olds boners, please! [Gamma Squad]

Quick Hits: Verdicts and Renewal Odds on 5 New Television Series - Everything on CBS: loved and renewed. Everything on NBC: good stuff canceled, stuff that looks like it should be on CBS renewed. [Warming Glow]

Hunger Games Review: The Future is Blurry - I sure am excited to keep hearing people talk about this movie when I’m in line at the grocery store. [Film Drunk]

Question Of The Day: Who’s Copping The Air Yeezy 2? - I don’t know what that means. [Smoking Section]

20 Supporting Actors From ’90s TV Shows Then And Now - A nice follow-up to my Waldo Geraldo Faldo joke in yesterday’s Best and Worst Of WWE Raw report. [Buzzfeed]

‘Zou Bisou Bisou’ & 15 Other Awkward TV Serenades - David Brent and Greg Brady absolutely do not count. Uncle Jesse absolutely does. [HuffPost Comedy]

Forget Kony 2012, getting Steve Holt in the Arrested Development movie is the most important cause of the year - Steve Holt! Not getting arrested for public masturbation! [Fark]

‘Downton Abbey’ Gets an American Spoof With ‘Downton Arby’s’ - Great, now I want jalapeno poppers, a roast beef sandwich the size of my face and a Mountain Dew the size of the rest of my body. [The FW]

The 10 Best Shows in the Fox Network’s 25 Year History - I’m sure ‘Woops!’ is number 11 and Pajiba just made a mistake. [Pajiba]