Edit on December 30th 2016: Seems we lost introductions (only for articles using the old list format) when the site was updated. As this was my most viewed with over 1 million hits I felt the need to address it. This list article was a grand piece of work, and it’s meant to represent the sad reality of a business we love so much. Thank you for appreciating my efforts and the site.
Adrian Adonis (1954-1988) – 33 Years
Worked For: AWA, WWF
Adonis was killed on July 4, 1988, in Lewisporte, Newfoundland, in a minivan with fellow wrestlers William “Mike Kelly” Arko, Victor “Pat Kelly” Arko, and Dave “Wildman” McKigney. Franke, McKigney, and Victor Arko were killed when the driver, William Arko, allegedly swerved to avoid hitting a moose and, blinded by the setting sun, inadvertently drove into a lake. William Arko was the sole survivor and sustained severe leg injuries.
Andre The Giant (1946-1993) – 46 Years
Worked For: WWF AJPW, UWA
Andre died in his sleep of congestive heart failure on the night of January 27, 1993, in a Paris hotel room. He was in Paris to attend his father’s funeral. His body was cremated according to his wishes and his ashes were scattered at his ranch in Ellerbe, North Carolina.
Art Barr (1966-1994) – 28 Years
Worked For: WCW, AAA
On November 23, 1994, Barr was found dead lying with his child at his home in Springfield, Oregon. Preliminary reports said that he died of an aneurysm,but later reports said that he died under unknown circumstances. Barr did not have heart problems, no aneurysm or internal bleeding, and no ring injuries. He had a mixture of alcohol and drugs in his blood
stream.
Eddie Guerrero was his best friend around this time period. Although Eddie Guerrero’s book claims that the cause of Barr’s death is still unknown to this day, Hardcore History by Scott E. Williams, criminal-justice reporter and wrestling columnist for The Galveston County Daily News, states that “Barr died in his sleep from a drug-related heart attack.”
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer recounted a discussion with Barr’s coroner who remarked that Barr’s oversized organs implied steroid use but ruled that to be unlikely because of Barr’s size.
Bam Bam Bigelow (1961-2007) – 45 Years
Worked For: CWA, WCCW, WWF, JCP, ECW, WCW
On the morning of January 19, 2007, Bigelow was found dead in his home by Remiesiewicz at approximately 10:00 a.m. EST in Hudson, Florida. The autopsy results showed that Bigelow’s death was due to multiple drugs found in his system including toxic levels of cocaine and an anti-anxiety drug. Bigelow was also suffering from a heart problem, specifically arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, and had severe back problems.
Bastian Booger/Mike Shaw (1957-2010) – 53 Years
Worked For: WCW, WWF
He died of a heart attack on September 11, 2010
Battle Kat/Brady Boone (1958-1998) – 40 Years
Worked For: WWF, WCW
On December 15, 1998, while driving home to Tampa, Florida from a WCW television taping in Orlando, he died in an automobile accident
Bertha Faye (1961-2001) – 40 Years
Worked For: Japan, WWF, WCW
After leaving WCW, she took a break from wrestling. In 2001, Sing worked as a caregiver to the handicapped. On July 27, 2001, Sing died from a heart attack.
Biff Wellington (1965-2007) – 42 Years
Worked For: WCW, NJPW, ECW
His parents found his body at his home in bed on June 24, 2007, as they were concerned because they had not heard from him since June 20. Medical officials examining the body believe he had been dead for a few days, believed initially to be due to a heart attack, as he had suffered numerous strokes in 2006
Big Boss Man (1963-2004) – 41 Years
Worked For: JCP, UWF, WWF, AJPW, WCW
Died of a heart attack on September 22, 2004.
Mabel/Viscera/Big Daddy V (1971-2014) – 43 Years
Worked For: WWF/E
On February 18, 2014, Frazier died of a heart attack, four days after turning 43. He was cremated, and his widow divided the ashes into 500 pendants as gifts for his loved ones
Big Dick Dudley (1968-2002) – 34 Years
Worked For: ECW
On May 16, 2002, Rizzo was found dead in his apartment due to kidney failure.
Big John Studd (1948-1995) – 47 Years
Worked For: WWF
In October 1993, Minton became exceptionally tired after replacing Jimmy Snuka on short notice in a match for Killer Kowalski in Boston. While showering afterward, he noticed a lump in his armpit. He went to a doctor, who found the rest of a large tumour in his chest. It remitted after chemotherapy,
and he was told he might wrestle again in six months, but it returned
in 1994. When no suitable bone marrow donor was found, and he was given around a month to live, Minton underwent an autotransplantation procedure with a 7% success rate. Again, the tumour remitted and he went home. Around September 1994, in addition to recurring nausea and fever, Minton’s lungs collapsed and he went back to hospital. During this
stint, he ran a temperature of 108.5 degrees. He eventually stabilized and went home again.
In February 1995, Minton returned for another round of chemotherapy. Though he believed it would be a short stay, the tumour had spread widely through his body. He died from liver cancer and Hodgkin’s disease on March 20, 1995. He was survived by his son John Minton, Jr., who accepted his plaque upon his posthumous inductions to both the WCW Hall of Fame in 1995 and the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004. Minton, Jr. also participated in the fourth season of WWE Tough Enough.
According to Superstar Billy Graham, a long-time friend who spoke to Minton throughout his failing health, doctors had told him his excessive use of human growth hormone, which had reshaped his skeleton as well as his muscles, may have sparked his tumours
Billy Travis (1961-2002) – 41 Years
Worked For: CWA, USWA
Travis passed away on 11/23 from an apparent heart attack. He suffered the attack shortly after arriving at his mother’s home in Kentucky; attempts by paramedics to revive him were unsuccessful.
Bobby Duncum Jr.(1965-2000) – 34 Years
Worked For: AJPW, ECW, WCW
After taking time off from WCW to recover from reconstructive rotator cuff surgery, Duncum died of an accidental overdose of a prescription painkiller prescribed by his doctor, on January 24, 2000
Brad Armstrong (1962-2012) – 50 Years
Worked For: NWA, WCW, USWA, SMW, WWE
On November 1, 2012, Armstrong was found dead in his Kennesaw, Georgia home, after seeing his physician the previous week for an undisclosed medical issue. His former tag team partner and best friend Tim Horner speculated that Armstrong died from a heart attack.
Brian Adams/Crush (1964-2007) – 43 Years
Worked For: WWF, WCW
On August 13, 2007, Adams was found unconscious in his bed by his wife at their Tampa, Florida home. She called 911, but he was pronounced dead by paramedics when they arrived. The medical examiner concluded that he died as a result of mixing painkillers (Buprenorphine) with muscle relaxants (Carisoprodol) and sedatives (Chlordiazepoxide and Alprazolam.)
While the coroner determined the drugs in his system were consistent with what is considered “therapeutic levels,” the combination impeded his respiratory system enough to kill him. There were no traces of anabolic steroids found in his system at the time of his death.
Brian Pillman (1962-1997) – 35 Years
Worked For: Stampede, JCP, WCW, WWF, ECW
On October 5, 1997, Pillman was scheduled to wrestle Dude Love at the WWF pay-per-view Badd Blood: In Your House. As the show was getting close to bell time (7pm) and Pillman hadn’t arrived, Jim Cornette was instructed to find his whereabouts.
Cornette contacted the Budget Tel Motel in Bloomington, Minnesota where Pillman had stayed that previous night and was told by the receptionist that the maids had found Pillman dead earlier that day at 1:09 Central Time. Pillman was 35 years old. An autopsy found that a previously undetected heart condition, arteriosclerotic heart disease, had led to his death; the condition had also led to the death of his father.
The British Bulldog (1962-2002) – 39 Years
Worked For: WWF, Stampede, WCW
Smith died on May 18, 2002, after suffering a heart attack while on vacation in Invermere, British Columbia with his girlfriend, Bruce Hart’s estranged wife Andrea Redding. An autopsy revealed that past anabolic steroid use may have played a part in his death, but no certain reason was
found.
It is apparent that stress, serious injuries, and the use of drugs took its toll on the wrestler. Bruce Hart claimed “Davey paid the price with steroid cocktails and human-growth hormones.”. He was Cremated, Ashes given to family or friend
Bruiser Brody (1946-1988) – 42 Years
Worked For: NWA, WWWF, WWC, DSW, AWA, WCCW, NJPW, AJPW
On July 16, 1988, Brody was in the locker room before his match with Dan Spivey in Bayamón (a city near San Juan, Puerto Rico), when José Huertas González, a fellow wrestler and booker, asked him to go into the shower to discuss business. Brody entered the shower stall and a few minutes later a scuffle ensued, followed by two groans, loud enough for the entire locker room to hear.
Tony Atlas ran to the shower and saw Brody bent over and holding his stomach. Atlas then looked up at González and saw him holding a knife. When the paramedics arrived, Atlas carried Brody downstairs to the waiting ambulance, as, due to Brody’s enormous stature, paramedics were unable to lift him. Brody’s last words (as told to Atlas) were, “Tell my little son I love him[citation needed], and tell my wife I love her, too.”
González, who always maintained his innocence, was initially charged with first-degree murder but was later reduced and tried for involuntary homicide. Dutch Mantell received his subpoena after the trial was over and Tony Atlas, who had given a statement and said he witnessed what happened refused to return to give his version in court and without his
testimony the district attorney had no case.
Some wrestlers (the Youngbloods) were scared to death and made no declaration to the police at the time of the events. However, Atlas declared what he saw to the police and came back to Puerto Rico several years later to work with the promotion. In January 1989, González was acquitted on all counts, citing self-defense. Carlos Colón testified at the trial.
Buddy Rose (1952-2009) – 56 Years
Worked For: AWA, WWF
On April 28, 2009, Rose was found dead in his home in Vancouver, Washington by his wife. The medical examiner attributed his death to natural causes. Rose, who had struggled with his weight since the late 1980s, was morbidly obese, leading to problems with blood sugar and diabetes
Buzz Sawyer (1959-1992) – 32 Years
Worked For: NWA, JCP, WWF, WCCW
Sawyer was wrestling on the independent circuit when he died from heart failure due to an overdose on February 7, 1992. Fellow wrestler Billy Jack Haynes contended that his death was a well planned hit because they were both part-time drug smugglers in the Pacific Northwest around the same time.
Chris Adams (1955-2001) – 46 Years
Worked For: WCCW, WCW
In April 2000, Adams and his girlfriend of four months, Linda Kaphengst, were both found unconscious inside a friend’s apartment, the victims of an overdose of the drug GHB
and alcohol. Adams recovered, but Kaphengst died at a local hospital ten hours later.
Over a year later, Adams was indicted on a manslaughter charge, but on 7 October 2001, while awaiting trial, he was fatally shot in the chest during a drunken brawl with a friend, known as Booray aka Brent Parnell in Waxahachie, Texas at his home. The gun owner claimed self-defense and was acquitted of all charges
Chris Benoit (1967-2007) – 40 Years
Worked For: Stampede, NJPW, WCW, ECW, WWE
Killed his wife, son, and himself in June 2007. A suicide note was found with a notation from Benoit saying “I am preparing to leave this Earth”. Christopher Nowinski asked Benoit’s father for permission to examine Chris Benoit’s brain, and tests showed he was suffering from CTE, a mental disease caused by head injuries.
WWE acknowledged Nowinski’s research by donating money to his company, and they appointied Triple H as one of the board of directors. CTE continues to be researched as it can only be diagnosed post-death. Many athletes diagnosed with CTE (including deceased American Football players) have shown cases of erratic behaviour, murder, and eventual suicide as they grow increasingly scared and confused by the loss of memory and severe depression.
Chris Candido (1972-2005) – 33 Years
Worked For: ECW, SMW, WWF, WCW, NJPW, TNA
At Lockdown on April 24, 2005, Candido fractured both his tibia and fibula and dislocated his ankle during a steel cage match with Lance Hoyt against Apolo and Sonny Siaki. He underwent surgery the next day to have titanium plates and screws inserted into his leg. He was at the following Impact! tapings managing The Naturals to defeat America’s Most Wanted to win the NWA World Tag Team Championship.
On April 28, 2005, Candido felt ill and his condition worsened during the day. He collapsed in the evening and was rushed to the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA. He was diagnosed with pneumonia. Doctors drained his lungs, but Candido died soon afterwards. He was 33 years old. According to his brother Johnny, Candido died due to a blood clot, a complication from surgery
Chris Duffy (1965-2000) – 35 Years
Worked For: WWF
Died of a seizure in 2000.
Chris Kanyon (1970-2010) – 40 Years
Worked For: WCW. WWF
Kanyon had been suffering from bipolar disorder and he threatened suicide in the weeks prior to his death. On April 2, 2010, his brother Ken Klucsarits found him dead in his Sunnyside, Queens, New York apartment with an empty bottle of antidepressants. He left behind a note of apology for his family.
Crash Holly (1971-2003) – 34 Years
Worked For: WWE. TNA
Lockwood died on November 6, 2003, at his friend and fellow wrestler Stevie Richards’ home in Florida. He was found partially clothed with a pool of vomit around his face. Empty bottles of the prescription drug Carisoprodol and a partially consumed bottle of alcohol were found nearby.
He had recently received divorce papers from his wife. His death, caused by choking on his own vomit, was officially ruled a suicide. He was buried in China Grove in Rowan County, North Carolina
D.J. Peterson (1959-1993) – 33 Years
Worked For: AWA
He died from a motorcycle crash on May 25, 1993
David Von Erich (1958-1984) – 25 Years
Worked For: WCCW
David died during a tour with All Japan Pro Wrestling on February 10, 1984, before he was going to, among other matches, defend the United National championship belt he had won in Texas seven days earlier.
Many theories about what caused his death were proposed for many years after. The most popular theory suggests that David died of a drug overdose, as Ric Flair had mentioned this theory in his autobiography, claiming that Bruiser Brody (Von Erich’s long-time friend) removed the evidence.
However Bill Irwin who was on that tour with David would say it was not drug related at all. The Von Erichs however claimed that David’s death was a heart attack, caused by ruptured intestines resulting from acute enteritis
Dean Hart (1954-1990) – 36 Years
Worked For: NWA
He suffered serious injuries when struck by a city bus. Diagnosed with Bright’s disease during the late 1980s, he eventually died of kidney disease on November 21, 1990 at the Hart family mansion.
His death was the day before the WWF Survivor Series that year, and commentator Roddy Piper stated that Bret dedicated his match to Dean.
Dick Murdoch (1946-1996) – 49 Years
Worked For: NWA, Mid-South
He died of a heart attack on June 15, 1996.
Dino Bravo (1948-1993) – 44 Years
Worked For: WWF
On March 10, 1993, Bresciano was found shot dead. He was 44 years old. He was hit by 17 bullets, 7 to the head and 10 to the torso, while watching hockey in his Vimont, Laval, Quebec home. His alleged role in illegal cigarette smuggling in Canada is popularly believed to have led to his officially unsolved murder.
Doink The Clown (1957-2013) – 55 Years
Worked For: NWA, WWF, WCCW, WCW, ECW
Osborne was found dead on June 28, 2013, in the Plano, Texas apartment he shared with his girlfriend. Though no weapons were found near his body, and police have said the death appeared accidental, they launched a precautionary homicide investigation.
The cause of death was later determined to be an accidental overdose of morphine and hydrocodone. He also suffered from heart disease, which had been a contributing factor in his death
Doug Furnas (1959-2012) – 52 Years
Worked For: AJPW, WCW, ECW
Furnas’ body was discovered on March 3, 2012 at his home in Tucson, Arizona; the precise date of his death could not be estimated by the medical examiner because of decomposition, but is presumed to have been sometime in February. he was 52 years old.
The official cause of death was atherosclerotic and hypertensive heart disease. He had been battling Parkinson’s Disease for many years prior to his death
“Dr. Death” Steve Williams (1960-2009) – 49 Years
Worked For: NWA, AJPW, ECW, WWF
The throat cancer eventually returned and Williams’s health gradually worsened. His last public appearance was at the K&S Wrestlefest Wrestling Convention on December 12, 2009, in Carteret, New Jersey. On December 29, 2009, Williams died at St. Anthony Central Hospital in Denver from throat cancer
Earthquake (1963-2006) – 42 Years
Worked For: AJPW, WWF WCW
Tenta retired from wrestling in 2004 after it was revealed that he had developed bladder cancer, in which he was given a 20% chance to live, assuming he continued with his chemotherapy treatments.
During his November 18, 2005 interview on WrestleCrap Radio, Tenta announced that a recent radiation dosage did not go as planned, and had no effect on the tumor. He also announced that multiple tumors had spread to his lungs.
The first public notice of Tenta’s death was posted on WWE.com on June 7, 2006. On the June 9, 2006 edition of SmackDown, and the June 12, 2006 edition of Raw, WWE showed a bumper that read “RIP ‘Earthquake’ John Tenta” before each show began.
Ed Gantner (1959-1990) – 31 Years
Worked For: NWA
After losing his mind through severe clinical depression. he was placed in a psychiatric ward. He committed suicide by shooting himself in the heart.
Eddie Gilbert (1961-1995) – 33 Years
Worked For: WWF, Mid-South, JCP, WCW
On February 18, 1995, Gilbert died of a heart attack. His father, Tommy Gilbert, stated that injuries to Eddie’s chest and heart muscle had occurred in a serious car crash in 1983 and could have been a factor; Eddie’s alleged use of painkillers since the accident could also have contributed to his heart condition.
Eddie Guerrero (1967-2005) – 38 Years
Worked For: AAA, NJPW, ECW, WCW, WWE
On November 13, 2005, Guerrero was found unconscious in his motel room at The Marriott City Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, by his nephew, Chavo. Chavo attempted CPR, but Guerrero was pronounced dead when paramedics arrived at the scene. He was 38 years old. An autopsy revealed that Guerrero died as a result of acute heart failure due to underlying atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Guerrero’s wife Vickie Guerrero claimed that he had been unwell in the week preceding his death. On the November 30 episode of WWE Byte This!, Chavo said that Guerrero had been working hard and was at peak physical fitness as a result, doing cardiovascular and weight training exercises every day.
Emory Hale (1969-2006) – 36 Years
Worked For: WCW
Died after health issues continued following a kidney transplant in 2003.
Gary Albright (1963-2000) – 36 Years
Worked For: Stampede, AJPW
On January 7, 2000, Albright wrestled at a World Xtreme Wrestling show in Hazleton, Pennsylvania against Lucifer Grimm (real name Bill Owens). After being hit with a three-quarter facelock bulldog, Albright collapsed to the canvas. A worried Grimm rolled Albright on top of himself to finish the match after which concerned wrestlers and ring crew tried to resuscitate him. Albright was pronounced dead shortly after being removed from the ring.
The official cause of death is listed as a heart attack. The medical examiners also found that Albright suffered from diabetes, had an enlarged heart, and blockage of several coronary arteries. Because it was determined that Albright died of natural causes, the police were never involved in the matter.
Giant Gonzales (1966-2010) – 44 Years
Worked For: WCW, WWF, Japan
In 1995, González officially retired from wrestling due to serious health issues. He returned home to Argentina permanently. González lived on a ranch in Argentina in his later years. By October 2009, he was confined to a wheelchair, and had to use a dialysis machine due to his failing kidneys. He was unmarried and did not have any children.
On 22 September 2010, Gonzalez died due to complications of diabetes and severe heart issues, in his hometown of San Martin, Argentina.
Gino Hernandez (1957-1986) – 28 Years
Worked For: WCCW
On February 4, concerned with Hernandez’s well-being, two World Class officials, David Manning and Rick Hazzard, and several local law enforcement officers broke into his Highland Park apartment and found Hernandez dead. He had been dead for approximately two to three days.
Initially, Hernandez’s death was ruled a homicide case, but following autopsy reports, his death was ruled as a result of an overdose of cocaine. Many people believe Gino was murdered in a drug related incident.
According to Manning, he said that Hernandez had three times the amount of cocaine in his system that would have resulted in a fatality, and he and Kevin Von Erich stated that Gino also had cocaine in his stomach. Manning also suspected foul play due to the fact that Hernandez’s dead bolt on his door was not locked, as he made it a habit in the past to lock the dead bolt at all times.
His cocaine addiction nonetheless was not a secret to many World Class mainstays, including manager Gary Hart, who tried to encourage him many times to drop the habit. On the DVD documentary The Triumph and Tragedy of World Class Championship Wrestling, Hart said that he had pictures of all of the wrestlers he managed except for Hernandez, because it made him too upset to see a picture of Gino.
Gorgeous George (1915-1963) – 48 Years
Worked For: NWA
In 1962, Wagner was diagnosed with a serious liver condition. On advice of his doctors, he retired. This, combined with failed finances (due to bad investments) worsened his health. He suffered a heart attack on December 24, 1963, and died two days later
Hawk (1957-2003) – 46 Years
Worked For: NWA, WWF, Japan, WCW
He died on October 19, 2003 in the early morning in his home in Indian Rocks Beach, Florida. He was 46 years old. His friends said that he and his wife Dale had recently bought a condominium near their current home and were packing their boxes the night before. Hegstrand said that he felt tired and went to take a nap. When his wife checked on him at about 1 a.m., he had died of a sudden heart attack.
Héctor Garza (1969-2013) – 43 Years
Worked For: AAA, CMLL, WCW, WWF, TNA
On October 15, 2012, a press release revealed that Garza had been diagnosed with lung cancer. He retired from active competition to undergo chemotherapy and additional treatment. Garza died on May 26, 2013.
He was the reigning Mexican National Heavyweight Champion when he died. As a result of his death, the “Comisión de Box y Lucha Libre Mexico D.F.” (the Mexico City Boxing and Wrestling Commission) deemed the Mexican National Heavyweight Championship inactive, which has since remained inactive
Hercules (1956-2004) – 47 Years
Worked For: WWF
Fernandez died in his sleep in his home on March 6, 2004. The cause of death was attributed to heart disease according to his wife.
Jay Youngblood (1955-1985) – 30 Years
Worked For: JCP, FCW, AWA
On September 2, 1985, Youngblood died in Melbourne, Australia, while touring in the South Pacific. He may have ruptured his spleen in a match and had a series of heart attacks when rushed to the back, where he died.
Jerry Blackwell (1949-1995) – 45 Years
Worked For: AWA
Jerry Blackwell died on January 22, 1995, at the age of 45, due to complications from injuries sustained in a December 1994 automobile accident.
Jerry Tuite (1966-2003) – 36 Years
Worked For: WCW, TNA
On December 6, 2003, Tuite was found unconscious in his hotel room by All Japan Pro Wrestling management and several wrestlers, including NOSAWA and La Parka. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
The cause of death was later identified as an apparent heart attack.Although no drugs were found in his hotel room and there was no evidence of drug use by physical examination, his history of drug use is thought to have been a contributing factor in his death
Joey Marella (1963-1994) – 31 Years
Worked For: WWF
He died on July 4, 1994, after he fell asleep at the wheel and crashed while driving home on the NJ Turnpike after a night of refereeing WWF matches in Ocean City, Maryland. Bruno Lauer, better known by his ring name Harvey Wippleman, was with him at the time and was critically injured. Lauer was wearing a seatbelt, while Marella was not.
Marella is interred next to his father Gorilla Monsoon (1937-1999) at Lakeview Memorial Park in Cinnamonson, New Jersey. Images of a Baseball Player and a Golfer were placed on his headstone due to his love of the two sports. As a tribute, WWE ring announcer Tony Chimel named one of his sons after Marella. Marella’s sister Valerie also named a son after her brother
John Kronus (1969-2007) – 38 Years
Worked For: ECW, USWA, XPW
Caiazzo was found dead in his fiancée Brandy Laundry’s home in Laconia, New Hampshire on July 18, 2007, several days after he had undergone knee surgery. He was 38 years old. Caiazzo died in his sleep, with his death subsequently attributed to heart failure resulting from an enlarged heart.
Johnny Grunge (1966-2006) – 39 Years
Worked For: WCW, ECW, WWF
Grunge died at the age of 39 on February 16, 2006 in his residence in Peachtree City, Georgia as a result of sleep apnea complications
Jumbo Tsuruta (1951-2000) – 49 Years
Worked For: AJPW
Four days after Tsuruta’s retirement, he and his family moved to the United States to be a visiting researcher at the University of Portland in Oregon.Tsuruta had a bachelor’s degree in political science and earned a master’s degree in coaching in 1997, later becoming a part-time instructor in physical training at his old University.
His health deteriorated, however, as he had been diagnosed with kidney cancer, which eventually spread to his liver, and by the end of the year he was back in Japan. In April 2000, he left for Australia, where he had an operation to remove the cancer, while there a kidney donor was found in Manila. Tsuruta died in the National Kidney Institute in the Philippines on May 13, 2000, from complications of the kidney transplant.
Junkyard Dog (1952-1998) – 45 Years
Worked For: Mid-South, WWF
He died on June 2, 1998, in a single-car accident on Interstate 20 near Forest, Mississippi, as he was returning home from his daughter LaToya’s high school graduation in Wadesboro, North Carolina.
The apparent cause was falling asleep at the wheel. Ritter’s body was laid in an unmarked grave at Westview Memorial Park in Wadesboro, North Carolina, however a marker was placed at his grave by November 2012
Kerry Von Erich (1960-1993) – 33 Years
Worked For: WCCW, WWF
After the amputation of his foot, Kerry became addicted to pain killers, followed by several drug problems. Among the many of them were two arrests, the first of which resulted in probation. One day after being indicted for the second charge, which likely would have resulted in extensive jail time (being a violation of his probation), Kerry committed suicide by a shot to the heart on February 18, 1993 on his father’s ranch in Denton County, Texas.
Bret Hart states in his biography (“My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling”) that Kerry had told him months before about his plans, that he had wanted to follow his four late brothers (two of whom had committed suicide), and that they were calling him. His marriage had fallen apart as well and according to Hart, Von Erich believed his death was inevitable.
Lance Cade (1981-2010) – 29 Years
Worked For: Japan, OVW, WWE
He died on August 13, 2010 at the age of 29 of apparent heart failure in San Antonio, Texas. His wife Tanya had noticed that Lance was not looking well in the week prior to his death, and he was taken to a hospital on August 10 with difficulty breathing, but discharged himself the next day.
Two months later on October 13, the medical examiner in San Antonio ruled his death as “accidental,” stating that intoxication from mixed drugs complicated a cardiomyopathy and caused his death.
Larry Cameron (1952-1993) – 41 Years
Worked For: NWA, AWA, Stampede, NJPW, WCW
On December 13, 1993, during his match with Tony St. Clair in Bremen, Germany, Cameron suffered a heart attack. The referee stopped the fight, awarded the match to St. Clair, and tried desperately to revive Cameron, but he had already died in the ring.
Leroy Brown (1950-1988) – 37 Years
Worked For: NWA, Mid-South, JCP
He died on September 6, 1988 as the result of a heart attack.
Louie Spicolli (1971-1998) – 27 Years
Worked For: WWF, ECW, WCW
Spicolli had stopped taking drugs after renewed fears for his health, but the news that his mother was terminally ill with cancer led to a relapse. On February 15, 1998, Spicolli died at the age of 27 after overdosing on Soma and wine, choking on his own vomit in his sleep.
Investigators found an empty vial of the male hormone testosterone, pain pills and an anxiety-reducing drug. The Los Angeles County coroner’s office determined the drugs might have contributed to his heart condition
Ludvig Borga (1963-2010) – 47 Years
Worked For: WWF
On January 8, 2010, Halme died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, from an unlicensed handgun. His body was found two days later
Luna Vachon (1962-2010) – 48 Years
Worked For: WWF, ECW, WCW
On the morning of August 27, 2010, she was found dead at her Florida home, when her mother called on her. She was 48 years old. According to the District Six Medical Examiner’s Office in Florida, she died from an “overdose of oxycodone and benzodiazepine”.
Investigators previously found crushed pill residue and snorting straws at multiple locations inside Luna’s house. Luna became addicted to medication at some point and underwent rehabilition, paid for by WWE, which she completed in June 2009
Marianna Komlos (1969-2004) – 35 Years
Worked For: WWF
Komlos died on September 26, 2004 from breast cancer.
Brian Hildebrand/Mark Curtis (1962-1999) – 37 Years
Worked For: SMW, ECW, WCW
Hildebrand was diagnosed with stomach and bowel cancer in October 1997. After having surgery in attempt to remove it, he continued refereeing for WCW throughout the following months. During the final stage of his disease in 1999, a Curtis Goes Home benefit was held in his hometown of Rostraver Township, Pennsylvania. Cody Michaelsdeveloped and promoted the event, which is viewed by wrestling insiders and experts as one of the truly memorable events in history that actually brought together the major companies at the time, World Wrestling Federation, World Championship Wrestling, and Extreme Championship Wrestling, in support for one of the most genuinely loved workers in the industry.
The major stars that worked and provided support that night included Mick Foley, Dean Malenko, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, Shane Douglas, Bruno Sammartino, Dominic DeNucci, Terry Taylor, D’Lo Brown, Al Snow, Hugh Morrus, Les Thatcher, Billy Kidman, Chris Candido, and many others. Hildebrand died from the disease on September 8, 1999
Michael Von Erich (1964-1987) – 23 Years
Worked For: WCCW
A few days before his death, Mike was arrested on drunk driving and drug charges. On April 12, 1987, he left a suicide note for his family, then went to Lake Dallas, where he overdosed on the sleeping pill Placidyl and alcohol. He was found dead four days later and buried at Grove Hill Memorial Park in Dallas.
Mike Awesome (1965-2007) – 42 Years
Worked For: ECW, WCW, WWE, AJPW
On February 17, 2007, at around 10:30 p.m, a group of Awesome’s friends found him hanged inside his Tampa home. He was 42 years old. WWE recognized Awesome’s death on-air by displaying an “In Memory…” graphic at the beginning of the February 20, 2007 edition of ECW on Sci Fi, and an article about his death was posted on WWE.com, saying that Awesome was found dead but omitting the cause of death.
Mike Davis (1956-2001) – 45 Years
Worked For: WCCW, CWA, WCW
Davis died on December 25, 2001 from a massive heart attack in Granbury, Texas, at the age of 45. He was the third World Class wrestler to die in six months (following the deaths of Terry Gordy and Chris Adams in July and October respectively)
Miss Elizabeth (1960-2003) – 42 Years
Worked For: WWF, WCW
On May 1, 2003, in Marietta, Georgia, Luger called 9-1-1 to report that Hulette was not breathing. She did not respond to mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, and paramedics rushed her to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. A medical examiner listed the cause of death as “acute toxicity”, brought on by a mix of painkillers and vodka.
Mitsuharu Misawa (1962-2009) – 46 Years
Worked For: AJPW, NJPW, NOAH
On June 13, 2009, Misawa teamed with Go Shiozaki against GHC Tag Team Champions Akitoshi Saito and Bison Smith in a title match at Hiroshima Green Arena. After taking a belly to back suplex from Saito, Misawa lost consciousness and was taken to a hospital. He was pronounced dead in the hospital at 10:10pm JST.
The cause of death was later speculated in the official police report to have been a cervical spinal cord injury that caused cardiac arrest; however, Misawa’s family invoked a Japanese law that requested the police not publicly release the official cause of death. Misawa’s death has caused several wrestling promotions to work toward a stronger approach to regulating professional wrestling in the country
Moondog Spot (1952-2003) – 51 Years
Worked For: WWF, TNA
Latham (right) died of a heart attack in the ring during Jerry Lawler’s “birthday bash” show on November 29, 2003 in Memphis, Tennessee.
Mr. Perfect (1958-2003) – 44 Years
Worked For: AWA, WCW, WWF, TNA
On February 10, 2003, Hennig was found dead in a Florida hotel room. He was 44 years old. The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office declared acute cocaine intoxication to be the cause of his death. His father said that steroids and painkillers also contributed to his death
Nancy Benoit (1964-2007) – 43 Years
Worked For: ECW, WCW
Murdered by her husband on June 22nd, 2007.
Owen Hart (1965-1999) – 34 Years
Worked For: Stampede, NJPW, WCW, WWF
On May 23, 1999, Hart fell to his death in Kansas City, Missouri during the Over the Edge pay-per-view event, Hart was in the process of being lowered via harness and grapple line into the ring from the rafters of Kemper Arena for a booked Intercontinental Championship match against The Godfather.In keeping with the Blazer’s new “buffoonish superhero” character, he was to begin a dramatic entrance, being lowered to just above ring level, at which time he would act “entangled”, then release himself from the safety harness and fall flat on his face for comedic effect—this necessitated the use of a quick release mechanism.
It was an elaboration on a Blue Blazer stunt done previously on the Sunday Night Heat before Survivor Series in 1998. While being lowered into the ring, Hart fell 78 feet (24 m), landing chest-first on the top rope (approximately a foot from the nearest turnbuckle), throwing him into the ring
Paul Bearer (1954-2013) – 58 Years
Worked For: NWA, WCCW, WWF/E, TNA
On March 2, 2013, he attended the annual Gulf Coast Wrestlers Reunion in Mobile, AL. According to club board member “Cowboy” Bob Kelly, Moody was having breathing difficulties at the event, was coughing, and told
friends he was going to seek treatment for respiratory problems.
Kelly said that Moody was treated for a blood clot after the reunion. On March 5, 2013, Moody died in Mobile, Alabama at the age of 58 due to a heart attack. The cause of the heart attack was Supraventricular tachycardia, which causes a dangerously high heart rate
Peter Maivia (1937-1982) – 45 Years
Worked For: NWA
In 1981, Maivia was diagnosed with cancer. He died on June 12, 1982
Pitbull #2 (1967-2003) – 36 Years
Worked For: WWF, ECW, JAPW
Durante (right) died on September 25, 2003 along with his girlfriend, Dianna Hulsey, both from drug overdose of fentanyl. He and his girlfriend were found after lying in their home dead for days, all while their two small children, a 21-month-old boy and 8-month-old girl, were apparently alone in the house among the bodies
Randy Anderson (1959-2002) – 42 Years
Worked For: JCP, WCW
Anderson was diagnosed with testicular cancer at the age of 36. He was diagnosed after recognizing his symptoms while reading a medical magazine. Because of a malignant tumor, he had to have his left testicle removed. Anderson died on May 5, 2002 as a result of the testicular cancer.
Randy Savage (1952-2011) – 58 Years
Worked For: WWF, WCW, TNA
On the morning of May 20, 2011, Savage died after suffering a sudden heart attack while driving with his wife in Seminole, Florida, a town on the Pinellas County side of the Tampa Bay area. He was 58 years old. Savage became unresponsive and lost control of his Jeep Wrangler, crashing into a tree.
Ray Candy (1951-1994) – 42 Years
Worked For: JCP
Died of a heart attack in 1994.
Reid Flair (1988-2013) – 25 Years
Worked For: WCW, AJPW
On March 29, 2013, Fleir was found dead in bed at a Residence Inn in the SouthPark hotel room in Charlotte, North Carolina. In June 2013, Fliehr’s autopsy revealed he had died from an accidental overdose of heroin and the prescription drugs clonazepam and alprazolam
The Renegade (1965-1999)
Worked For: WCW
He committed suicide in 1999.
Rick McGraw (1955-1985) – 30 Years
Worked For: NWA
Died of a heart attack, drugs could have been a factor.
Rick Rude (1958-1999) – 40 Years
Worked For: WCW, WWF, ECW
Rude died on April 20, 1999, at the age of 40 when he suffered from heart failure.
Rikidozan (1924-1963) – 39 Years
Worked For: Japan
On December 8, 1963, while partying in a Tokyo nightclub, Rikidōzan was stabbed with a urine-soaked blade by a man named Katsuji Murata who belonged to the ninkyō dantai (Yakuza) Sumiyoshi-ikka. Reportedly, Rikidōzan threw Murata out of the club and continued to party, refusing to seek medical help. Another report states that Rikidōzan did indeed see his physician shortly after the incident, and was told the wound was not serious.
He died a week later of peritonitis on December 15. It is rumored by Kimura that his murder was in retaliation for when Rikidōzan attacked Kimura during a wrestling match, after Kimura delivered an errant kick to Rikidōzan’s groin, ignoring a pre-match arrangement and attacking Kimura for real.
Robert “Jeep” Swenson (1957-1997) – 40 Years
Worked For: WCCW, WCW
On August 18, 1997, Swenson died of heart failure at the UCLA Medical Center. He was 40 years old. Hulk Hogan, Davey Boy Smith, and James Caan gave eulogies at Swenson’s funeral, which was followed by cremation.
Rocco Rock (1953-2002) – 49 Years
Worked For: NWA, ECW, WWF, WCW
He died of a heart attack on September 21, 2002
Russ Haas (1974-2001) – 27 Years
Worked For: JAPW, CZW, ECWA, WWF, MCW, HWA
On September 24, 2001, Haas suffered a heart attack. On December 15, 2001, Haas died of a heart attack in his sleep at the age of 27. He was found dead by his wife, Deedra, shortly after his brother Charlie had left for the night. Haas was buried at Memorial Oaks Cemetery, in Houston, Texas.
Sean O’Haire (1971-2014) – 43 Years
Worked For: WCW, WWF/E, NJPW
On September 9, 2014, O’Haire’s body was found by his father, hanged from a bedpost in his Spartanburg, South Carolina, home. He had apparently committed suicide the day prior.
O’Haire had been reportedly suffering from depression and alcohol addiction prior to his death. It had been reported that O’Haire had been to WWE sponsored rehab multiple times.
Sensational Sherri (1958-2007) – 49 Years
Worked For: AWA, WWF, ECW, WCW
On the morning of June 15, 2007, Martel died at her mother’s residence in McCalla, Alabama, near Birmingham. She was 49 years old. On September 11, 2007, homicide investigators in Tuscaloosa, Alabama released the toxicology report stating that she died of an overdose with multiple drugs in her system, including high amounts of oxycodone.
Shawn Osborne (1976-2011) – 34 Years
Worked For: WWE
McGrath died on January 26, 2011, due to an apparent suicide. He sent a suicide note to several friends, detailing his reasons for committing suicide
Steven Dunn (1960-2009) – 48 Years
Worked For: UWF, WWF, USWA
On March 22, 2009, Doll died after a blood clot from his lung reached his heart.
Terry Gordy (1961-2001) – 40 Years
Worked For: JCP, UWF, WCW, AJPW, ECW, WWF
Gordy (right) died of a heart attack caused by a blood clot on July 16, 2001.
Test (1975-2009) – 33 Years
Worked For: WWF/E, TNA
Martin was found dead in his Tampa, Florida home on March 13, 2009, just 4 days before his 34th birthday. Police were called in after a concerned neighbor reported Martin appearing motionless for several hours through a window outside his condominium. Police retrieved the body after scaling the apartment balcony. He is believed to have died the previous day.
His death was ruled an accidental overdose of oxycodone. He was cremated and his remains were flown to his family at his hometown of Whitby, Ontario, Canada.
Toni Adams (1964-2010) – 45 Years
Worked For: UWF, USWA, WCCW
Adams, now known as Toni Gant, was hospitalized in June 2010 due to an abscess in her abdomen. She was hospitalized again in full cardiac arrest in late June, and died on June 24, 2010.
Trent Acid (1980-2010) – 29 Years
Worked For: CZW, ROH, JCW
On the morning of June 18, 2010, Verdi was found dead at his Philadelphia home by his mother. It was later determined that he had died because of a drug overdose
The Ultimate Warrior (1959-2014) – 54 Years
Worked For: WWF, WCW
Warrior died on April 8, 2014 in Scottsdale, Arizona. He had been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 5, appeared at WrestleMania XXX on April 6, and made his first Raw appearance in almost 18 years on April 7, the day before his death.
According to reports, Warrior clutched his chest and collapsed at 5:50 p.m. while walking to his car with his wife outside of their hotel in Arizona. He was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead at age 54. Warrior’s colleagues said Warrior appeared frail during WrestleMania weekend, and said that he was sweating profusely and breathing heavily backstage. An autopsy revealed Warrior died when suffering a heart attack caused by atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Umaga (1973-2009) – 36 Years
Worked For: WWF/E, AJPW
On December 4, 2009, Fatu was found unresponsive with blood coming from his nose, and was rushed to the hospital. He had suffered a heart attack, and was pronounced dead around 5:00 pm Central Time.
The official cause of death was acute toxicity due to combined effects of hydrocodone, carisoprodol, and diazepam
Uncle Elmer (1937-1992) – 54 Years
Worked For: WWF
He suffered from diabetes and poor health as a result of his weight. These problems led to kidney failure, from which he died on July 1, 1992
Vivian Vachon (1951-1991) – 40 Years
Worked For: AWA
Vachon and her nine-year-old daughter Julie died in a car accident on August 24, 1991. They were hit by a drunk driver who had run a stop sign near St. Jean, Quebec
Yokozuna (1966-2000) – 34 Years
Worked For: AWA. WWF
On October 23, 2000, Anoaʻi died from pulmonary edema in his room at the Moat House Hotel in Liverpool, England while on an independent wrestling tour in Europe. At the time, it was widely reported that he died of heart failure or a heart attack, but this was later found to be incorrect due to his lungs showing severe signs of blockage due to fluid. Anoaʻi’s weight at the time of his death was 580 lb (260 kg)
