While growing up in the 90s, I followed pro wrestling for a bit, esp. during the Monday Night Wars between WCW and WWF (a good friend of mine has kept that interest alive and runs with a few other guys a mini-promotion in Holstein).
Prompted by, I know not what, I checked how many of the stars have died in the meantime (the last major incident, I guess was Chris Benoit?) and found this list on about.com, pro wrestlers who have died before reaching age 65 sin 1985:
http://prowrestling.about.com/od/whatsrealwhatsfake/a/wrestlersdeaths.htm
QuoteChris Von Erich (Von Erich Family Tree) - 21
Mike Von Erich - 23
Louie Spiccoli - 27
Art Barr - 28
Gino Hernandez - 29
Jay Youngblood - 30
Rick McGraw - 30
Joey Marella - 30
Ed Gatner - 31
Buzz Sawyer - 32
Crash Holly - 32
Kerry Von Erich - 33
D.J. Peterson - 33
Eddie Gilbert - 33
The Renegade - 33
Chris Candido - 33
Test - 33
Adrian Adonis - 34
Gary Albright - 34
Bobby Duncum Jr. - 34
Owen Hart - 34
Yokozuna - 34
Big Dick Dudley - 34
Brian Pillman - 35
Marianna Komlos - 35
Umaga - 36
Pitbull #2 - 36
The Wall/Malice - 36
Emory Hale - 36
Leroy Brown - 38
Mark Curtis - 38
Eddie Guerrero - 38
John Kronus - 38
Davey Boy Smith - 39
Johnny Grunge - 39
Vivian Vachon - 40
Jeep Swenson - 40
Brady Boone - 40
Terry Gordy - 40
Bertha Faye - 40
Billy Joe Travis - 40
Chris Benoit - 40
Larry Cameron - 41
Rick Rude - 41
Randy Anderson - 41
Bruiser Brody - 42
Miss Elizabeth - 42
Big Boss Man - 42
Earthquake - 42
Mike Awesome - 42
Biff Wellington - 42
Brian Adams (Crush) - 43
Ray Candy - 43
Nancy Benoit (Woman) - 43
Dino Bravo - 44
Curt Hennig - 44
Bam Bam Bigelow - 45
Jerry Blackwell - 45
Junkyard Dog - 45
Hercules - 45
Andre the Giant - 46
Big John Studd - 46
Chris Adams - 46
Mike Davis - 46
Hawk - 46
Mitsuharu Misawa - 46
Ludvig Borga - 47
Steve Dunn - 48
Cousin Junior - 48
Dick Murdoch - 49
Jumbo Tsuruta - 49
Rocco Rock - 49
Sherri Martel - 49
Steve Williams - 49
Moondog Spot - 51
Ken Timbs - 53
Uncle Elmer - 54
Pez Whatley - 54
The Angel of Death - 54
Eddie Graham - 55
Tarzan Tyler - 55
Haystacks Calhoun- 55
Giant Haystacks - 55
Buddy Rose - 56
The Spoiler - 56
Kurt Von Hess - 56
Moondog King - 56
Gene Anderson - 58
Dr. Jerry Graham - 58
Bulldog Brown - 58
Tony Parisi - 58
Rufus R. Jones - 60
Ray Stevens - 60
Stan Stasiak - 60
Terry Garvin - 60
Boris Malenko - 61
Little Beaver - 61
Sapphire - 61
Shohei Baba - 61
Dick the Bruiser - 62
Wilbur Snyder - 62
George Cannon - 62
Karl Krupp - 62
Dale Lewis - 62
Gorilla Monsoon - 62
Hiro Matsuda - 62
Bad News Brown - 63
Bulldog Brower - 63
SD Jones - 63
Wahoo McDaniel - 63
In bold the ones I watched/remember back (active or as commentators) in the day.
It's like looking at a tv series that was on ten, fifteen years ago and suddenly realize that a a third or so of the regular cast has died.
Apparently heavy duty steroid use combined with large amounts of painkillers takes a toll on a body. :(
I didn't know Bam Bam Bigelow was dead :weep:
Cui bono?
Quote from: The Brain on March 23, 2010, 02:52:14 PM
Cui bono?
He's called Chaz now. Homophobe. :rolleyes:
Yokozuna :weep:
Quote from: Caliga on March 23, 2010, 02:27:15 PM
I didn't know Bam Bam Bigelow was dead :weep:
He was my favorite. :(
I think Test might have been more recent than Benoit. A sad list to see, as I loved wrestling in the mid to late 90's. I didn't realize Mike Awesome, The Wall, or Bam Bam had died. :(
Quote from: Judas Iscariot on March 23, 2010, 08:41:32 PM
I think Test might have been more recent than Benoit. A sad list to see, as I loved wrestling in the mid to late 90's. I didn't realize Mike Awesome, The Wall, or Bam Bam had died. :(
Actually, I think Tony Halme/Ludvig Borga is more recent. Shot himself dead in January. He was a member of Finnish parliament.
I didn't know Earthquake had died. I remember reading when his partner Tony Bravo died back in the day (shot gangland style, if I recall).
Speaking of depressing wrestler bios, did anyone ever see the Andre the Giant biography on A&E? Now that was some sad stuff.
I used to be wrestling crazy when I was a kid, I don't recognise many of these names though. I guess a lot of them are their real names not their wrestling names.
Quote from: FunkMonk on March 23, 2010, 06:53:47 PM
Quote from: Caliga on March 23, 2010, 02:27:15 PM
I didn't know Bam Bam Bigelow was dead :weep:
He was my favorite. :(
Actually my favorite wrestler of all time was Chris Benoit. :Embarrass: I even have a Chris Benoit T-shit somewhere.
PROVE. ME. WRONG. :(
Ravishing Rick Rude's teh only one I remember from that lot, no idea he was dead.
I grew up with English wrestling, which at heavyweight was as theatrical as WCW and WWF but had characters like Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg100.imageshack.us%2Fimg100%2F2844%2F145091488.jpg&hash=805b8bbcf2bacee59dc30462efd586c2a5905404) (http://img100.imageshack.us/i/145091488.jpg/)
Eddie Guerrero is dead? BBG too?
How the mighty have fallen :cry:
Quote from: Caliga on March 24, 2010, 05:11:01 AM
Actually my favorite wrestler of all time was Chris Benoit. :Embarrass: I even have a Chris Benoit T-shit somewhere.
ewwwwwwwwwwww. I'd be embarrassed too.
Quote from: Grey Fox on March 24, 2010, 06:33:22 AM
Eddie Guerrero is dead? BBG too?
How the mighty have fallen :cry:
I was rather surprised that Curt Hennig, aka "Mr Perfect" is also dead. One of my favorite heels.
Quote from: Grey Fox on March 24, 2010, 06:33:22 AM
Eddie Guerrero is dead? BBG too?
How the mighty have fallen :cry:
Yeah, Eddie was found dead in his hotel room before a match IIRC. I think he died of a heart attack... can't remember if drugs were involved or not. Eddie and Chris were best friends and died within a year of one another. :(
Quote from: Caliga on March 24, 2010, 07:08:46 AM
Quote from: Grey Fox on March 24, 2010, 06:33:22 AM
Eddie Guerrero is dead? BBG too?
How the mighty have fallen :cry:
Yeah, Eddie was found dead in his hotel room before a match IIRC. I think he died of a heart attack... can't remember if drugs were involved or not. Eddie and Chris were best friends and died within a year of one another. :(
Wiki is your friend:
QuoteOn November 13, 2005, Guerrero was found unconscious in his hotel room (The Marriott City Center) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, by his nephew, Chavo. Chavo attempted CPR, but Guerrero was pronounced dead when paramedics arrived on the scene. He was 38 years old. An autopsy revealed that Guerrero died as a result of acute heart failure arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Guerrero's wife Vickie claimed that he had been unwell in the week preceding his death. On the November 30 edition 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.
Benoit died in 2007, btw, so your memory is failing. ;)
:Embarrass:
Harsh lifestyle choice man. My faves were all in late 70's early 80's. a few of whom are still around, but many gone. RIP Giant Men.
Quote from: Barrister on March 23, 2010, 01:46:28 PM
Apparently heavy duty steroid use combined with large amounts of painkillers takes a toll on a body. :(
I recall Paul Atriedes vociferiously arguing otherwise, but he doesn't post anymore. Coincidence?