Pro wrestling is full of shocking deaths. It’s been reported that wrestlers die at a far younger median age than any other sport. Whether its because of direct drug abuse (Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig had cocaine in his system at the time of his death), or because of effects from years of steroid use ( Rick Rude suffered heart failure at the age of 40) or due to travel hazards (referee Joey Marella died in a car accident at the age of 31), pro wrestlers have come under fire for having serious short life expectancies. Here is a list of pro wrestling 7 most shocking deaths in the last 25 years.
1. Chris Candido
Pro wrestler Chris Candido was 33 years old when he died. Throughout his career, Candido had issues with substance abuse. His story was a very similar one. However, toward the end of his career, he started getting his life back together. Although of average size, Candido was such a solid worker that he worked for all three major organizations during one of the most popular times in wrestling history. He worked for WWF as Skip The Bodydonna, and then worked for WCW and ECW under the name Chris Candido. In 2005, he was working for the upstart Total Nonstop Action wrestling group out of Orlando, Florida. It was during a tag team cage match that Candido broke his tibia and fibula after a botched maneuver. Chris had emergency surgery, where he was outfitted with steel plates and screws. Candido left the hospital with pain medication, but was not put on antibiotics. Over the next several days, an infection developed in his body. At home with his girlfriend, wrestling valet Tammy Sytch, Candido felt sick and collapsed. He was rushed to the hospital and diagnosed with pneumonia. He died days later. His brother Johnny later stated that Chris died from a blood clot that formed as a result of his surgery.
2. Kerry Von Erich
Kerry Von Erich may best be known by his WWF character name “The Texas Tornado.” Though he only wrestled for Vince McMahon’s World Wrestling Federation from 1990 through 1992, Von Erich was fairly popular. He even captured the company’s Intercontinental Championship, it’s secondary title, almost immediately upon arrival. Though he only held the title for three months, he remained a fan favorite throughout his entire tenure. Unfortunately, Kerry Von Erich wasn’t the same guy outside the ring, as he was inside. When the camera rolled, Von Erich was an epic entertainer. He was a good wrestler with a great physique and a lot of charisma. He even made a brief appearance in the film Problem Child, starring John Ritter. But outside the ring, The Texas Tornado was a troubled man. He had a long standing love affair with drugs, including cocaine and pills. Due to his heavy addiction to pills, Kerry was forced to seek out prescription forgery as a way of getting his fix. Unfortunately for him, he was caught. Subsequently, The Texas Tornado was indicted on a drug charge for prescription forgery. He was going to face jail time. So on February 18Th 1993, over 6 months after having his last WWF match, Von Erich committed suicide at his fathers ranch in Texas. He just turned 33 years old two weeks prior.
Eddie Guerrero was 38 years old when he passed away on November 13Th 2005 from heart failure due to hardening of the arteries. He had wrestled the night before, and was scheduled to take part in several house shows and TV matches in the future. There was no indication that Guerrero was very sick. Other than a few wrestlers saying he didn’t look well or he looked tired, Guerrero was his normal self. Guerrero’s nephew Chavo Guerrero said that Eddie was in the top physical condition at the time of his death. He wrestled 3 or 4 times a week, and always put on a fantastic match. The fan favorite had been riding a wave of success in the WWE. His catchphrase “I lie, I cheat, I steal” was seen on fan signs and merchandise all around the arenas. On the Monday following Eddie Guerrero’s passing, the WWE dedicated their RAW TV series to Eddie Guerrero. Many believe Guerrero’s heart health issues were brought on by over 20 years of steroid abuse, drug use and prescription pain pills. Guerrero’s death was the incident that kick started WWE’s wellness policy.
4. Bruiser Brody
Bruiser Brody is a professional wrestler you may have never heard of. But his death is one of the most gruesome and shocking incidents in pro wrestling history. Brody was a 6 foot 8 inch, 300 lb monster who tore through the competition wherever he wrestled. He traveled all over the nation, making a name for himself in all the different territories he worked. He is perhaps most famous for his match with a young Lex Luger. The two were wrestling each other in a steel cage match. In the middle of the match, Brody decided to stop selling Luger’s punches. Brody strayed from the planned match and just stopped working with Lex. Rumor has it that Brody also had taped several razor blades to his fingers that night, but that was never confirmed as truth. On July 16Th 1988, Bruiser Brody was wrestling in Puerto Rico. He had wrestled there several times before. However, he would not be returning from this tour. Just before his match, a man named Jose Gonzalez, who was a wrestler and also the promotion’s booker, asked to speak to Bruiser in the showers. It was during this time that a fight between the two broke out, and the entire locker room could hear Bruiser crying out for help. Gonzalez had stabbed Bruiser Brody in the stomach. Fellow wrestler Tony Atlas, a WWE Hall of Famer, carried Brody to the paramedics that fateful evening. Unfortunately, Brody did not survive the injuries. Less than a year later, Jose Gonzalez was acquitted of all charges, citing self defense. He was 42 years old at the time of his death.
Most recently, the wrestling world was turned upside down when the news hit of the death of Macho Man Randy Savage. At the age of 58, Savage reportedly had a heart attack behind the wheel of his Jeep. In full medical emergency, he veered across several lanes of traffic and crashed into a tree. Randy Savage was one of the biggest superstars in professional wrestling history. Easily the most charismatic wrestler of all time, Macho Man helped propel wrestling into the mainstream. His trademark “Snap into a Slim Jim. Ooh yeah!” catchphrase helped him become Slim Jim’s most notable pitchman. His personality was so popular that the news of his death hit front page papers across America, and got substantial air time on CNN, Fox News and ESPN. Additionally, the news made top headlines on several websites, including Yahoo and TMZ. His death came out of the blue and shocked the professional wrestling world. Randy Savage, real name Randall Poffo, was the first real mega star of professional wrestling from it’s the sports peak era to pass away.
One of the most shocking deaths in pro wrestling was the demise of Chris Benoit and his family. Chris Benoit was one of the biggest WWE superstars, and at the height of his career popularity, when he murdered his wife Nancy Benoit (former wrestling valet Woman) and their 4 year old son. After murdering his wife and son, he then killed himself by stringing a weight lifting cord around his neck. For several weeks, the mainstream media put pro wrestling under a microscope. They were searching for reason behind this vicious and disgusting murder-suicide. Many theories were brought to light, such as prescription pain killer abuse, steroid abuse, and brain trauma. In fact, the Sports Legacy Institute stated that Benoit, a 40 year old man, had a brain that resembled an 85 year old Alzheimer’s patient. The toxicology report released after Benoit’s death listed Xanax, hydrocodone and elevated levels of testosterone. Unfortunately for Vince McMahon and the WWE, the investigators did not piece together clues that Benoit was the murderer until a few days after his body was found. This resulted in one of the biggest gaffes in American culture. On June 25Th, the day the bodies of Benoit and his family was found, WWE aired a 3 hour tribute to Chris Benoit. Just a couple days later, they would learn they had dedicated their show to one of the biggest coward murderer’s in history. Since then, WWE has erased any mention of Chris Benoit from their proverbial history books.
On May 23rd 1999, Owen Hart, brother of former WWF Heavyweight Champion Bret “The Hitman” Hart, was set to wrestle The Godfather at the WWF’s pay per view Over The Edge. Dressed in his former gimmick, The Blue Blazer, the tongue in cheek super-hero was supposed to be slowly lowered to the ring from the rafters of the Kemper Arena in Kansas City. And that’s when tragedy struck. The quick release mechanism that Owen Hart was hooked up unsnapped, and Owen plummeted almost 90 feet to the ring below. Though the accident was not aired on pay per view (the pay per view went to a pre-taped interview), the live audience did see the entire accident. Medics quickly filled the ring and color commentator Jerry Lawler also got up from his seat to try and assist. Unfortunately, every attempt to save the 34 year old wrestler failed. Owen was pronounced dead later that evening. It was the single worst event in pro wrestling history.
Professional wrestling has always been frowned upon by society. Even at it’s highest peaks, it was still regarded as a low brow form of entertainment. Part of the reason it’s looked at in a negative light is because it’s “fake.” However, wrestling isn’t as fake as it seems. The pro wrestlers put their bodies through unbelievable physical exertion night after night, and many of them pay the price with an untimely death. As wrestlers continue with the need for drugs to help rehabilitate, to help them sleep, or to help them deal with the arduous road trips, the death of wrestlers will remain shocking. And you truly won’t know who is going to be next.
