List of premature professional wrestling deaths
According to a 2014 study by Eastern Michigan University examining professional wrestlers who were active between 1985 and 2011, mortality rates for professional wrestlers are up to 2.9 times greater than the rate for men in the wider United States population.[1] A 2014 report by John Moriarty of the University of Manchester and Benjamin Morris of FiveThirtyEight also found that the mortality rate for professional wrestlers was significantly higher than that of athletes in other sports.[2][3][4] Experts suggest that a combination of the physical nature of the business, no off-season, and potentially high work load (with some wrestlers fighting more than 100 and even 200 matches per year), along with the drug culture in wrestling during the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s contributes to high mortality rates among wrestlers.[5][6][7][8][9] Another study ascribes the higher death rate largely to higher rates of cardiovascular disease compared to the general population with morbidly obese wrestlers being especially at risk.[10] For the purposes of this list, wrestlers listed are those who died before age 65.
Many promotions employ performers as "independent contractors" and do not offer company-sponsored group health insurance coverage in most instances. This is said to have a causal connection to their longevity, morbidity and mortality. WWE performers' status as independent contractors was spotlighted by John Oliver on an episode of his show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver in March 2019,[11][12][13] with Oliver calling on WWE fans to protest at WrestleMania 35.[11][12][13] WWE denied Oliver's critique.[14]
The concept of the untimely deaths of professional wrestlers was a frequent topic of discussion on the Opie & Anthony show.[15] After Scott Hall's death in 2022, Bret Hart and Kevin Nash talked about the premature death of several wrestlers, mentioning the mental and body damage as possible causes.[16][17]
List
Under 20
Age | Ring name (Birth name) |
Promotion(s) worked for | Date of birth | Date of death | Cause of death |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
18 | Janet Wolfe (Janet Boyer Wolfe) | NWA | June 13, 1933 | July 27, 1951 | Brain hemorrhage |
Under 30
Age | Ring name (Birth name) |
Promotion(s) worked for | Date of birth | Date of death | Cause of death |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
21 | Oro (Jesús Javier Hernández) | CMLL, UWA | December 24, 1971 | October 26, 1993 | Head injury in match[18] |
21 | Jeff Peterson | Independent circuit, ECWA, MCW, IPW | August 13, 1981 | November 29, 2002 | Leukemia |
21 | Chris Von Erich (Chris Adkisson) | WCCW, USWA | September 30, 1969 | September 12, 1991 | Suicide by gunshot[19] |
22 | Hana Kimura | World Wonder Ring Stardom, ROH, Wrestle-1, various Japanese Promotions | September 3, 1997 | May 23, 2020 | Suicide by hydrogen sulfide ingestion |
22 | Mass Transit (Eric Kulas) | ECW, independent circuit | October 17, 1979 | May 12, 2002 | Complications from gastric bypass surgery[20] |
22 | Mirai (Chiemi Kitagami) | AJW, K-DOJO, Atoz | November 17, 1982 | September 14, 2005 | Drowning in bathtub |
22 | Spider (Daniel Quirk) | NWA New England, independent circuit, WXW, ACW | July 19, 1982 | May 28, 2005 | Head injury in match |
23 | Edouard Beaupre (Joseph Édouard Beaupré Piché) | N/A | January 9, 1881 | July 3, 1904 | Tuberculosis |
23 | Chri$ Ca$h (Christopher Bauman Jr.) | CZW | July 13, 1982 | August 18, 2005 | Motorcycle accident |
23 | Emiko Kado | JWP, ARSION | January 28, 1976 | April 9, 1999 | Intercerebral bleeding in match |
23 | Shane Shamrock (Brian Howser) | MCW, MEWF, IPWA | February 8, 1975 | August 18, 1998 | Shot by police |
23 | Mike Von Erich (Michael Adkisson) | WCCW, NWA, NJPW | March 2, 1964 | April 12, 1987 | Suicide by drug overdose[19] |
25 | Reid Flair (Reid Fliehr) | AJPW, WCW, NWA, independent circuit | February 26, 1988 | March 29, 2013 | Drug overdose[21] |
25 | David Von Erich (David Adkisson) | WCCW, NWA St. Louis, NWA, AJPW | July 22, 1958 | February 10, 1984 | Acute enteritis[19] |
26 | Kasavubu (Jimmy Banks) | Stampede Wrestling, WWWF, NWA, IWE | May 14, 1956 | July 27, 1982 | Heart attack (during operation) |
27 | J.C. Bailey | CZW, IWA Mid-South, IWA East-Coast | August 23, 1983 | August 30, 2010 | Intracranial aneurysm |
27 | Masakazu Fukuda | WAR, NJPW | May 17, 1972 | April 19, 2000 | Head injury in match |
27 | Russ Haas (Thomas Russell Haas) | ECWA, CZW, MCW, HWA, WWF, JAPW | March 11, 1974 | December 15, 2001 | Heart failure |
27 | Louie Spicolli (Louis Mucciolo Jr.) | WWF, ECW, WCW, UWF, AAA, FMW | February 10, 1971 | February 15, 1998 | Drug overdose[22] |
28 | Art Barr | PNW, WCW, AAA, EMLL | October 8, 1966 | November 23, 1994 | Heart attack caused by a drug overdose[23] |
28 | Gino Hernandez (Charles Wolfe Jr.) | WCCW, SCW, Houston Wrestling, NWA, UWF Mid-South | August 14, 1957 | February 2, 1986 | Unknown (Drug overdose or Murder)[24] |
28 | Ricky Lawless (Medardo Leon Jr.) | ICW, NWF, independent circuit | December 3, 1959 | November 30, 1988 | Shot |
29 | Trent Acid (Michael Verdi) | ROH, CZW, BJPW, JCW | November 12, 1980 | June 18, 2010 | Drug overdose |
29 | Gia Allemand | WWE Diva Search contestant | December 20, 1983 | August 14, 2013 | Suicide by hanging |
29 | Lance Cade (Lance McNaught) | WWE, HWA, OVW, MCW, FCW, AJPW | March 2, 1981 | August 13, 2010 | Drug overdose[25] |
29 | Joey Kovar | unknown | July 24, 1983 | August 17, 2012 | Opiate Intoxication |
29 | Plum Mariko (Mariko Umeda) | JWP, AJW, Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling | November 1, 1967 | August 16, 1997 | Head injury in match[18] |
29 | Bobby Shane (Robert Schoenberger) | NWA, CWF, CCW, CSW, GCW, WCW Australia | August 25, 1945 | February 20, 1975 | Drowning from Plane crash |
29 | Chris Taylor | AWA, AJPW, NWA | June 13, 1950 | June 30, 1979 | Cardiomyopathy |
29 | Clarence Whistler | N/A | February 24, 1856 | November 6, 1885 | Pneumonia |
Under 40
Age | Ring name (Birth name) |
Promotion(s) worked for | Date of birth | Date of death | Cause of death |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
30 | Zubair Jhara (Muhammad Zubair Aslam) | wrestled in Pakistan, NJPW | November 24, 1960 | September 10, 1991 | Heart failure |
30 | Pierre Lefebvre | GCW, WWF, Lutte Internationale, NWA, UWF | February 24, 1955 | December 24, 1985 | Car wreck[26] |
30 | Rick McGraw | WWF, NWA, MACW, GCW | March 19, 1955 | November 1, 1985 | Heart attack[27] |
30 | Giant Ochiai (Takayuki Okada) | Battlarts, WJ | May 8, 1973 | August 8, 2003 | Subdural hematoma |
30 | Johnny Perry | unknown | October 24, 1972 | November 21, 2002 | Heart failure |
30 | Larry Sweeney (Alexander Whybrow) | Chikara, IWC, ROH, CZW, IWA Mid-South | February 18, 1981 | April 11, 2011 | Suicide by hanging |
30 | Jay Youngblood (Steven Romero) | AWA, NWA, MACW, MLW, CWF, AJPW | June 21, 1955 | September 2, 1985 | Heart attack[28] |
31 | Ed Gantner | CWF, MACW | February 4, 1959 | December 31, 1990 | Suicide by gunshot[29] |
31 | Gene Lipscomb | NWA, NWA San Francisco | August 9, 1931 | May 10, 1963 | Drug overdose |
31 | Joey Marella | referee for WWF | February 28, 1963 | July 4, 1994 | Car crash |
31 | Scott Peterson | PNW, NWA | June 10, 1963 | July 25, 1994 | Motorcycle accident |
31 | Kazuharu Sonoda | AJPW, NWA, WCCW, CWF, MACW | September 16, 1956 | November 28, 1987 | Died aboard South African Airways Flight 295 |
31 | Frank Speer | unknown | May 27, 1907 | June 10, 1938 | Bronchial pneumonia |
31 | Dom Travis | Grand Pro Wrestling, Joint Promotions, various British Promotions | September 14, 1980 | April 14, 2012 | Apparent suicide |
32 | Steve Bradley (Steve Bisson) | WWF/E, PPW, OVW, NECW, HWA, WFA | December 10, 1975 | December 1, 2008 | Unknown |
32 | Jaime Cardriche | Pacific Wrestling Alliance, independent circuit | March 28, 1968 | July 28, 2000 | Complications during gall bladder surgery |
32 | Adam Firestorm (Adam Dykes) | ECCW, Stampede Wrestling, various promotions in Western Canada and Pacific Northwest | November 25, 1976 | November 5, 2009 | Suicide |
32 | Crash Holly (Mike Lockwood) | WWF/E, ECW, Funking Conservatory, APW, TNA | August 25, 1971 | November 6, 2003 | Suicide by drug overdose and alcohol poisoning[30] |
32 | Sorakichi Matsuda (Koujiro Matsuda) | N/A | 1859 | August 16, 1891 | Tuberculosis |
32 | Billy McCrary | NWA, NJPW | December 7, 1946 | July 14, 1979 | Motorcycle accident[31][32] |
32 | Buzz Sawyer (Bruce Woyan) | NWA, WWF, UWF, WCCW, MACW, WCW | June 14, 1959 | February 7, 1992 | Cocaine induced Heart attack[18][33] |
32 | Frank Townsend | NWA, MLW, CWC, ASW, JWA, Joint Promotions | March 20, 1933 | May 15, 1965 | Drowning (boating accident, consider missing person) |
32 | Kris Travis | TNA, RPW, PCW, ICW, PROGRESS | December 16, 1983 | March 31, 2016 | Stomach cancer |
33 | Karsten Beck (Karsten Pitann) | WXW, BJPW, CZW, various European promotions | November 25, 1986 | October 15, 2020 | Brain Cancer |
33 | Jim Browning | N/A | March 31, 1903 | June 25, 1936 | Health issues |
33 | Chris Candido | WCW, WWF, ECW, SMW, NJPW, TNA | March 21, 1972 | April 28, 2005 | Acute pneumonia[34] |
33 | Eddie Gilbert (Thomas Edward Gilbert Jr.) | NWA, WCW, UWF, WWF, USWA, ECW | August 14, 1961 | February 18, 1995 | Heart attack[35] |
33 | Paul E. Normous (Paul Fauchs) | OVW, ECWA, independent circuit | April 15, 1975 | January 16, 2009 | Drug overdose |
33 | Michel Martel (Michel Vigneault) | Stampede Wrestling, WWC, IWE, NWA | October 4, 1944 | June 30, 1978 | Heart attack after match |
33 | Moondog Mayne (Ronald Mayne) | NWA, WWWF, PNW | September 12, 1944 | August 13, 1978 | Car wreck |
33 | Gran Naniwa (Yoshikuni Kimura) | Michinoku Pro, AJPW, ECW, WAR, NJPW | February 15, 1977 | October 6, 2010 | Heart attack |
33 | José Aarón Alvarado Nieves | CMLL, UWA | May 9, 1966 | October 27, 1999 | Infection |
33 | D.J. Peterson (David Peterson) | AWA, WWF, UWF, NWA, NJPW, CSW | July 17, 1959 | May 25, 1993 | Motorcycle accident |
33 | The Renegade (Rick Wilson) | WCW, WAR | October 16, 1965 | February 23, 1999 | Suicide by gunshot[36] |
33 | Neil Superior (Neil Caricofe) | National Wrestling League, IWCCW; SAPW, WCW | April 6, 1963 | August 23, 1996 | Confrontation with police |
33 | Test (Andrew Martin) | WWF/E, Funking Conservatory, TNA | March 17, 1975 | March 13, 2009 | Drug overdose[37] |
33 | Kerry Von Erich (Kerry Adkisson) | WCCW, NWA, UWF, USWA, WWF | February 3, 1960 | February 18, 1993 | Suicide by gunshot[19] |
33–34 | Damian Steele (Damien Dothard) | GCW, NWA Wildside, TCW, DSW | 1975 | July 22, 2009 | Brain aneurysm |
34 | Adrian Adonis (Keith Franke) | AWA, WWF, NJPW, CWF, GCW, ASW | September 15, 1953 | July 4, 1988 | Car wreck[38] |
34 | Brain Damage (Marvin Lambert) | IWA MS, CZW | December 14, 1977 | October 18, 2012 | Apparent suicide |
34 | Big Dick Dudley (Alex Rizzo) | ECW, WWC, XPW | January 12, 1968 | May 16, 2002 | Kidney failure[39] |
34 | Bobby Duncum Jr. | WCW, ECW, GWF, AJPW | August 26, 1965 | January 24, 2000 | Accidental prescription drug overdose[40] |
34 | Danny Havoc (Grant Berkland) | CZW, GCW, WXW, ICW, BJPW, IWA Mid-South | May 19, 1986 | May 31, 2020 | Unknown (possibly suicide) |
34 | Espectrito II (Alejandro Pérez Jiménez) | AAA, WWF | May 15, 1975 | June 30, 2009 | Poisoned |
34 | Owen Hart | WWF, Stampede Wrestling, NJPW, CWA | May 7, 1965 | May 23, 1999 | Fall from roof of Kemper Arena (during botched stunt)[41] |
34 | El Hijo de Cien Caras (Eustacio "Tacho" Jiménez Ibarra) | AAA, CMLL | March 21, 1976 | November 29, 2010 | Shot |
34 | Wayne Munn | N/A | February 9, 1896 | January 9, 1931 | Bright's disease |
34 | John Olin | N/A | March 15, 1886 | October 8, 1920 | Heart attack |
34 | La Parkita (Alberto Pérez Jiménez) | AAA, WWF | May 15, 1975 | June 30, 2009 | Poisoned |
34 | Chase Tatum (William Tatum) | WCW, Innovate Wrestling | November 3, 1973 | March 23, 2008 | Drug overdose |
34 | Yokozuna (Rodney Anoa'i) | WWF, AWA, NJPW, UWA | October 2, 1966 | October 23, 2000 | Heart attack[42] |
34–35 | Thunder (Luke Fordward) | CMLL, wrestled in various promotions in Japan and Australia | 1981 | June 30, 2016 | Stomach cancer |
35 | Perro Aguayo Jr. (Perro Aguayo Ramírez) | AAA, CMLL, Perros del Mal | July 23, 1979 | March 21, 2015 | Cervical spine trauma in match |
35 | Harold Angus | BWA | November 10, 1904 | 30 October 1940 | Shooting accident |
35 | Chris Duffy | WWF, IWF, independent circuit | July 7, 1965 | August 25, 2000 | Brain aneurysm |
35 | Dino Casanova (David DiMeglio) | WCW, ECW, independent circuit, MEWF | February 8, 1967 | March 1, 2002 | Heart attack[20] |
35 | Miguel Ángel Delgado (Miguel Ángel Delgado Reyes) | EMLL | August 28, 1947 | February 7, 1983 | Leukemia |
35 | Scott Irwin | WWWF, UWF, CWF, AWA, Lutte Internationale | May 14, 1952 | September 5, 1987 | Cancer, also reported as Brain aneurysm[18] |
35 | Andy Kaufman | CWA | January 17, 1949 | May 16, 1984 | Kidney failure from lung cancer |
35 | Marianna Komlos | WWF | September 3, 1969 | September 26, 2004 | Breast cancer[43] |
35 | Brian Pillman | Stampede Wrestling, WCW, ECW, WWF | May 22, 1962 | October 5, 1997 | Arteriosclerotic heart disease[44] |
36 | Gary Albright | Stampede Wrestling, UWFi, AJPW, ECW | May 18, 1963 | January 7, 2000 | Heart attack in match[45] |
36 | Shoichi Arai | FMW promoter | December 19, 1965 | May 16, 2002 | Suicide by hanging |
36 | Lloyd Burdick | unknown | August 8, 1909 | August 9, 1945 | Train wreck |
36 | Emory Hale (Emory Hail) | WCW, XWF | December 13, 1969 | January 28, 2006 | Kidney failure |
36 | Dean Hart | Stampede Wrestling, NWA Hawaii, WSS | January 3, 1954 | November 21, 1990 | Bright's disease |
36 | Lionheart (Adrian McCallum) | ICW, PCW | December 17, 1982 | June 19, 2019 | Suicide[46] |
36 | Pitbull #2 (Anthony Durante) | ECW, CWA, NJPW, JAPW | July 26, 1967 | September 25, 2003 | Drug overdose[47] |
36 | Ray | Smash, WNC, Shimmer, Ice Ribbon, JWP | February 14, 1982 | August 30, 2018 | Brain tumor[48] |
36 | Freddie Sweetan (Fred Prossner) | NWA, Stampede Wrestling, CSW, MACW | July 25, 1938 | July 26, 1974 | House fire |
36 | Jerry Tuite (Michael Jerome Tuite) | WCW, ECW, TNA, PCW, AJPW | December 27, 1966 | December 6, 2003 | Heart attack[49] |
36 | Umaga (Edward Fatu) | WWE, TNA, HWA, WXW, AJPW | March 28, 1973 | December 4, 2009 | Heart attack caused by combined drug intoxication[50] |
37 | Abismo Negro (Andrés Alejandro Palomeque González) | AAA, CMLL, WWF, TNA | July 1, 1971 | March 22, 2009 | Drowning |
37 | Mike Bell | WWF, ECW, UPW | March 18, 1971 | December 14, 2008 | Heart attack (drug overdose) |
37 | Leroy Brown (Roland C. Daniels) | NWA, CWF, NJPW, UWF | November 30, 1950 | September 6, 1988 | Heart attack[51] |
37 | Whitey Caldwell | NWA Mid-America, NWA Gulf Coast | July 2, 1935 | October 7, 1972 | Car wreck |
37 | Brian Hildebrand | SMW, ECW, referee for WCW | January 5, 1962 | September 8, 1999 | Stomach and bowel cancer |
37 | Sam McVey | wrestled in Australia | May 17, 1884 | December 23, 1921 | Pneumonia |
37 | Pak Song (Pak Song Nam) | NWA, WSS, AJPW, CWF | April 11, 1945 | April, 1982 | Marfan's syndrome |
37 | Buford Pusser | UWF Mid-South | December 12, 1937 | August 21, 1974 | Car wreck |
37 | Randolph Turpin | N/A | June 7, 1928 | May 17, 1966 | Shot (either murder or suicide) |
37–38 | Espanto I (José Eusebio Vázquez Bernal) | EMLL | 1930 | May 30, 1968 | Beaten |
38 | Aleksander Aberg | N/A | August 11, 1881 | February 20, 1920 | Pneumonia |
38 | Tim Arson (Timothy Calkins) | WWE, WWC, independent circuit | December 27, 1976 | January 7, 2015 | Unknown |
38 | Matt Cappotelli | OVW, WWE | November 12, 1979 | June 29, 2018 | Brain cancer[52] |
38 | Brian Danovich | WWE, DSW, independent circuit | July 8, 1980 | August 9, 2018 | Suicide |
38 | Chip Fairway (Brett Keen) | HWA, IWA Mid-South | November 7, 1972 | April 9, 2011 | Unknown |
38 | Eddie Guerrero (Eduardo Gory Guerrero Llanes) | CMLL, AAA, NJPW, ECW, WCW, WWF/E | October 9, 1967 | November 13, 2005 | Arteriosclerotic heart disease[53] |
38 | John Kronus (George Caiazzo) | ECW, USWA, IWF, CZW, WAR, XPW | January 13, 1969 | July 18, 2007 | Heart failure[54] |
38 | Danno O'Mahony (Daniel O'Mahony) | NWA | September 29, 1912 | November 5, 1950 | Car wreck |
38 | Chabela Romero (Isabela Romero Rangel) | AJW, CMLL, UWA | November 11, 1946 | April 19, 1985 | Unknown |
38 | Bison Smith (Mark Smith) | IWA ROH, WWC, APW, Pro Wrestling Noah | September 24, 1973 | November 22, 2011 | Heart complications |
38 | Wolf (Daniel Wolfe) | NWA, ECW, JAPW, independent circuit | June 30, 1972 | February 2, 2011 | Unknown |
39 | BellaDonna (Roxanne "Rocksan" Biggerstaff) | TNA | April 25, 1979 | January 21, 2019 | Unknown |
39 | Hercules Cortez (Alfonso Chicharro) | AWA, WCW Australia, NWA | July 7, 1932 | July 23, 1971 | Car wreck |
39 | Eric the Actor (Eric Lynch) | TNA | March 11, 1975 | September 20, 2014 | Liver and Heart failure |
39 | Fabián el Gitano (Emilio Fabián Fernández de León) | CMLL | January 24, 1972 | March 17, 2011 | Pancreatic hemorrhage |
39 | Shad Gaspard | WWE, OVW, FCW, JAPW, IGF, NWA Wildside | January 13, 1981 | May 17, 2020 | Drowning |
39 | Johnny Grunge (Michael Durham) | ECW, WCW, WWF, 3PW, TCW | July 10, 1966 | February 16, 2006 | Sleep apnea complications[55] |
39 | George Kennedy (George Kendall) | promoter for wrestling in Montreal | December 29, 1881 | October 19, 1921 | Complications from Spanish flu |
39 | Joey Maggs (Joseph Magliano) | WCW, WWF, SMW, USWA | September 29, 1967 | October 15, 2006 | Cardiac Arrest[56] |
39 | Ashley Massaro | WWE | May 26, 1979 | May 16, 2019 | Suicide by hanging[57] |
39 | Skull Murphy (John Murphy) | GCW, WWWF, WCW Australia, Studio Wrestling | December 7, 1930 | March 23, 1970 | Suicide by drug overdose |
39 | Jimmy Rave (James Michael Guffey) | ROH, TNA, FIP, NWA Wildside, NWA, CZW, PWG | December 8, 1982 | December 12, 2021 | MRSA infection |
39 | Rikidōzan (Kim Sin-rak) | NWA, JWA | November 14, 1924 | December 15, 1963 | Peritonitis (as result of stabbing)[58] |
39 | Davey Boy Smith (David Smith) | Stampede Wrestling, WWF, AJPW, ECW, WCW | November 27, 1962 | May 18, 2002 | Heart attack[59] |
39 | El Solitario (Roberto González) | UWA, EMLL | May 22, 1946 | April 6, 1986 | Cardiac arrest during operation[18] |
39 | Villano II (José Alfredo Díaz Mendoza) | UWA, EMLL | September 25, 1949 | April 17, 1989 | Suicide by hanging[60] |
39 | Ed Virag | NWA, various European promotions | August 12, 1912 | October 20, 1951 | Car wreck |
Under 50
Age | Ring name (Birth name) |
Promotion(s) worked for | Date of birth | Date of death | Cause of death |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
40 | Chris Benoit | Stampede Wrestling, NJPW, ECW, WCW, WWF/E | May 21, 1967 | June 24, 2007 | Suicide by hanging[61] |
40 | Brady Boone (Dean Peters) | PNW, MACW, WCW, WWF | August 22, 1958 | December 15, 1998 | Car wreck |
40 | Cincinnati Red (Gregory Scott Daves) | NWC, EWF, independent circuit | October 17, 1974 | March 20, 2015 | Heart attack |
40 | Matt Duvall | WWF, HWA | October 31, 1972 | February 22, 2013 | Heart attack |
40 | Don Eagle (Carl Donald Bell) | AWA, NWA Chicago, NWA | August 25, 1925 | March 17, 1966 | Suicide by gunshot |
40 | Terry Gordy | WCCW, NWA, WCW, ECW, WWF, AJPW | April 23, 1961 | July 16, 2001 | Blood clot |
40 | Frank Gotch | N/A | April 27, 1877 | December 16, 1917 | Uremic poisoning |
40 | Shinya Hashimoto | NJPW, Zero1, Stampede Wrestling, NWA, WWC, USWA | July 3, 1965 | July 11, 2005 | Brain aneurysm |
40 | Chris Kanyon (Christopher Klucsarits) | WCW, WWF/E, ECW, SMW, NWA Shockwave | January 4, 1970 | April 2, 2010 | Suicide by drug overdose[62] |
40 | George Kotsonaros | N/A | October 16, 1892 | July 13, 1933 | Car crash |
40 | Rick Rude (Richard Rood) | CWF, WCCW, WWF, ECW, WCW | December 7, 1958 | April 20, 1999 | Heart failure[24] |
40 | Rhonda Sing | WWF, WCW, Stampede Wrestling, AJW, WWC, AAA | February 21, 1961 | July 27, 2001 | Heart attack |
40 | Robert Swenson | WCCW, GWF, WCW | January 5, 1957 | August 18, 1997 | Heart failure |
40 | Vivian Vachon | AWA, WWWF, CWF, International Wrestling, NWA | February 14, 1951 | August 25, 1991 | Car wreck |
40–41 | Gulam | wrestled in Europe and India | 1860 | 1901 | Cholera |
41 | Herb Abrams | Universal Wrestling Federation promoter | July 9, 1955 | July 23, 1996 | Cocaine induced heart attack |
41 | Atsushi Aoki | AJPW, Noah, AAA | September 25, 1977 | June 3, 2019 | Motorcycle accident |
41 | Big Boss Man (Ray Traylor) | WCW, MACW, WWF, AJPW, UWF, IWA Japan | May 2, 1963 | September 22, 2004 | Heart attack |
41 | Larry Cameron | Stampede Wrestling, NWA, AWA, CWA | November 4, 1952 | December 13, 1993 | Heart attack in match[18] |
41 | Alan Carnill | IWF Promotions, independent circuit | March 12, 1962 | January 25, 2004 | Car wreck |
41 | John Foti (John Fotie) | Stampede Wrestling, NWA, AWA, WWWF | March 13, 1928 | April 29, 1969 | Suicide |
41 | Yusuf İsmail | N/A | 1857 | July 4, 1898 | Drowned aboard the SS La Bourgogne |
41 | Brodie Lee (Jonathan Huber) | WWE, AEW, FCW, ROH, Dragon Gate, Chikara, Dragon Gate USA | December 16, 1979 | December 26, 2020 | Pulmonary fibrosis[63] |
41 | Jerry London (Jerry Linden) | NWA, CWC, Stampede Wrestling, MLW | 1929 | September 20, 1970 | Suicide (overdose of sleeping pills) |
41 | Hack Meyers (Donald Havilland) | ECW, FOW, IPW, Funking Conservatory | December 7, 1973 | December 5, 2015 | Complications from brain surgery |
41 | Patrice O'Neal | worked for the WWE creatvie team | December 7, 1969 | November 29, 2011 | Complaications from stroke |
41 | Justice Pain (Christopher Wilson) | CZW, XPW, IPW, JAPW, BJW | May 16, 1978 | January 24, 2020 | Fall off bridge (being chased by police) |
41 | Jackie Sato (Naoko Sato) | AJW, JWPW | October 30, 1957 | August 9, 1999 | Stomach cancer |
41 | Billy Travis (Gary Mize) | CWA, USWA, WWF, PPW | April 29, 1961 | November 23, 2002 | Heart attack[20] |
41 | Adam Windsor (Adam Bryniarski ) | Funking Conservatory, NWA Wildside, Independent circuit | January 17, 1981 | April 21, 2022 | Heart issues |
42 | Randy Anderson | referee for NWA, WCW | July 17, 1959 | May 5, 2002 | Testicular cancer |
42 | Mike Awesome (Michael Alfonso) | AJPW, FMW, ECW, WCW, WWF, MLW | January 24, 1965 | February 17, 2007 | Suicide by hanging |
42 | John Ayers | UWF | April 14, 1953 | October 2, 1995 | Liver cancer |
42 | Bruiser Brody (Frank Goodish) | NWA, AJPW, WWWF, WCCW | June 18, 1946 | July 17, 1988 | Murdered[24] |
42 | Ray Candy (Ray Canty) | NWA, AJPW, WWC, NJPW, WCW | December 3, 1951 | May 23, 1994 | Heart attack |
42 | Miss Elizabeth (Elizabeth Hulette) | WWF, WCW, ICW | November 19, 1960 | May 1, 2003 | Drug overdose[24] |
42 | Hiromichi Fuyuki | AJPW, NJPW, FMW, IWE, NWA, CWA | May 11, 1960 | March 19, 2003 | Intestinal cancer |
42 | Chris Kreski | writer for WWF | July 31, 1962 | May 9, 2005 | Lung and Brain Cancer |
42 | Dan Mirade (Daniel Frongillo) | promoter of Millennium Wrestling Federation and interviewer for Boston Wrestling | September 21, 1979 | March 7, 2022 | Car accident |
42 | John Tenta | WWF, WCW, ASW, AJPW | June 22, 1963 | June 7, 2006 | Bladder cancer[64] |
42 | Biff Wellington (Shayne Bower) | Stampede Wrestling, WCW, NJPW, ECW | April 18, 1965 | June 24, 2007 | Heart attack |
42 | Xavier (John Bedoya) | ROH, WWE, ECWA, JAPW, NEW, CW | December 28, 1977 | August 16, 2020 | Unknown |
42–43 | George Gardiner | wrestled only in Australia and New Zealand | 1898 | May 18, 1941 | Peritonitis |
43 | Brian Adams | PNW, NJPW, WWF, WCW, AJPW | April 14, 1964 | August 13, 2007 | Drug overdose[65] |
43 | Ángel Azteca (Juan Manuel Zúñiga) | AAA, CMLL, UWA | June 24, 1963 | March 18, 2007 | Heart attack after match |
43 | Nancy Benoit | CWF, ECW, WCW | May 17, 1964 | June 22, 2007 | Murdered[61] |
43 | Doctor X (Clemente Nájera) | CMLL | July 17, 1968 | October 11, 2011 | Shot[66] |
43 | Héctor Garza | CMLL, Perros del Mal, WCW, WWF | June 12, 1969 | May 26, 2013 | Lung cancer[24] |
43 | Rocky Hata (Mitsuo Hata) | AJPW, CSW, GCW, NWA Tri-State, CWF | September 12, 1948 | October 27, 1991 | Complications from diabetes[67] |
43 | Georg Lurich | N/A | 22 April [O.S. 10 April] 1876 | 20 January 1920 | Typhus |
43 | Corey Maclin | announcer for USWA, PPW, Memphis Wrestling | May 6, 1970 | July 31, 2013 | Car crash |
43 | Sean O'Haire (Sean Haire) | WCW, OVW, WWF/E, NJPW, UPW | February 25, 1971 | September 8, 2014 | Suicide by hanging |
43 | Goga Pehlwan (Goga Moazzam) | Wrestled only in India | 1937 | February 6, 1981 | Died in the ring |
43 | Tony Rumble (Anthony Magliaro) | NWA New England, ECW, ICW, AWA, IWCCW, WCW | November 6, 1956 | November 13, 1999 | Heart attack |
43 | Viscera (Nelson Frazier, Jr.) | WWF/E, AJPW, USWA, TNA, Memphis Wrestling | February 14, 1971 | February 18, 2014 | Heart attack |
43 | Reggie White | WCW, WWF | December 19, 1961 | December 26, 2004 | Sarcoidosis |
43–44 | Mark Frear | WWF, USWA, MEWF, independent circuit | 1970 | May 11, 2014 | Unknown |
44 | Carl Abs | N/A | September 12, 1851 | February 18, 1895 | Liver and kidney failure |
44 | Dino Bravo (Adolfo Bresciano) | NWA, AWA, Lutte Internationale, WWF | August 6, 1948 | March 11, 1993 | Shot[24] |
44 | The Brusier (RJ Meyer) | MCW, Independent Circuit | August 15, 1976 | November 16, 2020 | Leukemia |
44 | Dustin Diamond | NWA-TNA, MCW, Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling, independent circuit | January 7, 1977 | February 1, 2021 | Cancer (Small-cell carcinoma) |
44 | Eric The Red (Ib Solvang Hansen) | WWWF, NWF, IWA, AWA, NJPW, CWF | August 1, 1934 | November 16, 1978 | Car wreck |
44 | Danny Fargo (Audie Hager) | WWC, CWA, NWA, SWCW | June 13, 1959 | December 26, 2003 | Cancer |
44 | Jorge González | WCW, WWF, NJPW | January 31, 1966 | September 22, 2010 | Diabetes and severe heart issues |
44 | Curt Hennig | AWA, PNW, WWF/E, WCW, TNA | March 28, 1958 | February 10, 2003 | Combined drug intoxication[24] |
44 | Koichiro Kimura | AJPW, DDT Pro-Wrestling, W*ING, WJ | November 18, 1969 | October 28, 2014 | Pneumonia |
44 | Balls Mahoney (Jonathan Rechner) | ECW, SMW, WWF/E | April 11, 1972 | April 12, 2016 | Heart attack[68] |
44 | Emil Naucke | N/A | May 2, 1855 | January 25, 1900 | Heart attack |
44 | Kevin Randleman | AJPW, Zero1, Hustle | August 10, 1971 | February 11, 2016 | Heart attack and pneumonia |
44 | Axl Rotten (Brian Knighton) | ECW, MEWF, IWA Mid-South, WCW, WWE | April 21, 1971 | February 4, 2016 | Drug overdose |
44–45 | Nurullah Hasan | N/A | 1867 | 1912 | Unknown |
45 | Toni Adams (Toni Collins) | UWF, WCCW, USWA | August 19, 1964 | June 24, 2010 | Heart attack |
45 | Bam Bam Bigelow (Scott Bigelow) | CWA, WWF/E, ECW, WCW, NJPW | September 1, 1961 | January 19, 2007 | Drug overdose[69] |
45 | Jerry Blackwell | AWA, WWWF, NWA, MACW, AJPW | April 26, 1949 | January 22, 1995 | Complications from car accident[18] |
45 | Mike Davis | CWA, MACW, WCCW, GWF, WCW | November 2, 1956 | December 26, 2001 | Heart attack |
45 | Iron Mike DiBiase | AWA, NWA, WCCW, CSW | December 24, 1923 | July 2, 1969 | Heart attack |
45 | Junkyard Dog (Sylvester Ritter) | Stampede Wrestling, IWE, NWA, UWF, WWF, WCW | December 13, 1952 | June 2, 1998 | Car wreck |
45 | Aya Koyama | AJW, BJW, JWPW | March 8, 1973 | August 27, 2018 | Cancer |
45 | Pasión Kristal (José Gabriel Zentella Damián) | AAA, IWRG, various Mexican promotions | January 9, 1976 | June 2, 2021 | Drowning |
45 | Peter Maivia (Pita Fanene Anderson) | NWA, AWA, NJPW, NWA Hawaii, WWWF | April 6, 1937 | June 13, 1982 | Cancer |
45 | Rocky Marciano (Rocco Marchegiano) | referee for NWA, GCW | September 1, 1923 | August 31, 1969 | Plane crash |
45 | Johan Olin | N/A | June 30, 1883 | December 3, 1928 | unknown |
45 | Walter Payton | WWF | July 25, 1954 | November 1, 1999 | Primary sclerosing cholangitis and Cholangiocarcinoma |
45 | Val Puccio (Valentino Puccio) | AJPW, WWF, ECW | June 9, 1965 | January 7, 2011 | Believed to be obesity |
45 | Jean Pusie | wrestled various promotions in Quebec | October 15, 1910 | April 21, 1956 | Heart attack |
46 | Chris Adams | WCCW, UWF, SCW, WCW, Joint Promotions, AWF | February 10, 1955 | October 7, 2001 | Shot |
46 | André the Giant (André René Roussimoff) | NWA, NJPW, IWE, AWA, WWF, AJPW | May 19, 1946 | January 27, 1993 | Congestive heart failure[70] |
46 | Argentina Apollo (Vincente Denigris) | WWWF, NWA, CWF, MACW, AJPW, IWA | 1938 | August 2, 1984 | Heart attack |
46 | Brian Christopher (Brian Lawler) | WWF/E, USWA, TNA, WWA, Memphis Wrestling | January 10, 1972 | July 29, 2018 | Suicide by hanging |
46 | Chyna (Joanie Laurer) | WWF, NJPW, TNA | December 27, 1969 | April 20, 2016 | Medication overdose |
46 | Floyd Creatchman | Lutte Internationale, NWA Detroit | June 25, 1957 | October 26, 2003 | Crohn's disease |
46 | Daffney (Shannon Spruill) | WCW, TNA, OVW, Wrestlicious, SHIMMER, ACW | July 17, 1975 | September 1, 2021 | Suicide by Gunshot[71] |
46 | Herman Hickman | NWA | October 1, 1911 | April 25, 1958 | Unknown |
46 | Magnificent Maurice (Eugene Dubuque) | WWWF, NWA, AWA, NWA San Francisco, NWA Hawaii | December 11, 1927 | March 13, 1974 | Plane crash |
46 | Maximum Capacity (Michael Stanco) | NWA, FOW, Zero1, wrestled in various promotions in the US and Europe | August 2, 1968 | August 21, 2014 | Colorectal cancer |
46 | Mitsuharu Misawa | AJPW, Pro Wrestling Noah, NJPW, JPW, NWA, ROH | June 18, 1962 | June 13, 2009 | Heart attack after cervical spinal cord injury in match[72][73] |
46 | Mr. Niebla (Efrén Tiburcio Márquez) | CMLL, AAA | February 22, 1973 | December 23, 2019 | Blood infection |
46 | Víctor Quiñones | IWA, FMW, IWA Japan, WWC, W*ING | June 30, 1959 | April 1, 2006 | Mix of alcohol and drug overdose |
46 | Road Warrior Hawk (Michael Hegstrand) | AWA, NWA, AJPW, WWF, WCW, NJPW | September 12, 1957 | October 19, 2003 | Heart attack[74] |
46 | Bestia Salvaje (Juan Rodriguez) | CMLL | February 11, 1962 | March 20, 2008 | Liver disease |
46 | Sam Sheppard | NWA Los Angeles | December 29, 1923 | April 6, 1970 | Wernicke encephalopathy |
46 | Gus Sonnenberg | NWA, DWU | March 6, 1898 | September 9, 1944 | Leukemia |
47 | Ángel Blanco (José Ángel Vargas Sánchez) | EMLL, UWA, NJPW | August 2, 1938 | April 26, 1986 | Car crash |
47 | Tiger Jack Fox | N/A | April 2, 1907 | April 6, 1954 | Heart attack |
47 | Tony Halme | NJPW, WWF, CWA | January 6, 1963 | January 8, 2010 | Suicide by gunshot |
47 | Hayabusa (Eiji Ezaki) | FMW, ECW, CMLL, AJPW | November 29, 1968 | March 3, 2016 | Subarachnoid hemorrhage |
47 | Hercules (Ray Fernandez) | NWA, WWF, NJPW, WCW, CWF, NWA St. Louis | May 7, 1956 | March 6, 2004 | Heart disease |
47 | Dan Kolov | N/A | December 27, 1892 | March 26, 1940 | Tuberculosis |
47 | Bob Konovsky | NWA, NWA Chicago | August 19, 1934 | March 6, 1982 | Unknown |
47 | Luther Lindsay (Luther Goodall) | NWA, Stampede Wrestling, PNW, MACW | December 30, 1924 | February 21, 1972 | Heart attack in match |
47 | Man Mountain Mike (Gary Fletcher) | NWA, AWA, WWWF | September 15, 1940 | April 30, 1988 | Heart attack |
47 | Rosey (Matthew Anoa'i) | WWE, HWA, WXW, ECW, AJPW | April 7, 1970 | April 17, 2017 | Congestive heart failure[75] |
47 | Big John Studd (John Minton) | NWA, AWA, WWF, NAWA | February 19, 1948 | March 20, 1995 | Liver cancer[18] |
47 | El Texano (Juan Aguilar Jauregui) | UWA, WCW, CMLL, AAA | November 26, 1958 | January 15, 2006 | Pneumonia |
47–48 | Fuzzy Cupid (Leon Stap) | WWWF, NWA | September 24, 1928 | 1976 | Unknown |
48 | Tom Burton | WWF, USWA, GWF, UWFi, WCW, IWA Mid-South | October 14, 1961 | March 29, 2010 | Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease |
48 | Cousin Junior (Lanny Kean) | WWF, CWA, NWA, USWA | March 19, 1960 | January 13, 2009 | Heart attack |
48 | Dennis Coralluzzo | NWA New Jersey promoter | March 5, 1953 | July 21, 2001 | Bleeding on the brain due to a stroke |
48 | Doc Dean (Ian Dean) | ASW, WCW, NJPW, European Wrestling Federation (France) | July 3, 1970 | August 14, 2018 | Heart attack |
48 | Steve Doll | WWF, PNW, WCW, AJPW, IWA Mid-South, USWA | December 9, 1960 | March 22, 2009 | Blood clot |
48 | Gorgeous George (George Wagner) | NWA | March 24, 1915 | December 26, 1963 | Heart attack |
48 | Ray Gunkel | NWA, GCW | February 15, 1924 | August 1, 1972 | Heart attack after match |
48 | Don Ross | NWAHW, NWA | October 6, 1946 | June 2, 1995 | Heart attack[18] |
48 | Harley Saito (Sayori Saito) | Ladies Legend Pro-Wrestling, Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling | December 21, 1967 | December 15, 2016 | Esophageal cancer |
48 | Ryan Sakoda | WWE, UPW, Zero1, EWF, XWF, Wrestling Society X | December 31, 1972 | September 2, 2021 | To Be Determined |
48 | Luna Vachon | CWF, WWF, WCW, ECW, POWW | January 12, 1962 | August 27, 2010 | Drug overdose |
48 | Clarence Weber | wrestled only in Australia | March 27, 1882 | November 20, 1930 | Coronary occlusion |
48 | Mark Young (Joe Scarpa Jr.) | WWF, WCW, PNW, AJPW | April 23, 1967 | February 25, 2016 | Unknown |
48 | Yukon Eric (Eric Holmback) | NWA, MLW, AWA | April 16, 1916 | January 16, 1965 | Suicide by gunshot |
49 | Sheik Ali (Wadi Ayoub) | WCW Australia, Joint Promotions, and various international promotions | April 20, 1927 | September 29, 1976 | Cancer |
49 | Big Titan (Rick Bognar) | FMW, WWF, WAR, USWA, CWA, NJPW | January 16, 1970 | September 20, 2019 | Heart attack |
49 | Louis Cyr (Cyprien-Noé Cyr) | N/A | October 10, 1863 | November 10, 1912 | Chronic nephritis |
49 | Jack Claybourne | NWA, NWA Hawaii, MLW | March 8, 1910 | January 7, 1960 | Suicide by gunshot |
49 | Dean Detton | NWA | June 27, 1908 | February 23, 1958 | Suicide by hanging |
49 | Espectrito (Mario Jiminez) | EMLL, AAA, WWF, IWA Puerto Rico | December 18, 1966 | January 23, 2016 | Unknown |
49 | La Fiera (Arturo Casco Hernández) | EMLL, AAA, AJPW, NJPW | March 17, 1961 | September 12, 2010 | Stabbed |
49 | Kung Fu (Raymundo Cuesta Veloz) | EMLL, UWA | January 20, 1951 | January 3, 2001 | Arterial hypertension |
49 | Hideki Hosaka | FMW, AJPW, Pro Wrestling Zero1, BJPW, various Japanese Promotions | August 5, 1971 | August 2, 2021 | Liver and Colon Cancer |
49 | Sherri Martel | AWA, WWF, WCW, ECW | February 8, 1958 | June 15, 2007 | Drug overdose |
49 | Piratita Morgan (Raymundo Rodríguez) | EMLL, WWC, AAA, WWF, WWA, TNA | March 15, 1969 | July 8, 2018 | Health issues |
49 | Dick Murdoch | CWF, NWA, WWF, AJPW, NJPW, WCW, | August 16, 1946 | June 15, 1996 | Heart attack |
49 | Lynn Nelson | Only wrestled in North Dakota | February 24, 1905 | February 19, 1955 | |
49 | Raizel (Unknown) | CMLL, AAA, IWRG, NJPW, various Mexican promotions | February 8, 1973 | April 4, 2022 | To Be Determined |
49 | Rocco Rock (Ted Petty) | ECW, NWA, WCW, WWF | September 1, 1953 | September 21, 2002 | Heart attack[20] |
49 | Ray Steele | NWA | February 2, 1900 | September 11, 1949 | Heart attack |
49 | Jumbo Tsuruta (Tomomi Tsuruta) | AJPW, NWA, AWA | March 25, 1951 | May 13, 2000 | Complications of a liver transplant |
49 | Grigory Verichev | FMW | April 4, 1957 | May 25, 2006 | Unknown |
49 | "Dr. Death" Steve Williams | Mid-South/UWF, NWA, WWF, WCW, AJPW, ECW | May 14, 1960 | December 29, 2009 | Throat cancer |
Under 60
Age | Ring name (Birth name) |
Promotion(s) worked for | Date of birth | Date of death | Cause of death |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
50 | Brad Armstrong (Robert Bradley James) | WCW, NWA, SMW, NJPW, USWA, WWE | June 15, 1962 | November 1, 2012 | Heart attack |
50 | Max Baer (boxer) | unknown | February 11, 1909 | November 21, 1959 | Heart attack |
50 | Melissa Coates | OVW, Independent Circuit, DSW, UPW, WSU | June 18, 1971 | June 23, 2021 | Health Issues |
50 | The French Angel (Maurice Tillet) | AWA, NWA, NWA Tri-State | October 23, 1903 | September 4, 1954 | Cardiovascular disease |
50 | Ivan Gomes | NJPW | December 25, 1939 | March 2, 1990 | Renal illness |
50 | Malcolm Kirk | Joint Promotions, CWA, All Star Wrestling, NWA | December 18, 1936 | August 24, 1987 | Heart attack in match |
50 | Yakov Kozalchik | Wrestled only in Israel | July 13, 1902 | June 13, 1953 | Starvation from depression |
50 | Dave Legeno (David Steven Murray) | British Wrestling Fedeartion | October 12, 1963 | circa July 2 or 3, 2014 | Heat illness |
50 | Lucifer (Tim Burke) | MEWF, IPWA, ECWA, MCW | October 1, 1960 | June 21, 2011 | Cancer |
50 | Kızılcıklı Mahmut | N/A | 1880 | February 3, 1931 | Unknown |
50 | Paul Pons | N/A | June 23, 1864 | April 13, 1915 | Drowning |
50 | Mark Starr (Mark Ashford-Smith) | WCW, CWF, CWA, WWF, PWFG, FMW | December 26, 1962 | June 7, 2013 | Heart attack |
50 | Villano I (José de Jesús Díaz Mendoza) | UWA, CMLL | June 28, 1950 | January 4, 2001 | Cerebral hemorrhage |
50 | Bearcat Wright (Edward Wright) | NWA, CWC, Stampede Wrestling, CWF, NJPW | January 13, 1932 | August 28, 1982 | Sickle cell anemia |
51 | Arkangel de la Muerte (Alfredo Pasillas) | CMLL | July 16, 1966 | June 13, 2018 | Cardiac arrest[76] |
51 | Verlon Biggs | CWA, UWF Mid-South | March 16, 1943 | June 7, 1994 | Leukemia |
51 | Black Cat (Victor Manuel) | UWA, NJPW, AAA, WCW | October 17, 1954 | January 28, 2006 | Heart attack |
51 | Kerry Brown | Stampede Wrestling, GPW, WWC, NWA, NJPW | February 3, 1958 | September 10, 2009 | Liver failure |
51 | Renato Gardini | N/A | March 20, 1889 | September 29, 1940 | Unknown |
51 | Hido (Hideo Takayama) | BJW, IWA-MS, FMW, W*ING | October 19, 1969 | October 17, 2021 | Unknown |
51 | Jimmy Jackson | UWF Mid-South, WWF, MACW | July 28, 1956 | June 17, 2008 | unknown |
51 | Jun Izumida | AJPW, NOAH | October 28, 1965 | January 25, 2017 | Heart attack |
51 | Azumafuji Kin'ichi (Kinichi Inoue) | JWA, NWA Hawaii | October 28, 1921 | July 31, 1973 | Colon cancer |
51 | Harvey Martin | WWF, WCCW, GWF | November 16, 1950 | December 24, 2001 | Pancreatic cancer |
51 | Nikola Petroff (Nikola Petrov) | N/A | December 19, 1873 | January 2, 1925 | Unknown |
51 | Moondog Spot (Larry Latham) | WWF, CWA, NWA, USWA | January 6, 1952 | November 29, 2003 | Heart attack in match |
51 | Silver King (César Cuauhtémoc González Barrón) | UWA, WCW, CMLL, AJPW, NJPW, AAA | January 9, 1968 | May 11, 2019 | Stroke (in ring) and followed by heart attack |
51 | Paul Varelans | ECW, Kingdom | September 17, 1969 | January 16, 2021 | Coma from COVID-19 |
51 | Emmanuel Yarbrough | CWA | September 5, 1964 | December 21, 2015 | Heart attack |
52 | Gene Anderson | AWA, GCW, MACW | October 4, 1939 | October 31, 1991 | Heart attack |
52 | Buddy Austin (Austin Wesley Rapes) | WWWF, NWA, JWA | February 27, 1929 | August 12, 1981 | Heart attack |
52 | Nicole Bass | WWF, ECW, XPW, NEO | August 10, 1964 | February 17, 2017 | Heart attack |
52 | Ady Berber | wrestled only in Austria and Germany | February 4, 1913 | January 3, 1966 | Unknown |
52 | Trevor Berbick | UWFi | August 1, 1954 | October 28, 2006 | Murder |
52 | El Brazo (Juan Alvarado Nieves) | WWA, AAA, UWA, CMLL | July 30, 1961 | October 15, 2013 | Diabetes |
52 | John Cozman | Stampede Wrestling, HIW, various independent circuit promotions in Canada | August 28, 1964 | November 28, 2016 | Unknown |
52 | Jimmy Del Ray (David Ferrier) | SMW, WWF, PWF, USWA, ECW, WCW | November 30, 1962 | December 6, 2014 | Heart attack |
52 | Espantito | AAA, NWA, various promotions in Mexico and United States | April 24, 1968 | October 12, 2020 | Pneumonia |
52 | Doug Furnas | AJPW, CCW, WCW, WWF, ECW | December 11, 1959 | March 2, 2012 | Heart attack |
52 | Giant Haystacks (Martin Ruane) | Stampede Wrestling, Joint Promotions CWA, AJPW, WCW | October 10, 1946 | November 29, 1998 | Lymphoma |
52 | Troy 'The Hippie' Graham (Troy Rolland Thompson Jr.) | AWA, CWA, NWA, USWA | October 26, 1949 | March 7, 2002 | Heart attack |
52 | Tonina Jackson (Héctor Garza Lozano Vela) | EMLL, NWA, NWA Mid-America, WCCW, WWWF | January 9, 1917 | November 3, 1969 | Possibly complications from health issues |
52 | Jim Jefferson | MACW, CWA, CSW, CWF | 1960-1961 | February 8, 2013 | Unknown |
52 | Karol Kalmikoff | NWA, AWA, NWA Tri-State, MLW | August 12, 1912 | September 11, 1964 | heart attack |
52 | Ivan Linow | N/A | November 21, 1888 | November 21, 1940 | Heart attack |
52 | Paul Luty | Joint Promotions | May 4, 1932 | January 12, 1985 | Unknown |
52 | Rockin' Rebel (Charles Williams) | ECW, WCW, WWF, CZW, independent circuit | January 13, 1966 | June 1, 2018 | Suicide by gunshot[77] |
52 | Silo Sam (John Elmo Harris) | WCCW, AWA | September 12, 1952 | April 19, 2005 | Unknown (probably related to Gigantism) |
52 | Iron Mike Steele (John Meek) | CWF, Independent circuit | July 18, 1955 | August 29, 2007 | Murder |
52–53 | Ski Hi Lee (Robert Leedy) | Stampede Wrestling, NWA, Joint Promotions | February 9, 1921 | 1974 | Believed to be acromegaly |
53 | Aníbal (Carlos Contreras) | EMLL/CMLL, UWA | November 5, 1940 | March 4, 1994 | Brain tumor |
53 | Ion Croitoru | WWF, NJPW, SMW, BCW | December 7, 1963 | February 21, 2017 | Unknown |
53 | Ryuma Go (Hiroshi Yagi) | NJPW, AJPW, IWE, NWA, AWA, WAR | March 23, 1956 | October 18, 2009 | Blood Poisoning |
53 | Anton Koolmann | N/A | September 11, 1899 | June 29, 1953 | unknown |
53 | Buddy Landel (William Ensor) | NWA, WCW, MACW, SMW, USWA, WWF | August 14, 1961 | June 22, 2015 | Injuries from a car accident |
53 | Danny Little Bear | NWA, Stampede Wrestling, CSW, GCCW | September 13, 1937 | May 12, 1991 | Liver cancer |
53 | Curly Moe (Donald Zalesky) | IWCCW | April 3, 1962 | July 1, 2015 | Unknown |
53 | Larry O'Dea (Larry Davies) | WCW Australia, CWF, AJPW | 1944 | June 30, 1997 | Liver cancer |
53 | Johnny Rougeau | IWA Montreal, BTW, NWA, ASW | June 9, 1929 | May 25, 1983 | Cancer |
53 | Babe Ruth | refereed in Boston and Northeast USA | February 6, 1895 | August 16, 1948 | Throat Cancer |
53 | Mike Shaw | Stampede Wrestling, WCW, WWF | May 9, 1957 | September 11, 2010 | Heart attack |
53 | Ken Timbs | MACW, GCW, EMLL, CSW, CWF | January 27, 1951 | August 1, 2004 | Cardiomyopathy and Congestive heart failure |
53–54 | Taro Miyake | N/A | 1881 | 1935 | Unknown |
54 | Angel of Death (David Sheldon) | Stampede Wrestling, UWF, GWF, WCW | July 20, 1953 | November 25, 2007 | Unknown |
54 | Josephine Blatt | N/A | 1869 | September 1, 1923 | Unknown |
54 | Jonathan Boyd (Jonathan Barry Boyle) | WCW Australia, NWA, PNW, CWA | October 21, 1944 | August 7, 1999 | Heart attack |
54 | Lionel Conacher | wrestled only in Canada | May 24, 1900 | May 26, 1954 | Heart attack |
54 | Bob Fitzsimmons | N/A | May 26, 1863 | October 22, 1917 | Pneumonia |
54 | Dory Funk, Sr. | WSS, NWA, AWA, NWA St. Louis, WWWF | May 4, 1919 | June 3, 1973 | Heart attack |
54 | Jos LeDuc (Michel Pigeon) | NWA, Lutte Internationale, AWA, WWF, CWA, CWF, GCW | August 30, 1944 | May 1, 1999 | Lung infection |
54 | Arvo Lindén | N/A | February 27, 1887 | March 18, 1941 | unknown |
54 | Benny McCrary | NWA, NJPW | December 7, 1946 | March 26, 2001 | Heart attack[31][32] |
54 | Yoshihiro Momota | AJPW | March 15, 1946 | November 22, 2000 | liver failure |
54 | Väinö Myllyrinne | wrestled in Europe | February 27, 1909 | April 13, 1963 | Acromegaly |
54 | La Parka II (Jesús Alfonso Huerta Escoboza) | AAA, IWRG, DDT Pro-Wrestling, wrestled in various promotions in Mexico | January 4, 1966 | January 11, 2020 | Lung and kidney failure (in ring) |
54 | Puppet the Psycho Dwarf (Stevie Lee) | TNA, WWA, Independent Circuit | 1966 | September 9, 2020 | Unknown[78][79] |
54 | Tommy Rogers (Thomas Couch) | UWF, NWA, AJPW, WCW, WWF, ECW | May 14, 1961 | June 1, 2015 | Unknown |
54 | The Ultimate Warrior (James Hellwig) | WWF, CWA, WCWA, WCW | June 16, 1959 | April 8, 2014 | Heart attack |
54 | Uncle Elmer (Stan Frazier) | CWA, NWA, GCCW, WWF, USWA | August 16, 1937 | July 1, 1992 | Diabetes |
54 | Pez Whatley | CWF, NWA, WWF, WCW | January 10, 1951 | January 18, 2005 | Heart attack |
54–55 | Hergeleci İbrahim | wrestled only in Turkey | 1862 | 1917 | unknown |
55 | Matt Borne (Matthew Osborne) | PNW, WCCW, UWF, WWF, WCW, ECW | July 27, 1957 | June 28, 2013 | Drug overdose |
55 | Danie Brits | WWP, various South African Promotions | March 3, 1965 | September 3, 2020 | Unknown |
55 | Haystacks Calhoun (William Dee Calhoun) | WWWF, NWA | August 3, 1934 | December 7, 1989 | Diabetes |
55 | Eddie Graham (Edward Gossett) | WWWF, CWF, NWA | January 15, 1930 | January 21, 1985 | Multiple gunshot suicide |
55 | Rumi Kazama | AJW, JWP, LLPW, DDT, WAR | November 28, 1965 | September 21, 2021 | Endometriosis |
55 | Koji Kitao | SWS, NJPW, WWF, WAR | August 12, 1963 | February 10, 2019 | Kidney disease |
55 | MS-1 (Pablo Fuentes Reyna) | CMLL, AAA, UWA | December 31, 1956 | January 12, 2012 | Car wreck |
55 | Tony Matisi | N/A | August 23, 1914 | August 26, 1969 | |
55 | Hans Nijman (Johannes Nijman) | Fighting Network Rings | September 23, 1959 | November 5, 2014 | Murder (shot) |
55 | Antonio Peña (Antonio Herrada) | founder of AAA, CMLL | June 13, 1951 | October 5, 2006 | Heart attack |
55 | Antonino Rocca (Antonino Biasetton) | WWWF, NWA | April 13, 1921 | March 15, 1977 | Urinary infection |
55 | Universo 2000 (Andrés Reyes González) | CMLL, AAA, IWRG | April 18, 1963 | May 1, 2018 | Heart problems |
55 | Diane Von Hoffman (Phyllis Burch) | USWA, CWA, LPWA, LMLW | April 13, 1962 | July 6, 2017 | Complications from knee surgery |
55 | Timothy Well (Timothy Smith) | AJPW, USWA, WWF, WCW, ECW | September 8, 1961 | January 9, 2017 | Kidney failure |
55 | Chris Youngblood (Christopher Romero) | WCCW, WWC, WCW, AJPW, USWA, FMW | February 10, 1966 | July 7, 2021 | Believed to be liver and kidney failure |
56 | Brad Batten | NWA, CSW, ACCW, SMW, WWC, SSW | September 8, 1958 | November 18, 2014 | Heart attack |
56 | Edwin Bibby | N/A | November 15, 1848 | May 5, 1905 | Rheumatism |
56 | Paul Bunyan (Max Palmer) | NWA Mid-America, NWF | November 27, 1927 | May 17, 1984 | Heart disease |
56 | Emilio Charles Jr. (Sergio Garduño) | CMLL | October 12, 1956 | December 28, 2012 | Kidney failure[80] |
56 | Espanto III (Miguel Vázquez Bernal) | EMLL | February 11, 1940 | December 8, 1996 | heart attack |
56 | Bill Fralic | WWF | October 31, 1962 | December 13, 2018 | Cancer |
56 | Steve Gillespie | WFWA, Stampede Wrestling, FMW, WWF, CNWA, Onita Pro | July 22, 1963 | January 18, 2020 | Heart attack |
56 | Walter Johnson | NWA, BTW, WCCW | November 13, 1942 | June 29, 1999 | Heart attack |
56 | Cowboy Lang (Harry Lang) | NWA, WWF, AWA | August 28, 1950 | January 4, 2007 | Heart disease |
56 | Steve Lawler (Steve Gower) | SCW, DSW, TCW, Independent Circuit | January 24, 1965 | September 2, 2021 | COVID-19 |
56 | Maurice Letchford | wrestled in the US, Canada, UK and South Africa | August 27, 1906 | August 15, 1965 | unknown |
56 | Dave McKigney | MLW, WWWF, NWA, NJPW, NWA Detroit | June 9, 1932 | July 4, 1988 | Car wreck |
56 | Moondog King (Edward White) | WWF, Lutte Internationale | May 18, 1949 | August 26, 2005 | Injuries from a car accident and health issues |
56 | Max Muscle (John Czawlytko) | WCW, USWA, GWF, MCW, XPW | February 22, 1963 | June 27, 2019 | Unknown |
56 | Yvon Robert | NWA, Montreal, MLW | October 8, 1914 | July 12, 1971 | Heart attack |
56 | Garry Robbins | CNWA, GWF, NJPW, WWC, Indo-Asian Wrestling | September 9, 1957 | December 11, 2013 | Heart attack |
56 | Ben Roller | N/A | July 1, 1876 | April 19, 1933 | Pneumonia |
56 | Buddy Rose (Paul Perschmann) | AWA, PNW, WWF | November 27, 1952 | April 28, 2009 | Natural causes from obesity, blood sugar and diabetes |
56 | Kurt Von Hess (William Terry) | NWA, Lutte Internationale, All-Star, Maple Leaf Wrestling, NJPW, WWF | April 10, 1942 | March 13, 1999 | Heart attack |
56–57 | Black Guzmán (Miguel Guzman Huerta) | CMLL, NWA | 1916 | December 1, 1973 | Unknown |
57 | Jerry Balisok | GCW, CWF | September 8, 1955 | April 18, 2013 | Heart attack |
57 | Fred Beell | N/A | January 17, 1876 | August 5, 1933 | Shot |
57 | Brazo de Oro (Jesús Alvarado Nieves) | CMLL, WWA, UWA, NWA Los Angeles | October 7, 1959 | April 28, 2017 | Heart attack |
57 | Brick Bronsky (Jeffrey Beltzner) | Stampede Wrestling, Independent circuit | April 18, 1964 | August 23, 2021 | COVID-19 |
57 | Brickhouse Brown (Frederick Seawright) | UWF Mid-South, NWA, WWF, CWA, USWA | August 11, 1960 | July 29, 2018 | Prostate cancer |
57 | Chris Champion (Christopher Ashford-Smith) | WCW, MACW, CWA, CWF, USWA | February 17, 1961 | August 22, 2018 | Believed to be a stroke |
57 | Al Green (Alfred Dobalo) | WCW, WCPW, CWF, AJPW, CWA | October 15, 1955 | June 14, 2013 | COPD |
57 | The Grand Wizard (Ernie Roth) | NWA, WWWF/WWF | August 30, 1926 | October 12, 1983 | Heart attack |
57 | Samson Kutsuwada | JWA, AJPW | May 1, 1947 | October 12, 2004 | Leukemia |
57 | Masakre (Aristóteles Radamés Coccó Flores) | CMLL, AAA | May 13, 1954 | April 12, 2012 | Spinal cancer |
57 | James C. Melby | Wreslting magazine editor | 1949 | February 11, 2007 | Complications from Diabetes |
57 | Akram Pahalwan | wrestled in India, Pakistan, Joint Promotions and various international promotions | 1930 | April 12, 1987 | Unknown |
57 | Zoogz Rift (Robert Pawlikowski) | UWF | July 10, 1953 | March 22, 2011 | complications from diabetes |
57 | Bert Ruby (Bertalan Rubinstein) | NWA, promoter for NWA Detroit | November 29, 1910 | March 9, 1968 | Heart attack |
57 | Paddy Ryan (Earl Patrick Freeman) | Stampede Wrestling, PNW, NWA All-Star Wrestling | August 23, 1932 | December 28, 1989 | Heart attack |
57 | Shag Thomas (James Thomas) | Stampede Wrestling, PNW | August 11, 1924 | July 25, 1982 | Heart attack |
57 | Don Vines | Joint Promotions | February 6, 1932 | September 17, 1989 | Unknown |
57–58 | Blimp Levy (Martin Levy) | NWA | 1903 | November 8, 1961 | Believed to be complications from obesity |
58 | Gran Apache (Mario Balbuena González) | CMLL, AAA, IWA Japan | April 16, 1959 | May 7, 2017 | Intestinal cancer |
58 | Paul Bearer (William Moody) | WWF, CWF, WCCW, USWA, TNA | April 10, 1954 | March 5, 2013 | Heart attack |
58 | Brazo de Plata (José Luis Alvarado Nieves) | CMLL, AAA, WWE, WWA, UWA, IWRG | March 19, 1963 | July 26, 2021 | Heart attack |
58 | Bulldog Bob Brown | NWA, AWA, All-Star, NWA St. Louis, CSW | October 16, 1938 | February 5, 1997 | Heart attack |
58 | Ripper Collins (Roy Lee Albern) | NWA Hawaii, AWA, GCCW, Stampede Wrestling | October 10, 1933 | November 12, 1991 | Melanoma |
58 | Adam Forepaugh | N/A | February 28, 1831 | January 22, 1890 | complications from 1889–1890 pandemic |
58 | Kevin Greene | WCW | July 31, 1962 | December 21, 2020 | Heart Attack |
58 | Helen Hild (Gladys Helen Nevins) | NWA, WWWF | February 26, 1926 | March 4, 1984 | Lung infection |
58 | Dwaine Hoberg | promoter for AWA | August 17, 1925 | August 6, 1984 | Unknown |
58 | New Jack (Jerome Young) | ECW, SMW, USWA, TNA, XPW | January 3, 1963 | May 14, 2021 | Heart attack |
58 | Randy Savage (Randall Poffo) | WWF, NWA, ICW, CWA, WCW | November 15, 1952 | May 20, 2011 | Cardiovascular disease |
58 | Tracey Smothers | CWA, WCW, SMW, WWF, ECW, IWA Mid-South | September 2, 1962 | October 28, 2020 | Lymphoma |
58 | George Tragos | NWA | March 14, 1897 | September 5, 1955 | Unknown |
58 | Tarzan Tyler (Camille Tourville) | NWA, Lutte Internationale, WWWF, CWF | December 4, 1927 | December 24, 1985 | Car wreck |
58 | Larry Winters | ECW, TWA, AWA, NWA, Pro Wrestling USA, NWF | April 14, 1956 | January 27, 2015 | Heart attack |
59 | Shota Chochishvili | NJPW | July 10, 1950 | August 27, 2009 | Leukemia |
59 | John Condrone | CCW, NWA, WCW, independent circuit | November 16, 1960 | October 20, 2020 | COVID-19 |
59 | Douglas Clark | Joint Promotions | May 2, 1891 | February 1, 1951 | unknown |
59 | Espectro I (Antonio Arriaga) | EMLL | February 9, 1934 | October 13, 1993 | Unknown |
59 | Angel Gabriele | WWA, PPW | March 21, 1956 | February 23, 2016 | unknown |
59 | René Guajardo (Manuel Guajardo Mejorado) | EMLL, UWA, WCCW, CWA | January 4, 1933 | May 11, 1992 | Liver cancer |
59 | Ralph Hammonds | NWA | July 9, 1906 | May 5, 1966 | Unknown |
59 | Mickie Henson | referee for WWE, WCW, CWF | 1963 | February 14, 2022 | COVID-19 |
59 | Ernie Holmes | GCW, WWF | July 11, 1948 | January 17, 2008 | Car wreck |
59 | Don Kent (Leo Smith Jr.) | NWA, WWWF, NWA Mid-America, CWF | June 24, 1933 | June 7, 1993 | Leukemia |
59 | Evan "Strangler" Lewis | N/A | May 24, 1860 | November 9, 1919 | Cancer[81] |
59 | Mike Marino | Joint Promotions | October 8, 1921 | August 24, 1981 | Leukemia |
59 | Drew McDonald (Charles Shaw) | All Star Wrestling, Stampede Wrestling, CWA | June 16, 1955 | February 9, 2015 | Cancer |
59 | Matthew Saad Muhammad | UWFi | August 5, 1954 | May 25, 2014 | Lou Gehrig's disease |
59 | Tony Parisi (Antonio Pugliese) | WWWF, NWA, Lutte Internationale, MLW | January 22, 1941 | August 19, 2000 | Heart attack |
59 | The Patriot (Del Wilkes) | AWA, WCW, WWF, GWF, AJPW | December 21, 1961 | July 1, 2021 | Heart Attack |
59 | Eddie Quinn | promoter for wrestling in Montreal, NWA St. Louis | May 22, 1906 | December 14, 1965 | Cerebral hemorrhage |
59 | Mangla Rai | Wrestled only in India | October 1916 | June 24, 1976 | Multiple organ failure |
59 | Tex Rickard | promoter for wrestling in New York City | January 2, 1870 | January 6, 1929 | Appendicitis attack |
59 | Skip Young (Galton Young) | WCCW, NWA, CWF, USWA, WWC | July 24, 1951 | December 3, 2010 | Unknown |
59 | Super Muñeco (Unknown) | AAA, WWA, CMLL/EMLL, various promotions in Mexico | April 10, 1962 | February 9, 2022 | Unknown |
59 | Tom Zenk | AWA, WWF, WCW, AJPW | November 30, 1958 | December 9, 2017 | Heart attack from arterial sclerosis and cardiomegaly |
Under 65
Age | Ring name (Birth name) |
Promotion(s) worked for | Date of birth | Date of death | Cause of death |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
60 | Primo Carnera | NWA, various promotions in Europe | October 26, 1906 | June 29, 1967 | Liver disease and complications from diabetes |
60 | Emile Czaja (Emile George Zeimes) | JWA, wrestled in various promotions in Europe, Australia, Asia and India | July 15, 1909 | May 16, 1970 | Car wreck |
60 | Dynamite Kid (Thomas Billington) | WWF, Stampede Wrestling, Joint Promotions, All Star Wrestling, NJPW, AJPW | December 5, 1958 | December 5, 2018 | Unconfirmed (context of long-term health issues including stroke)[82] |
60 | Rufus R. Jones (Carey Lloyd) | CSW, NWA St. Louis, NWA, MACW, AWA, AJPW | July 4, 1933 | November 13, 1993 | Heart attack |
60 | Mountain Fiji (Emily Dole) | GLOW | September 28, 1957 | January 2, 2018 | Natural causes from years of health issues |
60 | Princess Jasmine (Cynthia Peretti) | GLOW, AWA | June 2, 1948 | May 8, 2009 | Cancer |
60 | Road Warrior Animal (Joseph Laurinaitis) | NWA, AWA, MACW, WWF/E, WCW, AJPW, TNA | September 12, 1960 | September 22, 2020 | Heart attack |
60 | Firpo Segura (Francisco Segura García) | EMLL | November 10, 1907 | January 15, 1968 | Unknown |
60 | Art Shires | Unknown | August 13, 1906 | July 13, 1967 | Unknown |
60 | Stan Stasiak (George Stipich) | PNW, Stampede Wrestling, WWWF, NWA | April 13, 1937 | June 19, 1997 | Heart failure |
60 | Sammy Stein | N/A | April 1, 1905 | March 30, 1966 | Heart attack |
60 | Ray Stevens | BTW SF, AWA, NWA, WWWF/WWF, CWF | September 5, 1935 | May 3, 1996 | Heart attack |
60 | Sándor Szabó | NWA, NWA San Francisco | January 4, 1906 | October 16, 1966 | Heart attack |
60 | Yamaguchi-san (Yusuke Yamaguchi) | AJPW, FMW, WWF, Michinoku Pro Wrestling, ULL | May 5, 1958 | March 9, 2019 | Stroke |
61 | Paul Anderson | CWF, NWA, GCW, MACW | October 17, 1932 | August 15, 1994 | kidney failure |
61 | Giant Baba (Shohei Baba) | JWA, AJPW, NWA, WWWF | January 23, 1938 | January 31, 1999 | Cancer |
61 | Butcher Brannigan (Joseph Novo) | WCW Australia, CWF, WWWF, Stampede Wrestling, NWA | September 3, 1948 | September 7, 2009 | Kidney failure and heart disease |
61 | Cocoa Samoa (Ulualoaiga Emelio) | ASW, CWF, PNW, CWA | March 9, 1945 | January 9, 2007 | Unknown |
61 | Jack Curley (Jacques Schuel) | promoter for New York | July 4, 1876 | July 12, 1937 | Heart attack |
61 | Terry Garvin (Terry Joyal) | GCCW, IWA Montreal, CSW, NWA, MACW, WWF | March 1, 1937 | August 17, 1998 | Cancer |
61 | Mike Graham (Michael Gossett) | CWF, NWA, AWA, WCW | September 22, 1951 | October 19, 2012 | Suicide by gunshot |
61 | Killer Karl Krupp (George Momberg) | ESA, GPW, WCCW, MLW, NJPW, CWA | May 13, 1934 | August 24, 1995 | Hepatitis |
61 | Little Beaver (Lionel Giroux) | Lutte Internationale, WWWF/WWF, MLW, AWA, NWA | April 18, 1934 | December 4, 1995 | Emphysema |
61 | Boris Malenko (Larry Simon) | CWF, WWWF, CWC, MACW, NWA, NJPW | June 28, 1933 | September 1, 1994 | Leukemia |
61 | Man Mountain Dean (Frank Leavitt) | N/A | June 30, 1891 | May 29, 1953 | Heart attack |
61 | James McLaughlin | N/A | June 8, 1844 | September 11, 1905 | Unknown |
61 | Aslam Pahalwan (Aslam Khan) | Wrestled mainly in Pakistan and India, Joint Promotions | January 14, 1927 | January 7, 1988 | Unknown |
61 | Roddy Piper (Roderick Toombs) | AWA, PNW, GCW, MLW, WWF, WCW | April 17, 1954 | July 31, 2015 | Heart attack from Pulmonary embolism |
61 | Karl Pojello (Karolis Požėla) | wrestled in Europe, China, Japan and the United States | February 13, 1893 | September 4, 1954 | Lung Cancer |
61 | Goldie Rogers (David Sherwin) | ASW, MLW, Stampede Wrestling, WWF | August 5, 1950 | July 20, 2012 | Heart attack |
61 | Sapphire (Juanita Wright) | WWF, USWA | October 24, 1934 | September 11, 1996 | Heart attack |
61 | Cy Williams | NWA, NWA San Francisco | October 12, 1903 | September 28, 1965 | Unknown |
62 | Frank Andersson | NJPW, WCW | May 9, 1956 | September 9, 2018 | Heart failure |
62 | Lofty Blomfield (Meynell Blomfield) | DWU, NWA | July 18, 1908 | June 29, 1971 | Unknown |
62 | Luke Brown (Carl Campbell) | AWA, WWWF, NWA, CSW | July 28, 1935 | November 12, 1997 | Stroke |
62 | Earl Caddock | N/A | February 27, 1888 | August 25, 1950 | Heart attack during surgery |
62 | Crybaby Cannon (George McCarther) | NWA, AWA, WWWF, MLW, BTW | March 28, 1932 | July 1, 1994 | Cancer |
62 | Mocho Cota (Manuel Cota Soto) | EMLL/CMLL | June 5, 1954 | December 22, 2016 | Brain aneurysm |
62 | Dick the Bruiser (William Afflis) | WWA, AWA, NWA St. Louis, CSW | June 27, 1929 | November 10, 1991 | Internal bleeding |
62 | Bobby Eaton | CWA, NWA Mid-America, UWF Mid-South, WCCW, MACW, WCW | August 14, 1958 | August 4, 2021 | Injuries from Fall |
62 | Gorilla Monsoon (Robert Marella) | WWWF/WWF, NWA, WCW Australia | June 4, 1937 | October 6, 1999 | Heart failure |
62 | Oliver Humperdink (John Sutton) | MACW, CWF, WWF, WCW | January 16, 1949 | March 20, 2011 | Complications from pneumonia and cancer |
62 | Happy Humphrey (William Cobb) | NWA | July 16, 1926 | March 14, 1989 | Heart attack |
62 | Jaan Jaago | N/A | July 6, 1887 | August 28, 1949 | Unknown |
62 | Dr. Karonte (Miguel Urive) | EMLL/CMLL | February 14, 1957 | August 26, 2019 | Unknown |
62 | Lord Athol Layton (Allan Layton) | NWA, MLW, NWA St. Louis | August 20, 1921 | January 18, 1984 | Heart attack |
62 | Scott LeDoux | AWA | January 7, 1949 | August 11, 2011 | Lou Gehrig's disease |
62 | Zeus (Tommy Lister Jr.) | WWF, WWC, WCW | June 24, 1958 | December 10, 2020 | Hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease[83] |
62 | Hiro Matsuda (Yasuhiro Kojima) | JWA, CWF, WCW, NWA | July 22, 1937 | November 27, 1999 | Prostate cancer |
62 | Century Milstead | N/A | January 1, 1901 | June 2, 1963 | Unknown |
62 | Bull Montana (Luigi Montagna) | N/A | May 16, 1887 | January 24, 1950 | Unknown |
62 | Barry Orton | WWF, NWA, ICW, MACW, Stampede Wrestling | May 28, 1958 | March 20, 2021 | |
62 | Ari Romero (Jose Luis Arias Romero) | CMLL, MPW, BJPW | December 20, 1951 | December 29, 2013 | Liver cancer |
62 | Harold Sakata (Toshiyuki Sakata) | NWA, AWA, NWA Hawaii | July 1, 1920 | July 29, 1982 | Liver cancer |
62 | Ron Slinker (David Slinker) | CWF, NWA, IWCCW, UWF | October 30, 1945 | March 28, 2008 | Liver failure from years of alcoholism |
62 | Wilbur Snyder | AWA, WWA, NWA St. Louis, NWA | September 15, 1929 | December 25, 1991 | Heart failure |
62 | Moondog Spike (William Smithson) | CWA, USWA, AJPW, W*ING | May 31, 1950 | March 21, 2013 | Unknown |
62 | Tsuneharu Sugiyama | JWA, AJPW, NJPW, IWE, NWA | July 23, 1940 | November 22, 2002 | Unknown |
62 | Great Togo | NWA, NWA Hawaii, JWA | October 11, 1911 | December 19, 1973 | Stomach cancer |
62 | Murciélago Velázquez (Jesús Velázquez Quintero) | EMLL | February 22, 1910 | May 26, 1972 | Heart attack from the Cirrhosis of the liver |
62 | George Wilson | N/A | September 1, 1901 | December 27, 1963 | |
63 | Brute Bernard (James Prudhomme) | WCW Australia, WWWF, MACW | June 6, 1921 | July 14, 1984 | Gunshot while cleaning a rifle |
63 | Big Van Vader (Leon White) | WCW, WWF, AWA, NJPW, AJPW, Pro Wrestling NOAH | May 14, 1955 | June 18, 2018 | Heart problems |
63 | Rusty Brooks (Kurt Koski) | WWF, UWF, FOW, various promotions in Florida | February 8, 1958 | February 11, 2021 | Health issues |
63 | Bulldog Brower (Richard Gland) | MLW, NWA, WWWF/WWF, NWF | September 17, 1933 | September 15, 1997 | Complications from hip surgery |
63 | Bad News Brown (Allen James Coage) | WWF, NJPW, Stampede Wrestling | October 22, 1943 | March 6, 2007 | Heart attack |
63 | King Kong Bundy (Christopher Pallies) | WWF, WCCW, NWA, GCW, NJPW, UWF | November 7, 1955 | March 4, 2019 | Complications from diabetes |
63 | Big Bully Busick (Nick Busick) | WWF, GAF, GWF | June 1, 1954 | May 8, 2018 | Cancer in the Cerebrospinal Fluid |
63 | Jack Carkeek | N/A | January 22, 1861 | March 12, 1924 | Unknown |
63 | Mike Clancy (Christopher Clancy) | NWA | September 9, 1924 | June 11, 1988 | Unknown |
63 | Jim Crockett | promoter for MACW, NWA | June 2, 1909 | April 1, 1973 | Unknown |
63 | Candi Devine | AWA, NWA, CWA, LPWA, USWA, UWF | January 1, 1959 | February 9, 2022 | Collapsed Lung |
63 | George Dinnie | wrestled only in Australia | July 18, 1875 | June 13, 1939 | Unknown |
63 | Ken Fenelon (Patrick Fenelon) | NWA | February 26, 1909 | August 8, 1972 | Unknown |
63 | Brian Glover | Joint Promotions | April 2, 1934 | July 24, 1997 | Brain tumor |
63 | Scott Hall | WWF/WWE, WCW, TNA, NWA, AWA, NJPW, GFW | October 20, 1958 | March 14, 2022 | Multiple heart attacks as a result of complications from hip surgery |
63 | Mike Hogewood | commentator for ROH | September 13, 1954 | September 5, 2018 | heart attack |
63 | Wilhelm von Homburg (Norbert Grupe) | N/A | August 25, 1940 | March 10, 2004 | Prostate cancer |
63 | S.D. Jones (Conrad Efraim) | WWF, MACW | March 30, 1945 | October 26, 2008 | Stroke |
63 | Tarzán López (Carlos López Tovar) | EMLL | August 28, 1912 | August 28, 1975 | Unknown |
63 | Wahoo McDaniel (Edward McDaniel) | WWWF, NWA, MACW, WCCW, AWA | June 19, 1938 | April 18, 2002 | Complications from diabetes and kidney failure |
63 | Alex Munro | N/A | November 30, 1870 | January 3, 1934 | Unknown |
63 | Jim Neidhart | WWF, Stampede, WCW, ECW, CWF, NJPW | February 8, 1955 | August 13, 2018 | Head injury from a fall |
63 | Bholu Pahalwan (Haji Manzoor Hussain) | wrestled only in India and Pakistan | January 24, 1922 | June 4, 1985 | Unknown |
63 | James Polkinghorne | N/A | 1788 | September 15, 1851 | Unknown |
63 | Duncan C. Ross | N/A | March 12, 1856 | September 8, 1919 | Unknown |
63 | Savannah Jack (Theodore Russell) | AWA, UWF Mid-South | October 15, 1948 | January 17, 2012 | Years of Cardiomyopathy problems |
63 | Vivian St. John (Suzanne Miller) | WWWF/WWF, CWF | September 10, 1950 | December 20, 2013 | Long illness |
64 | Cousin Luke (Gene Petit) | WWF, AWA, CWF, MACW | May 19, 1949 | September 29, 2013 | Multiple sclerosis and diabetes |
64 | Bobby Jaggers (Robert Jeaudoin) | MACW, NWA, NWA St. Louis, PNW, CWF | January 8, 1948 | September 30, 2012 | Kidney failure from Hepatitis C |
64 | Emil Klank | N/A | June 19, 1876 | June 27, 1940 | heart attack |
64 | Teijo Khan (Thomas Kasat) | AWA, CWF, NWA, MACW, PWA | March 24, 1956 | April 10, 2020 | Unknown |
64 | Rocky King (William Boulware Jr.) | NWA, MACW, WCW | January 30, 1958 | March 27, 2022 | Years of Health Issues |
64 | Corporal Kirchner (Michael Penzel) | WWF, NJPW, Stampede Wrestling, IWA Japan, W*ING, FMW | September 7, 1957 | December 22, 2021 | Heart attack |
64 | Dale Lewis | AWA, CWF, NWA | August 29, 1933 | August 30, 1997 | Leukemia |
64 | Winona Littleheart (Winifred Childree) | CWF, WWWF/WWF, NWA, POWW, WCW (Women's Championship Wrestling) | September 9, 1955 | May 9, 2020 | Unknown |
64 | Lizmark (Juan Baños) | EMLL, AAA, CMLL | December 18, 1950 | December 16, 2015 | Respiratory failure |
64 | Lee Marshall (Marshall Aaron Mayer) | announcer for AWA, WWF, WCW, WOW | November 28, 1949 | April 26, 2014 | Esophageal cancer |
64 | Ibrahim Moustafa | N/A | September 23, 1904 | October 9, 1968 | Unknown |
64 | Michael Okpala | promoter in Nigeria, Joint Promotions, and various international promotions | August 8, 1939 | March 11, 2004 | Illness |
64 | Bob Ryder | founder for Impact Wrestling, journalist for WWF, WCW, ECW | October 22, 1956 | November 24, 2020 | Multiple myeloma |
64 | Iron Mike Sharpe | CWA, ASW, MSWA, WWWA, WWF | October 28, 1951 | January 17, 2016 | Years of health issues |
64 | Herb Trawick | wreslted only in Canada | February 22, 1921 | September 16, 1985 | |
64 | Clem Turner | AWA, WWA, NWA Detroit, NWA St. Louis | May 28, 1945 | December 20, 2009 | car accident |
64 | Lee Wang-pyo | NJPW, AJPW | June 11, 1954 | September 4, 2018 | Gallbladder cancer |
See also
- List of oldest surviving professional wrestlers
- List of professional wrestling memorial shows
- Ten-bell salute
- Tributes: Remembering Some of the World's Greatest Wrestlers, a book featuring eulogies for professional wrestlers
References
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Further reading
- Hamilton, Ian (2012). Gone Too Soon: Deaths That Changed Wrestling. CreateSpace. ISBN 978-1-4775-4026-8.