WRESTLER Deaths

The suicide of Chris Benoit and his killing of his wife and son, prompted the fifth estate to look more closely at the world of pro wrestling. It’s a sports entertainment industry in which an astonishingly high number of athletes and entertainers die young. Causes of death are often attributed to drugs, steroids, or the cumulative effect of punishing years on the road and the physical toll of life in the ring.

In 2007 alone, 21 professional wrestlers died before reaching their 50th birthdays. Based on a liberal estimate of 500 wrestlers in the profession, that would make it arguably the most dangerous job anywhere, with a death rate about 3 times higher than that among the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan, where 30 soldiers of approximately 2,000 were killed in 2007.

Here is a partial list of wrestlers, some well-known, some the journeymen of their sport, who make up an incomplete, yet grim, casualty list.

Greg Gillies, "Mr. Gillis", aged 44, died December 23, 2007, cause of death heart attack
Boyd Rowell, "The Avenger", aged 42, died December 17, 2007
David Sheldon, aged 43, died December 8, 2007, cause of death unknown
Isak Rain, aged 22, died October 9, 2007, cause of death, car accident
Sean Evans, "Shocker", aged 36, died October 2, 2007, cause of death lung cancer
John Radocaj, aged 43, died September 14, 2007, murdered
Monty Black, aged 45, died September 9, 2007, cause of death heart attack
Scott Dumas, aged 44, died August 7
George Caiazzo, "John Kronus", aged 38, died July 18, 2007, cause of death heart failure
James Fawcett, "Devil Bhukakan", aged 31, died around July 12, 2007, cause of death suicide by hanging
Nathan Randolph, "Moondog Nathan", aged 37, died July 4, 2007, cause of death heart attack
Chris Benoit, aged 40, died June 25, 2007, cause of death suicide by hanging after killing his wife and son. Autopsies revealed that Benoit had ten times the normal amount of testosterone in his body due to steroids and brain damage resulting from years of hits to the head.
Nancy Benoit, "Woman", aged 43, died June 22, 2007 cause of death strangulation
Shayne Bower, "Biff Wellington", aged 42, died June 20, 2007 of an apparent heart attack after suffering two strokes the previous year
Sherri Russell, "Sherri Martel", aged 49, died June 15, 2007, cause of death accidental drug overdose
Omar Antonio Perez Barreto, "Mephisto LePhanto", aged 31, died May 5, 2007, cause of death heart attack while in the ring
Darren McMillan, "Dynamite D", aged 37, died April 22, 2007, cause of death complications related to cancer
Steven Ranton, "The Mighty Axis", aged 22, died March 26, 2007, cause of death suicide
Juan Manuel Zuniga, "Angel Azteca", aged 43, died March 18, 2007, cause of death heart attack
Scott Bigelow, "Bam Bam Bigelow", aged 45 January 21, 2007, overdosed on cocaine and prescription (anti-anxiety) drugs
Mike Alphonso, "Mike Awesome", aged 42, died February 17, 2007, cause of death suicide
Brian Adams, "Crush", aged 43, August 13, 2007, cause of death, overdose on painkillers and anti-depressants
Jospeh Magliano, "Joey Maggs", aged 37, died October 16 2006, cause of death unknown
Mike Durham, "Johnny Grunge", aged 39, died February 16, 2006, complications from sleep apnea, possibly worsened by drug use
Emory Hale, aged 36, died January 28, 2006, cause of death kidney failure
Eddie Guerrero, aged 38, died November 13, 2005, cause of death heart attack – history of substance abuse
Michael Hegstrand, "Hawk", aged 46, died October 19, 2003, cause of death heart attack
Ray Traylor, "Big Bossman", aged 42, died September 23, 2004, cause of death heart attack
Mike Lozanski, aged 35, died December 18, 2003, died in his sleep of a suspected heart attack
Anthony Durante, "Pitbull 2", aged 36, died September 25, 2003, died of an overdose of homemade oxycontin
Michael Lockwood, "Crash Holly", aged 32, died November 6, 2003, died in his sleep, choked on his own vomit
Danny Johnson, aged 49, died July 20, 2003, cause of death unknown
Curt Hennig, aged 44, died February 10, 2003 of a suspected overdose
Jerry Tuite, "The Wall", aged 36, died December 6, 2003, cause of death heart attack
Alex Rizzo, "Big Dick Dudley", aged 34, May 16, 2002, cause of death kidney failure
Ted Petty, "Rocco Rock", aged 49, September 21, 2002, cause of death heart attack
Davey Boy Smith, aged 39, died May 18, 2002, cause of death heart attack, steroids, which he had taken in abundance for years, may have played a role. He was also addicted to morphine and painkillers.
Mike Davis, aged 45, died December 26, 2001, cause of death heart attack
Chris Adams, aged 46, died October 7, 2001, murdered
Gary Albright, aged 37, died January 7, 2000, cause of death heart attack, suffered while in the wrestling ring; also suffered from diabetes
Peggy Simpson, "Rhonda Singh", aged 40, died July 27, 2001, cause of death heart attack brought on by overdose
Terry Gordy, aged 40, died July 16, 2001, cause of death heart attack
Rodney Anoia, "Yokozuna", aged 34, died October 23, 2000, cause of death unknown
Richard Wilson, "Renegade", aged 33, died 23 February, 1999, cause of death suicide
Rick Rude, "Ravishing Rick Rude", aged 40, died April 20, 1999, cause of death heart attack (probably caused by long term mixed drug use, especially steroids)
Owen Hart, aged 33, died May 23, 1999 from the effects of a fall during a wrestling stunt; he was being lowered from the rafters in a harness when something went wrong. Owen fell more than 70 feet into the ring, where CPR was attempted, to no avail. Witness accounts dispute whether he fell out of the harness or a mechanism snapped.
Sylvester Ritter, "Junkyard Dog", aged 45, died June 2, 1998, cause of death injuries sustained in a car accident after falling asleep at the wheel late at night
Louis Mucciolo, "Louie Spicolli", aged 28, died February 15,1998, cause of death choked on his own vomit after overdosing on drugs and wine
Brian Pillman, aged 35, died October 5, 1997, cause of death heart attack; drugs were found at the hotel where he died, and he had a well-known addiction to prescription drugs, which are thought to have contributed to his heart condition
Robert Swenson, "Jeep Swenson", aged 40, died August 18, 1997, cause of death heart attack
Dick Murdoch, aged 49, died June 15, 1996, cause of death heart attack
Eddie Gilbert, "Hot Stuff", aged 33, died February 18, 1995, cause of death heart attack
Art Barr, "Love Machine", aged 28, died October 23, 1994, cause of death inconclusive
Andre Rene Roussimoff, "Andre The Giant", aged 46, died January 27, 1993, cause of death heart failure; his lifespan would inevitably be shortened by acromegaly, a disease which secretes natural growth hormones, which contributed to his unnatural size, and to the strain on his heart.
Larry Cameron, aged 41, died December 13, 1993, cause of death heart attack while in the ring
Adolfo Bresciano, "Dino Bravo", aged 44, died March 11, 1993, murdered
Kerry Adkisson, "Kerry Von Erich", aged 33, died February 18,1993, cause of death suicide after a motorcycle accident that cost him his right foot
Bruce Woyan, "Buzz Sawyer", aged 32, died February 7, 1992, cause of death overdose