Although we always tend to see famous athletes as paragons of health, the truth is that they are often at greater risk of premature death than regular people. This is brought on by the huge continuous strain on their organs, sports injuries, or even substance abuse. At the start of the century, many people noticed that, when it comes to early deaths, professional wrestlers were at the very top. So many of them die before turning 50, while others don’t even get to see 30. In order to raise awareness and make sure we don’t forget these great athletes that left us way too early, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most tragic talents in pro wrestling.
Andrew Martin – Test
At the very start of our list is a talented young Canadian wrestler Andrew Martin that went by the stage name “Test.” Martin began his career when he met the legendary Bret Hart at a restaurant. Hart helped train him and, after a short while, he made his debut on the Canadian Independent circuit. Later, he rose to fame by appearing in WWF, taking on Triple H and teaming up with the Rock. Of course, fans also remembered him for his on-screen relationship with Stephanie McMahon. Test was found dead in 2009, four days before his birthday. He accidentally overdosed on painkillers, but the coroner also found severe brain damage due to many years of head trauma.
Michael Hegstrand – Road Warrior Hawk
Hegstrand worked as a bouncer before he was discovered by Eddie Sharkey, the famous trainer. He started off as a part of the Travelling All-Stars, but couldn’t stand the road too well. Many believed he wouldn’t succeed in the wrestling business due to his small stature. However, he got a breakthrough as a last-minute replacement in the tag team – Road Warriors. Teaming up with Animal, Hawk would soon achieve fame and recognition as a part of this entertaining and athletic duo. As many athletes under stress, Hawk also had an alcohol and drug problem. In 2003, he died of a heart attack in his home.
Scott Bigelow – Bam Bam Bigelow
From his humble beginnings in Memphis, Bigelow is one of those stars who worked slowly and diligently on his star status. His exceptional agility and impressive size made him a ferocious opponent and got him the nickname “the Beast of the East.” It was not long before he became a very famous heel in the wrestling world. Although he had many problems with drug abuse that eventually took him to his early death, Bigelow will remain in the memories of many as a real-life hero. This is due to an event in 2000, where Bigelow got second-degree burns on nearly half of his body while saving three children from a burning building. Quite an astounding feat.
Richard Rood – Rick Rude
Next up on our list is Richard Roode, better known by his stage name – Rick Rude. He was born in Minnesota and went to high-school with a number of world-famous wrestlers, including his closest friend Curt Hennig. He started training with the famous trainer who helped Hawk achieve fame, Eddie Sharkey. Starting off as a babyface, Rude soon transitioned to heel where he found his true place. In 1999, he died from a heart failure due to a bad mix of medications. He was training at the time to get back into the ring after a short break, but apparently, it was never meant to happen.
Michael Verdi – Trent Acid
One of the young promising stars who left us way too early was, no doubt, Michael Verdi, best known by his stage name “Trent Acid.” Although Verdi appeared mostly in independent promotions like Ring of Honor, he truly made a mark that went beyond it. As a part of a tag team “Backseat Boyz,” he displayed agility, skill, and showmanship. Unfortunately, he had a big problem with his drug addiction and the authorities. The former finally got to him as he overdosed in 2010 in his home in Philadelphia. He was only 29.
Eddie Guerrero
Often referred to as the greatest wrestler ever, Eddie Guerrero’s death came suddenly and abruptly. He started his career in the legendary Mexican promotion “Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre,” and then continued to dominate through all other popular promotions. His raw and energetic fighting style mainly marked him as a heel, but he was still very popular among the people. They praised his determination, ambition and, above all, skillset. In 2005, Guerrero was found dead, following a heart failure. His cousin, Chavo Guerrero, dedicated his next high-profile match to this wrestling legend.
Curt Hennig – Mr. Perfect
Rick Rude’s childhood friend, Curt Hennig, better known as Mr. Perfect, is yet another professional wrestling star who left us at a young age. Again, attending the high-school with many major pro wrestlers, Hennig was bound to become one as well. He started his career in AWA, a promotion that was founded by his father, also a prominent old-school wrestler. He achieved fame in AWA, WWF, as well as in WCW, before retiring and turning to color commentaries. He died in 2003 from cocaine intoxication, but his father believed that steroids played a huge part in it, as well.
Yokozuna
The colossal Rodney Anoa’i, better known by his stage name of Yokozuna, belonged to a famous wrestling family of Anoa’i that includes many athletes like Rikishi, Roman Reigns and even Dwayne Johnson – the Rock. Yokozuna was trained by his uncles who comprised a famous tag team – The Wild Samoans. He achieved fame in storylines with his ruthless manager Mr. Fuji, who would often throw salt into opponents’ eyes and encourage dirty fighting. Yokozuna died in 2000, only 34 years old due to fluid filling his lungs. Although a heel, he remains one of the most beloved wrestlers in history.
Owen Hart
What can be said about Owen Hart that wasn’t already mentioned a thousand times? A member of the Hart wrestling family, Owen was sometimes unjustly placed in the shadow of his big brother, the wrestling legend, Bret Hart. Owen was an exceptional athlete and a great crowd-pleaser. His performance included him taking on the persona of “the Blue Blazer.” Sadly, his life ended on stage, when a lifting mechanism malfunctioned and made him fall on the ground from a great height. An undeserving end of a young promising performer.
Chris Benoit
Finally, when discussing the tragic endings of great wrestling stars, you have to mention Chris Benoit. Although he was a champion in many promotions, multiple times, Chris Benoit remains best known for his tragic ending. In 2007, Benoit murdered his wife, Nancy Benoit and their seven-year-old child. This was shocking news for many as he wasn’t an aggressive person outside of the ring. However, experts claim that this tragedy was a consequence of an altered state of mind due to many brain traumas over the years. Because of this, many promotions introduced much stricter rules and safety measures.
Of course, we couldn’t include all of the famous wrestlers that died way too young, because there are simply too many of them. Let us know who you think should be on this list and why? We can only hope that this trend will not continue in the future.
