WRESTLERS could also be larger-than-life characters who entertain hundreds of thousands of followers all over the world – however too typically their lives are tragically reduce quick.
The “curse” of the business has seen so many shining stars gone earlier than their time – with two wrestlers dying within the final 24 hours – 26-year-old Mad Kurt and legendary Killer Khan.
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Khan, who fought the likes of Hulk Hogan and Andre the Large, handed away shortly after 10pm on Saturday in his native Japan – after reportedly struggling a ruptured artery.
Actual identify Masashi Ozawa, the wrestler misplaced consciousness on the counter of Kanchan’s Jinjo Sakaba in Nishi-Shinjuku, Tokyo.
The 76-year-old’s sudden loss of life got here simply 24 hours after Mad Kurt, the highly-rated British sensation, all of the sudden died within the UK.
Nonetheless within the early days of his profession, Kurtis Chapman was described as “probably the most gifted technical wrestlers”.
He was identified for his light-hearted type – and delighted audiences in promotions throughout the UK.
Each deaths have added to the grim and heartbreaking tally {of professional} wrestlers who misplaced their lives in 2023.
Probably the most stunning was the sudden passing of wrestler Bray Wyatt, a famous person nonetheless very a lot in his prime and a lynchpin of the fashionable WWE.
The three-time WWE world champion was all of the sudden pronounced lifeless on at simply 36-years-old in August after reportedly struggling a coronary heart assault.
The wrestler, whose actual identify is Windham Rotunda, hadn’t been seen on TV since February and had final wrestled on the Royal Rumble in January.
Rotunda was not solely persevering with to compete as knowledgeable, however had the remainder of his life to stay up for.
He was additionally a fiance to Joseann Offerman, a former WWE ring announcer, and a father to 4 kids.
And his loss of life got here barely 24 hours after it was introduced WWE Corridor of Famer Terry Funk had died on the age of 79.
After which earlier this 12 months, wrestling star Jay Briscoe handed away on the age of 38 in a automotive crash.
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In Might, tributes have been paid to Kristen “Miami” Mitchell – regarded a trailblazer for the game in Australia – who died aged 36.
She competed towards the likes of Rhea Ripley (Demi Bennett), KC Cassidy (Cassie Lee), Shazza McKenzie and Toni Storm.
That very same month, WWE hall-of-famer “Celebrity” Billy Graham died at age 79 after a months-long well being battle.
Graham’s household advised TMZ that he died after being taken off life help together with his spouse and daughter by his facet.
Only a month later, WWE hero Darren Drozdov, who wrestled as Droz, died on the age of 54.
The American grappler joined Vince McMahon’s promotion in 1998 and labored primarily within the mid-card earlier than he suffered an in-ring accident that ended his profession.
His loss of life got here after the passing of WWE legend The Iron Sheik, who died aged 81.
The wrestling icon’s passing was introduced on his social media account on June 7.
He was born in Iran however moved to America and received the WWF World Heavyweight Championship in 1983.
The Iron Sheikh – actual identify Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri – was most well-known for his dangerous man character.
He was additionally notorious for his ending transfer the Camel Clutch chin lock.
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Sadly, the character of the game and way of life round it typically play a task in these tragic endings.
The mixture of gruelling schedules, fixed and intense bodily competitors, the proliferation of painkillers and different medication, in addition to different elements have been the principle causes prior to now.
Japanese Michigan College discovered the mortality charges of wrestlers is as much as 2.9 occasions greater than different males in a report from 2014.
And one other research by a College of Manchester educational discovered the loss of life price is considerably greater than in different sports activities.
The names of those that have died younger reads like a heartbreaking roll name for the WWE Corridor of Fame.
Eddie Guerrero was simply 38 and within the prime of his profession when he died of coronary heart failure.
Aged simply 39, The British Bulldog additionally suffered a coronary heart assault, and the identical destiny befell the legendary Andre The Large at simply 46.
Different wrestlers to have died earlier than they have been 50 embody the “Mr Excellent” Curt Henning, Umaga, Yokozuna, Earthquake, Large Boss Man, Large John Studd, Brian Pillman, and Large Daddy V.
Wrestlers are typically dubbed “immortals” however the stats present that merely far too lots of them don’t get pleasure from full lives even after they’ve retired.
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The Final Warrior suffered a coronary heart assault aged 54 simply days after being inducted into the WWE Corridor of Fame and giving a farewell speech on the promotion’s flagship present Monday Night time Uncooked.
The story was painfully just like these equivalent to “Macho Man” Randy Savage who suffered a coronary heart assault aged 58, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper who died aged 61, and Large Van Vader who died whereas recovering from coronary heart surgical procedure aged 63.
And final 12 months noticed the loss of life of Scott Corridor – also called Razor Ramon – who was taken off life help after affected by three coronary heart assaults at simply 63.
The psychological and bodily ache of these years scar laborious and deep
Kevin Nash
Bret “The Hitman” Hart spoke candidly because the wrestling world confronted the grief of Corridor’s passing, saying merely: “Yet another wrestler”.
“We have misplaced so many wrestlers from my period, and this is only one extra to a listing that’s far too lengthy,” wrote Hart, a seven-time world champion.
“I will not blame anyone factor, however I do consider that if the times of wrestling 300 days a 12 months had been kinder and extra thoughtful, if we might’ve been dwelling with our family members extra, lots of my outdated pals and brothers would nonetheless be right here.”
And Corridor’s greatest good friend Kevin Nash – also called Diesel – weighed in, describing the vicious wrestling schedule confronted by stars as a “meat grinder”.
Nash mentioned: “The psychological and bodily ache of these years scar laborious and deep.”
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Many wrestlers appeared to face an ideal storm – wrestling bodily intense matches a number of occasions per week whereas travelling from town-to-town struggling nagging accidents, which in flip led to non-public battles with booze and drug addictions.
The calls for to remain in form and maintain preventing led to probably deadly mixtures of steroids, painkillers and leisure substances.
“Mr Excellent” died from cocaine intoxication aged 44, Chyna died from a cocktail of medication and painkillers aged 46, and Check was solely 33 when he was discovered lifeless from an unintended overdose.
Wrestlers who’ve survived the heyday within the 80s and 90s nonetheless naked the bodily scars, with WWE legend Mick Foley admitting final 12 months he’s paying a “steep worth”.
The bodily toll comes from the fixed blows and stress on the physique to carry out, in addition to the inherently harmful stunts carried out by the celebs.
Owen Hart tragically died aged 34 after falling from the rafters throughout a extremely theatrical entrance – being killed in entrance of a packed area of 16,000 followers.
And there may be additionally the toll of psychological scars, with many wrestlers additionally dying by suicide.
Ashley Massaro, Crash Holly, Chris Kanyon, Mike Superior, Sean O’Haire, Brian Christopher, Daffney, and others are all reported to have taken their very own lives.
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