Following the death of legendary wrestler Ultimate Warrior here is a list of the professional wrestlers taken too soon.
Although the cause of death for the Ultimate Warrior was not yet known, if this list is anything to go by, heart attack would be a likely candidate.
1. Ultimate Warrior, June 16, 1954 – April 8, 2014 (aged 54).
Originally an amatuer bodybuilder, he made his name in the WWF (now WWE), starting his career in 1987. He rose to become one of the biggest stars in wrestling history, highlighted by an epic encounter in which he defeated Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania VI to become a WWF Champion.
Finisher: Running splash (originally gorilla press drop).
2. Macho Man Randy Savage, November 15, 1952 – May 20, 2011 (aged 58)
Savage was one of the greatest wrestlers, holding 20 championships during his professional career. He held six world championships between the WWF and WCW. The WWE named him as the greatest champion of all time and credited him for bringing “a higher level of credibility to the title through his amazing in-ring performances”. He died suddenly from a heart attack.
Finisher: Diving elbow drop
3. Andre the Giant, May 19, 1946 – January 27, 1993 (aged 46)
Described as the “eighth wonder of the world” because of his size (2.24-metres tall and 240 kilograms), he defeated Hulk Hogan for the WWF title in 1988. But it was his transition from wrestling to acting that was perhaps the most memorable. It was a seamless transition (they aren’t really that different), his most notable appearance as Fezzik in the 1987 film The Princess Bride. He died from heart failure.
Finishers: Double underhook suplex, elbow drop, sitdown splash
4. Owen Hart, May 7, 1965 – May 23, 1999 (aged 34)
Hart’s story is a tragic one. He often entered the ring by being lowered from the rafters but one day it all went horribly wrong. During an entrance in Kansas City, Missouri his equipment malfunctioned and he fell to his death. His family later sued the WWF and the case was settled out of court.
Finishers: Bridging Northern Lights suplex, missile dropkick, reverse piledriver, sharpshooter.
5. Big Boss Man, May 2, 1963 – September 22, 2004 (aged 41)
A former prison guard who made it big during in the WWF the early 1990s, when he was challenging the likes of Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage. He switched to WCW but came back in the late 90s before retiring shortly before his death from a heart attack.
Finisher: Boss man slam.
6. Road Warrior Hawk, September 12, 1957 – October 19, 2003 (aged 46)
One half of the Legion of Doom, also knows as the Road Warriors, Hawk was known for often beginning his promos with his trademark yell of “WELLLL! … ” and ending with his catch phrase of “OOOOH, WHAT A RUUUUSH!”. The legion’s interviews were often hilarious but Hawk had issues with alcohol and drug addiction and later died of a heart attack.
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Finishers: Flying clothesline, hangman’s neckbreaker.
7. Mr Perfect, March 28, 1958 – February 10, 2003 (aged 44)
He was known as one of the greatest in-ring performers of all time. He was a one-time champ but it was his personality and charm which won the crowds. Hulk Hogan once said of him: “Everybody would check their egos at the door when they came to a building that Curt Hennig was in, because you couldn’t out-work him, you couldn’t outshine him and you couldn’t out-perform him. He was the best of the best.”
He died of a drug overdose.
Finisher: Perfect-Plex
8. Chris Benoit, May 21, 1967 – June 24, 2007 (aged 40)
A mainstay of WCW before joining WWF/WWE later in his career he was know for his tenacity and intensity during matches. During his career he used steroids and suffered brain damage. He was still competing when he murdered his wife and 7-year-old son, before taking his own life.
Finisher: Crippler cross face, diving headbutt
9. Eddie Guerrero, October 9, 1967 – November 13, 2005 (aged 38)
A crafty wrestler who often resorted to questionable tactics to win his matches. His tagline was “I Lie! I Cheat! I Steal!”. He was often cast as a villain in the ring, with his various substance abuse problems outside of wrestling, including alcoholism and an addiction to painkillers, being used as storylines in the ring.
Finisher: Frog splash
10. High Chief Peter Maivia, April 6, 1937 – June 12, 1982 (aged 45)
If you’re not younger than 40 you might not know who this is. For those of the younger generation, Malavia is the grandfather of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. He was around in a era before the big money of the WWE but was inducted into its hall of fame in 2005. He was also around before the drug use which plagues the WWE and unlike many on this list did not have a heart attack. He died of cancer.
Finisher: Stump Puller
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