Professional Wrestlers Who Died Young
Unlike any other athletes or sports entertainers, professional wrestlers are more prone to die before the age of 55. For whatever reason (the abuse of their bodies, steroids, hard drugs, partying, long hours), these behemoths of the squared circle end up perishing. Unfortunately, this includes many of the greatest wrestlers of all time. It's almost a strange occupational hazard at this point to be a pro wrestler, considering all the bumps you get in the ring. Moreover, it seems you hear about the deaths of these wrestling giants on a more frequent basis as the sport has grown in popularity and becomes a global brand of entertainment. Many of the stars on this list have competed in the WWE, WCW, ECW, AWA among others. The men and women on this list of WWE wrestlers that died have worked in some of the biggest arenas and pay-per-view events in the world.
So which wrestlers died young? That's the shame of this list. There are guys like Owen Hart, who died during an in-ring stunt, or the tragedy of Chris Benoit and his family, which words can't really do justice. Others, like Andre The Giant was a victim of his own size and ultimately that size was one of the reasons for his great success.
The wrestlers on this list all died before their 55th birthday. Though a bit morbid, take a look at the list of dead wrestlers and see who died young.
Beloved female wrestler Chyna was found dead in her home in Redondo Beach, California in April 2016. Chyna, whose real name was Joan Laurer, was just 45 when she passed away, and police were uncertain as to her cause of death. Chyna entered the professional wrestling scene with a bang in 1996, when she won Rookie of the Year for the Women's Championship.
She eventually became the only undefeated female champion in the history of the WWF. She parlayed her success in the ring to success on the screen, appearing in music videos and adult films later in her career.
- Age: Dec. at 47 (1969-2016)
Warrior passed away in Scottsdale, AZ the day after appearing on Raw for the first time since 1996 and giving an impassioned speech following his enshrinement in the WWE Hall of Fame and his involvement in Wrestlemania 30 weekend. He is survived by his wife, Dana, and his two daughters, Indiana, and Mattigan.
- Age: Dec. at 54 (1959-2014)
Macho Man died after suffering a sudden heart attack while he was the behind the wheel of his Jeep with his wife, Lynn, as his passenger. Savage lost control of the vehicle and it crashed into a tree, but neither he nor his wife suffered serious injuries from the crash. Macho Man's death was ultimately ruled as caused by heart disease, a condition that he was seemingly unaware that he had and was not being treated for.
- Age: Dec. at 58 (1952-2011)
- Birthplace: Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
A tragedy that is still taboo in wrestling circles: over a three day period Chris Benoit murdered his wife and young son before commiting suicide in his weight room in their home. After an examination of Chris Benoit's brain, it was found that repeated concussions had caused significant damage and lead to dementia which can cause behavioral problems.
Similar studies have been performed on ex-NFL players that have hurt themselves or others, and they largely reach the same conclusion.
WWE even aired a tribute to Benoit when they learned of his sudden passing, only to bury the episode completely once the company learned the full story behind Benoit's demise.
- Age: Dec. at 40 (1967-2007)
- Miss Elizabeth died in Marietta, Georgia. 911 was called by Lex Luger. She was rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead. The cause of "acute toxicity" from a mixture of pain killers and vodka is officially listed.
- Age: Dec. at 42 (1960-2003)
- Guerrero was found unresponsive in his Minneapolis, Minnesota hotel room by his nephew (and long time tag team partner) Chavo Guerrero, Jr. Chavo tried CPR but Eddie was pronounced dead when the paramedics arrived on the scene. An autopsy revealed that the cause of death was acute heart failure. He was postumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
- Age: Dec. at 38 (1967-2005)