January 30, 200620 yr http://prowrestling.about.com/od/wha...lersdeaths.htm Wrestling's Dirty Secret From Eric Cohen While many people think of wrestling as a big joke, there is one thing about wrestling that isn't funny. The death rate among wrestlers is alarmingly high. The only time this story was covered by the national media was on HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumble. That segment features the only man that can do something about the problem, Vince McMahon, mocking the interviewer and slapping the notes from his hands. In addition, the only wrestler to speak up for the wrestlers, Roddy Piper, was fired after the piece aired. Drug Usage While the outcomes of the matches are pre-determined, the effort to put on those matches takes a huge toll on their bodies. The wrestlers are on the road over 300 days a year and unlike other athletes, they do not have an off season. In addition, accidents do happen and injuries occur. Unfortunately, if wrestlers take time off, their wallets will suffer significantly. These factors all lead to the deadly slope that many wrestlers have found themselves facing. They get addicted to pain killers to numb the pain. This medicine keeps them too lethargic to wrestle, so they take drugs to get high. This deadly mixture leads to illegal drug dependency that many wrestlers have to cope with even after they retire. Large Bodies In the 90's, the WWE faced a major steroid scandal. While they claim to test for steroids, it is obvious to the casual viewer that many of the wrestlers are taking something to get their physiques to look like they do. In today's environment, a wrestler must carry either an enormous amount of muscle or a tremendous amount of fat to give him the larger than life size needed to be successful in the business. That extra weight, whether muscle or fat, makes the heart work harder than it must. Accidents and Old Age Not all the wrestlers die due to the reasons stated above. Some die due to travel related incidents because of all the time on the road. Some have even died as a result of injuries suffered in the ring. Unfortunately, the least common way that wrestlers seem to be dying is due to old age. How bad is the problem? The list below only includes wrestlers that have appeared on national TV and were stars. Imagine if this many baseball players died at such an early age. There would be congressional hearings. Yet because it is wrestlers, no one cares. The one man that should care once interviewed a widow the night after her husband died and asked her on live TV how she planned to support her children. Famous Wrestlers That Have Died in the Past 20 Years Before the Age of 65 Chris Von Erich - 21 Mike Von Erich - 23 The Renegade - 23 Louie Spiccoli - 27 Art Barr - 28 Gino Hernandez - 29 Jay Youngblood - 30 Rick McGraw - 30 Joey Marella - 30 Ed Gatner - 31 Buzz Sawyer - 32 Crash Holly - 32 Kerry Von Erich - 33 D.J. Peterson - 33 Eddie Gilbert - 33 Owen Hart - 33 Chris Candido - 33 Adrian Adonis - 34 Gary Albright - 34 Bobby Duncum Jr. - 34 Yokozuna - 34 Big Dick Dudley - 34 Brian Pillman - 35 Marianna Komlos - 35 Pitbull #2 - 36 The Wall/Malice - 36 Leroy Brown - 38 Mark Curtis - 38 Eddie Guerrero - 38 Davey Boy Smith - 39 Vivian Vachon - 40 Jeep Swenson - 40 Brady Boone - 40 Terry Gordy - 40 Bertha Faye - 40 Billy Joe Travis - 40 Admin Cameron - 41 Rick Rude - 41 Randy Anderson - 41 Bruiser Brody - 42 Miss Elizabeth - 42 Big Boss Man - 42 Ray Candy - 43 Dino Bravo - 44 Curt Hennig - 44 Jerry Blackwell - 45 Junkyard Dog - 45 Hercules - 45 Andre The Giant - 46 Big John Studd - 46 Chris Adams - 46 Mike Davis - 46 Hawk - 46 Dick Murdoch - 49 Jumbo Tsuruta - 49 Rocco Rock - 49 Moondog Spot - 51 Ken Timbs - 53 Uncle Elmer - 54 Pez Whatley - 54 Eddie Graham - 55 Tarzan Tyler - 55 Haystacks Calhoun- 55 Giant Haystacks - 55 The Spoiler - 56 Karl Von Hess - 56 Moondog King - 56 Gene Anderson - 58 Dr. Jerry Graham - 58 Bulldog Brown - 58 Tony Parisi - 58 Rufus R. Jones - 60 Ray Stevens - 60 Stan Stasiak - 60 Terry Garvin - 60 Boris Malenko - 61 Little Beaver - 61 Sapphire - 61 Shohei Baba - 61 Dick the Bruiser - 62 Wilbur Snyder - 62 George Cannon - 62 Karl Krupp - 62 Dale Lewis - 62 Gorilla Monsoon - 62 Hiro Matsuda - 62 Bulldog Brower - 63 Wahoo McDaniel - 63 :confused
January 30, 200620 yr Wrestling is a tough business and it takes its tolls. Many times for the worst.
February 1, 200620 yr wow i saw so many on that list wrestle.......i didnt know it had gotten that bad
February 1, 200620 yr The Von Erichs committed suicide so I do not know if I would put them on that list. He left out Jake The Snake Roberts which was from a drug overdose. Their was a time when Jesse the Body Ventura wanted to create a union for wrestling. My opinion, I also believe Vince McMahon has tried to make it so that the travelling is cut down on the wrestlers. You have Raw on Monday nights for a group of wrestlers and then another group of wrestlers for Friday night Smackdown. When the two wrestling groups get together is for the big events like wrestlemania/royal rumble and even that is spread a quarter months apart. It's a lot of hardwork but they do get rewarded very well for it. What they decide to do with the money is another question.
February 1, 200620 yr The Von Erichs committed suicide so I do not know if I would put them on that list. He left out Jake The Snake Roberts which was from a drug overdose. Their was a time when Jesse the Body Ventura wanted to create a union for wrestling. My opinion, I also believe Vince McMahon has tried to make it so that the travelling is cut down on the wrestlers. You have Raw on Monday nights for a group of wrestlers and then another group of wrestlers for Friday night Smackdown. When the two wrestling groups get together is for the big events like wrestlemania/royal rumble and even that is spread a quarter months apart. It's a lot of hardwork but they do get rewarded very well for it. What they decide to do with the money is another question. 1. They put names on the list who are dead, regardless of how they died, so that's why the Von Erichs are on there. 2. Jake Roberts is not dead. WWE just made a DVD about him.
February 1, 200620 yr There was a great wrestling documentary movie called Beyond The Mat. During the movie they show Jake "The Snake" Roberts drugged out and having father and daughter issues. During the movie they show Jake in his worst and at the end of the movie he died shortly after the filming of Beyond The Mat and a new comer to the wrestling world was paralyzed (he was going to be knick named "Puke" because he could throw up on response).
February 2, 200620 yr There was a great wrestling documentary movie called Beyond The Mat. During the movie they show Jake "The Snake" Roberts drugged out and having father and daughter issues. During the movie they show Jake in his worst and at the end of the movie he died shortly after the filming of Beyond The Mat and a new comer to the wrestling world was paralyzed (he was going to be knick named "Puke" because he could throw up on response). I wanna say they noted that Owen Hart died (I have seen the film). Jake Roberts is not dead. He was interviewed for the DVD, and was on RAW just this past April (or May?).
February 2, 200620 yr There was a great wrestling documentary movie called Beyond The Mat. During the movie they show Jake "The Snake" Roberts drugged out and having father and daughter issues. During the movie they show Jake in his worst and at the end of the movie he died shortly after the filming of Beyond The Mat and a new comer to the wrestling world was paralyzed (he was going to be knick named "Puke" because he could throw up on response). I wanna say they noted that Owen Hart died (I have seen the film). Jake Roberts is not dead. He was interviewed for the DVD, and was on RAW just this past April (or May?). I am going to have to buy the Beyond The Mat DVD. I am very certain they said Jake. However I will do some digging.
February 2, 200620 yr Holy crap there are so many names on there I used to watch when I was a kid... Rick Rude - 41 Bruiser Brody - 42 Miss Elizabeth - 42 Big Boss Man - 42 Dino Bravo - 44 Curt Hennig - 44 Junkyard Dog - 45 Hercules - 45 Andre The Giant - 46 Big John Studd - 46 Chris Adams - 46 Hawk - 46 I knew a couple of these guys passed away, but wow...
February 2, 200620 yr BOSS MAN IS DEAD? Can I have his police stick? Just playing, aww man that sucks, I loved boss man! Guys give me the official article about Big Boss Man's death please.
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