Pro wrestlers put their bodies through hell for your entertainment.
And some die young in the process! And while many die by accident,
more than one was murdered! So who did it? Keep watching to find out.
"Macho Man" Randy Savage was known for his verbal intensity,
colorful and fringey rock-star costumes with cowboy hats to match, and sunglasses.
"Wanna light up your life?"
"YEAH!"
"Snap into a Slim Jim!"
Often cast as a villain opposite Hulk Hogan, some of his most
memorable storylines also included his manager and then-wife, Miss Elizabeth.
"Miss Elizabeth will be in a neutral corner."
Then cut ahead for "she's going to see the difference between one man and another man."
While Savage and Miss Elizabeth were married before they began
working for the WWF in 1985, their characters did not marry until 1991.
A year later, they divorced. Tragically, Miss Elizabeth died of an overdose in 2003.
Savage, whose career spanned four decades, remarried in 2010.
Sadly, he and his new wife Lynn didn't have much time together. In 2011, at age 58,
Savage died in a car accident. According to CBS News, he didn't die from the crash but rather
a probable heart attack suffered while behind the wheel, which was the cause of the accident.
Fans and fellow wrestlers around the world lamented Savage's death.
He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2015 by his brother, Lanny.
Chris Benoit grew up in Edmonton, Alberta,
where he first started dreaming of becoming a wrestler. By the time he was 18,
he was training in the Dungeon, the gym of Canadian wrestling patriarch Stu Hart.
In 2000, Benoit joined the WWF. The Calgary Herald wrote of him,
"Benoit was never a larger-than-life cartoon personality, like the famous Hulk Hogan.
Rather, he was the strong, silent type, a straight shooter who won
the fans' respect by virtue of his work in the ring, sans gimmicks."
And then things went horribly wrong. In 2007, Benoit died by suicide after murdering his wife,
Nancy, who was also a wrestler, and his seven-year-old son, Daniel.
Fans, families, and colleagues had a hard time reconciling the family man,
friend, and hero they once knew with the man who could commit such a treacherous crime.
According to ABC News, Chris Nowinski of the Sports Legacy Institute got in
touch with Michael Benoit, Chris Benoit's father. He told him,
"I thought brain injuries may have played a role
in what happened [...] and it was worth doing the studies."
Owen Hart was a beloved member of the Hart family wrestling dynasty. He was the youngest and one of
the more successful of his seven other brothers who also pursued a career in wrestling. Owen's
rise to fame began in his father Stu's Stampede Wrestling, and he went on to work in Japan and
Mexico before finally joining the WWF. At the time, his brother, Bret, was already a famous
WWF wrestler, making up one half of the Hart Foundation with his brother-in-law Jim Neidhart.
On May, 23, 1999, Owen Hart, playing his Blue Blazer character, was supposed to "fly" from the
top of the Kempel Arena in Kansas City for a live WWF Pay-Per-View Event called "Over
the Edge." As detailed by “Deadspin,” quote, "The harness malfunctioned; a clasp gave way,
and he fell 70 feet onto the ring ropes, severing his aorta and [dying] almost instantly."
Kevin Dunn, the executive producer of the show, decided to continue with the rest of the event.
While Hart's fall did not make it to air, the audience of 16,000 people witnessed it.
Due to the reality-bending nature of the WWF and its storylines, some thought it was part of the
show until Jim Ross, the show's announcer, explained otherwise. Owen Hart's wife and
children received an $18 million settlement after suing the WWF for this tragic mishap.
Junkyard Dog was born Sylvester Ritter in Wadesboro, North Carolina,
and he started his career playing football for Fayetteville State.
When he could not go pro as a ball player, he decided to start a career in wrestling.
Ritter worked in Germany and in Canada with Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling,
but his rise to fame came wrestling in the Mid-South. There was born his character,
Junkyard Dog, a role for which he donned a leather dog collar with a large, hanging chain.
In 1984, he started his career with the WWF. Per the WWE,
"Although he never won a championship in WWE,
JYD had quite a bit of success while remaining one of the most popular Superstars of the 1980s."
Junkyard Dog fought in Wrestlemania and had wins over wrestlers such as Randy
Savage and The Iron Sheik. Junkyard Dog retired from wrestling in 1993.
Tragically, though, in 1998, at only 45 years old,
he died in a car accident on the way home from the high school graduation of his daughter LaToya.
In 2004, LaToya was able to accept, on his behalf, his induction to the WWE Hall of Fame.
Dino Bravo was born Adolfo Bresciano in Italy in 1948 but grew up in Canada
and was often billed as "The Canadian Strongman" by the WWF. “Deadspin” wrote,
"Bravo was archetypal of a slightly outmoded sort of bad-guy wrestler in a number of ways — the
bleached hair, the procession of weaselly managers, the my-buddy's-strong-dad physique."
He got his start wrestling in Canada but soon went on to wrestle with the WWF,
winning the Tag Team Championship in 1978. But according to “SLAM! Sports,” his career
faltered in the WWF due to steroids. Still, over the course of his career he grappled with some of
the biggest names in the business, including the Hart Foundation, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan,
and Kerry Von Erich. In 1992, after a great career despite many losses, he decided to retire.
After retiring, Bravo joined the mafia through his wife's family connections.
Bravo became involved in cigarette smuggling, and after a deal went bad, he was shot 17 times in his
home while watching TV. Bravo was only 44 years old. The crime has gone unsolved to this day. Most
accept, given his line of work and the horrific nature of the killing, that it was mafia-related.
Plum Mariko, whose real name was Mariko Umeda, was a famous Japanese wrestler in the 1980s and '90s.
She got her start wrestling for the Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling promotion
at 18, and in 1992, she defeated Bolshoi Kid with her famous cross-knee scissor move.
Plum enjoyed a successful career until she had a long string of injuries. But she refused to quit.
On August 15, 1997, Plum Mariko was in a tag team match wrestling against Mayumi Ozaki.
Ozaki performed the Ligerbomb on Plum, making her head hit the ground.
Plum went into a coma and was rushed to the hospital. According to Nikkan Sports,
"The following day, on the 16th, she died of acute subdural hematoma
and acute cerebral swelling due to cerebral contusion at the age of 29.
It was the first time in Japan that a professional wrestler died from an accident on the ring.
Many believed that Plum's death was the result not just of this brain injury but several over time.
The Ultimate Warrior was a huge WWF star in the 1980s.
He is best remembered for his neon face paint, tiny bikini briefs,
and the uncomfortably tight strings tied around his bulging arms. According to WWE,
"While most Superstars slowly walked to the squared circle, Warrior sprinted full speed down
the entrance ramp and ran circles around the ring before shaking the ropes like a man possessed."
His matches were quick, too — at the 1988 SummerSlam,
he defeated the Honky Tonk Man in under 30 seconds. His greatest claim to fame
is beating Hulk Hogan at the 1990 WrestleMania VI and then Randy Savage at WrestleMania VII.
He even originated those Slim Jim commercials Randy Savage became famous for!
"You boys a bit bored? Snap into it!!"
Then he kind of disappeared, leading to all sorts of rumors. After occasionally
popping up over the decades, he attended his Hall of Fame induction ceremony on April 5,
2014, and announced he had signed a deal to become an official WWE ambassador. It wasn't to be,
though. Tragically, just three days later, The Ultimate Warrior died of a heart attack at age 54.
Fritz Von Erich, aka Jack Adkisson, was a famous wrestler in the '60s and '70s who trained under
Stu Hart. He was best known for his signature move, The Iron Claw. Later, he became known as the
patriarch of the Von Erichs, a brood of boys who would almost all become professional wrestlers.
But tragedy haunted the family. In 1959, oldest son Jack Junior drowned at the age of six.
In 1984, David, who was known in the wrestling ring as "The Yellow Rose of Texas,"
died in a hotel room while touring Japan. He was just 25. The official cause of death was
ruptured intestines, but close friends and family members have speculated that he may
have died from an accidental overdose of painkillers, or possibly a heart attack.
Then, tragically, three more of the brothers each in turn took his own life.
Mike was 23. Chris was 21. And Kerry was 33. Of the six siblings, only Kevin Von Erich,
known as "The Golden Warrior," survives at the time of this video.
In the 1940s, Luther Lindsay played college football and wrestled, but due to segregation,
he could only play against other Black Americans. When he decided to play professional football,
he found work with the CFL. While in Canada, he met Stu Hart and trained with him, after which he
moved back to the U.S. to begin grappling for the National Wrestling Alliance. According to the WWE,
"Not only did Lindsay train under Stu Hart, he also holds the rare distinction of having
defeated Stu in the Dungeon itself, which earned Lindsay such a degree of respect
that Hart carried a picture of him in his wallet for 50 years."
In the late '50s, Lindsay became the first man to wrestle in an interracial match. He took on
Ron Wright, known back then as "The Number One Hillbilly," in Kingsport, Tennessee.
According to an interview with White for “Kayfabe Memories,”
"They had the National Guard up there, thinking they were going to have riots."
Lindsay went on to be the first Black wrestler to compete for the NWA World Heavyweight title.
His competitor, Lou Thesz, said of Lindsay, that due to segregation,
"It was an amazing accomplishment for Luther to even learn his craft.
His place in history is not because he was black; it is in spite of the fact he was black."
Lindsay went on to win multiple championships. But in 1972, at age 47,
he had a heart attack in the ring while pinning his final opponent.
Lindsay has been inducted into both the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and the WWE Hall of Fame.
Don Eagle was a famous First Nation wrestler from the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory near Montreal,
Canada. Inspired by his father, wrestler Joseph War Eagle, Don began grappling at age 20. Like
his father, he also wore a full headdress. According to “Last Word on Sports,” Eagle, quote,
"became the first recognized Native American World Heavyweight Champion,
when he won the AWA World Heavyweight Championship in the American Wrestling Association."
Chief Don Eagle was one of the first generations of wrestlers to be a part of the television era.
In 1950, he had his most infamous match against Gorgeous George in Chicago, and it was televised.
At the end of the match, the referee tapped the ground three times to declare Gorgeous George's
victory, but Eagle still had one shoulder off the mat. The crowd was furious, and according to
“Slam Wrestling,” Gorgeous George needed police assistance to escape the ring. Don Eagle put
his hands on the referee and was suspended, but he was later able to regain his title.
Eagle went on to have a great career, even being a part of what would eventually become the WWE.
In 1963, at age 38, he went into semi-retirement due to numerous back injuries.
Three years later, he was dead. It was declared that he had killed himself,
but many, including his longtime friend, wrestler Two Rivers, believe he was murdered.
Gorgeous Gino Hernandez was a wrestler famous for being affable, and, well, gorgeous. Gino
was inspired to go pro by watching his stepfather, Luis Hernandez, work in the ring. Luis died when
Gino was only 12 years old, motivating the boy to train at a young age under Jose Lothario.
Gino started his professional career at only 17 years old. According to “Pro Wrestling Stories,”
"Gino wore his stepfather's boots during his first
few matches and credited Luis for how easily wrestling came to him,
saying, 'My dad did it for me. I was wearing his [boots]. He did everything for me.'"
Gino formed a tag team with his mentor Jose Lothario,
only to dump him for Gary Hart. Gino became more of a "heel" — which is a wrestling term
for “villain” in the ring — and he and Lothario began to feud. Gino went on to win the NWA
Junior Weight Championship and team up with Jake "The Snake" Roberts.
Gino began to get a reputation for doing drugs and hanging out with shady people.
In 1986, he was found dead in his condo in Dallas, Texas. He'd been dead for four or five days,
making it hard to determine the cause of death. A loaded gun was found, but drugs were not.
At first, it was declared a homicide, but after an autopsy found an enormous amount of cocaine
in Gino's system, they called it an overdose. Many remain skeptical and think he was murdered.
Gorgeous Gino was only 28 years old.
Brian Pillman was famous for being a talented wrestler who really knew how to work the audience.
Pillman had a difficult childhood: His father died of a heart condition when Brian was only
three months old, and throat polyps required him to spend a lot of time in hospitals. Pillman went
on to be a star football player in high school and then a free agent for the Cincinnati Bengals,
but it was when he played for the Calgary Stampeders that he found his true love:
wrestling. He trained with Stu Hart in the Dungeon and became, for all intents and purposes,
part of the Hart family. Later, he was allowed to join the Hart Foundation.
Pillman was one of the first wrestlers in the U.S. to adopt the Lucha style of "flying" in the ring,
earning him the name Flyin' Brian. Brian succeeded in all of the promotions he was a part of,
ECW, WCW, and eventually the WWF, winning multiple championships.
But his personality on the microphone made people believe he was a loose cannon. At Superbrawl VI,
after losing to Kevin Sullivan, he took the mic and revealed that Sullivan was actually the
person who booked the shows, after which Pillman was fired. According to “Pro Wrestling Post,”
"Pillman knew what he was doing. He was headed to the WWF and Vince McMahon."
Tragically, in 1997, at age 35, Brian was found dead in his hotel room,
his bright career cut short. He'd died from an undetected heart condition — much like his father.
Bruiser Brody was born Frank Goodish. Like so many wrestlers before him,
he started as a football player. While playing for West Texas State,
he was discovered by Fritz Von Erich and began his wrestling career. According to the WWE,
"His 6-foot-8, 300-pound frame made him a star from the very beginning, but the big man's career
began to build steam in 1976 when he arrived in WWE and was rechristened Bruiser Brody."
Brody grappled all over the globe, fighting everywhere from Indianapolis to Japan to
Puerto Rico. And it was in Puerto Rico that his career ended when he was brutally murdered.
In 1988, right before a match,
Bruiser Brody was stabbed to death in a locker room shower by José González.
Though their views were obscured during the stabbing, wrestlers Tony Atlas and Dutch Mantell
said they witnessed the events immediately before and after the murder. According to “Oxygen,”
"González was ultimately charged in connection to Brody's death,
but he claimed he acted in self-defense."
Atlas and Mantell were summoned to testify but didn't receive word until after González
had already been acquitted. González was able to continue his career and to this day
gets paid to visit kids' birthday parties. Rest in peace, Bruiser.
Mitsuharu Misawa was like the Hulk Hogan of Japan, famous and beloved by his fans. Misawa started
wrestling early, winning the High School Wrestling Championship before graduating. After grappling
professionally for a few years, Misawa became the second Tiger Mask after the previous Tiger Mask
retired. He rose to fame and faced high-profile opponents such as Ric Flair and Mr. Perfect.
In the '90s, he dropped the mask. According to “Pro Wrestling Stories,”
"Like most wrestlers in Japan at the time, he had no gimmick. Instead of behind the scenes drama,
his storytelling was in the ring, displaying a high level of physicality and technical moves."
Misawa went on to win multiple championships throughout the '90s, and he created his own
promotion called Pro Wrestling NOAH. According to “Pro Wrestling Stories,”
"[D]espite his ongoing injuries [...] which caused constant pain when doing
simple things like brushing his teeth and turning his neck,
Misawa continued wrestling in 2009 to keep the company afloat."
Misawa fought his final match that year. After his fellow wrestler Akitoshi Saito completed a move on
Misawa, he did not get up. It was determined that Misawa's cause of death was a spinal cord injury.
Eddie Guerrero grew up in El Paso, Texas, watching his father Gory Guerrero,
a once-famous Lucha Libre wrestler, grapple professionally. Eddie and his three brothers,
Chavo, Hector, and Mando, followed their father's footsteps into the squared circle.
Eddie rose through the ranks, working matches in Mexico, Japan, the ECW, and then the WCW.
According to the WWE, once he joined the WWF, quote, "Eddie wasn't just Eddie anymore,
he was 'Latino Heat.'" Guerrero won five different WWF/WWE titles.
In 2001, Guerrero went to rehab for an addiction to pain medication, which reportedly stemmed
from a car accident. Then he was arrested for drunk driving. Eddie was let go from the WWF but
was able to return in 2002. In 2004, he had an incredible match, winning the WWE Championship.
But in 2005, while staying in a hotel in Minneapolis, he was found dead just hours
before an upcoming appearance. Tragically, he died of heart failure at age 38.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues,
help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts,
please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ at​ 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.