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Death has a nasty habit of raiding the professional wrestling industry. Even though death claimed a few major names this year, it has not claimed nearly as many as it normally would. Unfortunately, I was unable to find every single one. If you know any more, please do post them below.
The Zombie (7th January) – Tim Roberts, 38, competed throughout North America as ‘The Arsonist’ Tim Arson. He developed a cult following after a one-off appearance as The Zombie on the first show of WWE’s ECW brand. He stumbled to the ring in dirty clothes with dirt in his hair, and then growled into a mic before being attacked before The Sandman. Even though the point of the angle was that ECW fans normally hated such gimmicks, The Zombie was an instant success.
Maximo (16th February) – Maximo is one of the most easy-going and likeable members that OSR has ever had. Our community was devastated by the news that our brother had fallen. Maximo translates as ‘The Greatest’, which is exactly what he is.
Larry Winters (28th January) – ‘The Living Legend’ is one of the most underrated stars in wrestling. He has competed and won titles in a wide range of companies across America, and has worked with virtually every mid-carder that existed in the ‘90s. He shook off his pretty boy image with an especially violent encounter with D.C. Drake. Very highly respected within the industry.
Drew McDonald (9th February) – Charles Shaw, 59, has dominated UK wrestling since the ‘80s, and regularly competed on the American independent circuit. The Scotsman has worked with, trained and inspired many of the biggest stars from Britain in Ireland of the last 25 years, including William Regal, Sheamus, Drew Galloway, and Paige.
Perro Aguayo, Jr. (21st March) – Pedro Aguayo Ramirez, 35, is easily the most shocking entrant on this list. He died due to a combination of bad timing and a freak accident on a live broadcast. During a tag team match that also featured Rey Mysterio, Aguayo fell against the ring ropes awkwardly. He struck his throat and lost consciousness right away. It took people a few moments to realise that Aguayo was not selling a signature move, and the ringside medical team was already dealing with another emergency backstage. Volunteers carried Aguayo to the nearest hospital on wooden boards, but the doctors were unable to save him. Due to Aguayo’s popularity, angry viewers actually rang the police and lied that they had witnessed Mysterio commit murder.
Steve Rickard (6th April) - , 85, was a wrestler, promoter and trainer from New Zealand. He worked as a major heel for the NWA and put over many future Hall of Famers including Jack Brisco, Harley Race, Killer Kowalski, Dory Funk, Jr., Karl Gotch, Andre the Giant and Ric Flair.
Verne Gagne (27th April) – Laverne Gagne, 89, is one of the few men who beat respect out of the McMahon family through business competition. Although he became a major wrestling star throughout the US, he is best known for his years in charge of the AWA.
Ashura Hara (28th April) – Susuma Hara, 68, is a Japanese rugby player and wrestler. He played rugby for the Kintestu Liners, and represented Japan in the 1976 in their Rugby World Cup. He is most famous for his work with All-Japan, but has competed in Canada too. He has worked feuds with British Bulldog and Bam Bam Bigelow and briefly teamed with Earthquake.
Tommy Rogers (1st June) – Tommy Couch, 54, began his wrestling career with no formal training. He is most famous for working tag team matches in World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW). He very briefly worked with the WWE and ECW.
Akira (3rd June) – Akira was a woman’s wrestler who was best known for her time with Maniac Zone Wrestling (MZW) in her native Poland.
Dusty Rhodes (11th June) – Virgil Runnels, Jr., 69, was both a pioneer of hardcore wrestling in the United States, and for stars who did not fit the traditional “bodybuilder†look. He was competed in every significant wrestling organisation in the US, and has been a booker in many of them too. The ‘American Dream’ is one of the most charismatic men to have entered into the Hall of Fame. He is the father of current WWE stars Goldust and Stardust. Despite being known as one of the toughest wrestlers of all time, he died as the result of internal injuries caused by a minor fall at home.
Lynn McCrossin (17th June) – McCrossin, 57, is a championship level bodybuilder who competed mainly with the little known FEMWIN.
Cora Combs (21st June) – Cora Svonsteckik, 92, was a female wrestler who achieved good success in the Mid-South territories. She was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in Amsterdam, New York.
Buddy Landel (22nd June) – Landel, 52, is one of the lesser known legends to carry the ‘Nature Boy’ gimmick. He is best known for his work in the NWA territories, including Jim Crockett Promotions. He set attendance records with Jerry Lawler and Dutch Mantell (Zeb Colter).
Roddy Piper (31st July) – Roderick Toombs, 61, is arguably one of the greatest heels to have never held a major championship. Toombs had main-evented the first WrestleMania and famously battled actor Mr. T at the first two events. Believed to be a cousin of the Hart family, the Canadian made his career by pretending to be from Scotland. He was well known for his controversial promos and interview segments. One the first edition of ‘Piper’s Pit’, Piper got frustrated by his guest and literally fought him off the stage. He garnered major success despite being a real life critic of both Hulk Hogan and Vince McMahon. Piper died in his sleep after a suspected heart attack.
Duke Myers (22nd August) – Myers is a little known wrestler from Porland, Oregon. He was also known as the Colossus of Death.
Drunken Irishman (22nd September) – James Prentice is an American wrestler who competed largely in the independents. As his name suggests, he mainly did hardcore matches while pretending to be drunk. He has worked with a few current WWE main eventers during their rookie years, including John Cena and Randy Orton.
Nick Bockwinkel (6th December) – Bockwinkel, 80, is one of the biggest stars of the American Wrestling Association (AWA), where he has been the World Heavyweight Champion 4 times, and a World Tag Team Champion 3 times. He was also Hulk Hogan’s first opponent at the very beginning of ‘Hulkamania’.
Hack Meyers (7th December) – Donald Haviland, 42, is a veteran of the Florida independent scene, and developed a cult following in ECW. He became known as “The Shah of ECW†due to his habit of yelling “Shah!†when he performed an offensive manuvure. Fans would do the same when Meyers struck someone, and shouted “Sh*t!†if he took a hit.
Lizmark (16th December) – Lizmark, 66, is a major legend in Mexico. He has competed in the main-event tier of almost every big name company in his home country. He is the father of El Hijo del Lizmark and WCW star Lizmark, Jr.
The Zombie (7th January) – Tim Roberts, 38, competed throughout North America as ‘The Arsonist’ Tim Arson. He developed a cult following after a one-off appearance as The Zombie on the first show of WWE’s ECW brand. He stumbled to the ring in dirty clothes with dirt in his hair, and then growled into a mic before being attacked before The Sandman. Even though the point of the angle was that ECW fans normally hated such gimmicks, The Zombie was an instant success.
Maximo (16th February) – Maximo is one of the most easy-going and likeable members that OSR has ever had. Our community was devastated by the news that our brother had fallen. Maximo translates as ‘The Greatest’, which is exactly what he is.
Larry Winters (28th January) – ‘The Living Legend’ is one of the most underrated stars in wrestling. He has competed and won titles in a wide range of companies across America, and has worked with virtually every mid-carder that existed in the ‘90s. He shook off his pretty boy image with an especially violent encounter with D.C. Drake. Very highly respected within the industry.
Drew McDonald (9th February) – Charles Shaw, 59, has dominated UK wrestling since the ‘80s, and regularly competed on the American independent circuit. The Scotsman has worked with, trained and inspired many of the biggest stars from Britain in Ireland of the last 25 years, including William Regal, Sheamus, Drew Galloway, and Paige.
Perro Aguayo, Jr. (21st March) – Pedro Aguayo Ramirez, 35, is easily the most shocking entrant on this list. He died due to a combination of bad timing and a freak accident on a live broadcast. During a tag team match that also featured Rey Mysterio, Aguayo fell against the ring ropes awkwardly. He struck his throat and lost consciousness right away. It took people a few moments to realise that Aguayo was not selling a signature move, and the ringside medical team was already dealing with another emergency backstage. Volunteers carried Aguayo to the nearest hospital on wooden boards, but the doctors were unable to save him. Due to Aguayo’s popularity, angry viewers actually rang the police and lied that they had witnessed Mysterio commit murder.
Steve Rickard (6th April) - , 85, was a wrestler, promoter and trainer from New Zealand. He worked as a major heel for the NWA and put over many future Hall of Famers including Jack Brisco, Harley Race, Killer Kowalski, Dory Funk, Jr., Karl Gotch, Andre the Giant and Ric Flair.
Verne Gagne (27th April) – Laverne Gagne, 89, is one of the few men who beat respect out of the McMahon family through business competition. Although he became a major wrestling star throughout the US, he is best known for his years in charge of the AWA.
Ashura Hara (28th April) – Susuma Hara, 68, is a Japanese rugby player and wrestler. He played rugby for the Kintestu Liners, and represented Japan in the 1976 in their Rugby World Cup. He is most famous for his work with All-Japan, but has competed in Canada too. He has worked feuds with British Bulldog and Bam Bam Bigelow and briefly teamed with Earthquake.
Tommy Rogers (1st June) – Tommy Couch, 54, began his wrestling career with no formal training. He is most famous for working tag team matches in World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW). He very briefly worked with the WWE and ECW.
Akira (3rd June) – Akira was a woman’s wrestler who was best known for her time with Maniac Zone Wrestling (MZW) in her native Poland.
Dusty Rhodes (11th June) – Virgil Runnels, Jr., 69, was both a pioneer of hardcore wrestling in the United States, and for stars who did not fit the traditional “bodybuilder†look. He was competed in every significant wrestling organisation in the US, and has been a booker in many of them too. The ‘American Dream’ is one of the most charismatic men to have entered into the Hall of Fame. He is the father of current WWE stars Goldust and Stardust. Despite being known as one of the toughest wrestlers of all time, he died as the result of internal injuries caused by a minor fall at home.
Lynn McCrossin (17th June) – McCrossin, 57, is a championship level bodybuilder who competed mainly with the little known FEMWIN.
Cora Combs (21st June) – Cora Svonsteckik, 92, was a female wrestler who achieved good success in the Mid-South territories. She was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in Amsterdam, New York.
Buddy Landel (22nd June) – Landel, 52, is one of the lesser known legends to carry the ‘Nature Boy’ gimmick. He is best known for his work in the NWA territories, including Jim Crockett Promotions. He set attendance records with Jerry Lawler and Dutch Mantell (Zeb Colter).
Roddy Piper (31st July) – Roderick Toombs, 61, is arguably one of the greatest heels to have never held a major championship. Toombs had main-evented the first WrestleMania and famously battled actor Mr. T at the first two events. Believed to be a cousin of the Hart family, the Canadian made his career by pretending to be from Scotland. He was well known for his controversial promos and interview segments. One the first edition of ‘Piper’s Pit’, Piper got frustrated by his guest and literally fought him off the stage. He garnered major success despite being a real life critic of both Hulk Hogan and Vince McMahon. Piper died in his sleep after a suspected heart attack.
Duke Myers (22nd August) – Myers is a little known wrestler from Porland, Oregon. He was also known as the Colossus of Death.
Drunken Irishman (22nd September) – James Prentice is an American wrestler who competed largely in the independents. As his name suggests, he mainly did hardcore matches while pretending to be drunk. He has worked with a few current WWE main eventers during their rookie years, including John Cena and Randy Orton.
Nick Bockwinkel (6th December) – Bockwinkel, 80, is one of the biggest stars of the American Wrestling Association (AWA), where he has been the World Heavyweight Champion 4 times, and a World Tag Team Champion 3 times. He was also Hulk Hogan’s first opponent at the very beginning of ‘Hulkamania’.
Hack Meyers (7th December) – Donald Haviland, 42, is a veteran of the Florida independent scene, and developed a cult following in ECW. He became known as “The Shah of ECW†due to his habit of yelling “Shah!†when he performed an offensive manuvure. Fans would do the same when Meyers struck someone, and shouted “Sh*t!†if he took a hit.
Lizmark (16th December) – Lizmark, 66, is a major legend in Mexico. He has competed in the main-event tier of almost every big name company in his home country. He is the father of El Hijo del Lizmark and WCW star Lizmark, Jr.