Fox News on Wrestling Deaths

[Paul 584]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,286774,00.html

 

for those scared of clicking:

 

Chris Benoit was found dead in his Georgia home Sunday with his wife and daughter. Here are some other notable professional wrestling deaths:

 

The Von Erich Family: At one time, the Von Erichs were the biggest stars in wrestling, but things went bad for the family rather quickly. Of the five brothers that wrestled, only one lived to reach the age of 35. David died in 1984 due to an intestinal problem. Mike, Kerry and Chris all committed suicide.

 

Bruiser Brody: In 1988, Bruiser Brody (Frank Goodish) was stabbed to death in a Puerto Rico locker room after getting into an argument with fellow grappler and local booking agent Jose Huertas Gonzalez, who was later charged with murder. Gonzalez was acquitted in 1989 on grounds of self-defense.

 

Andre the Giant: Andre The Giant (Andre Rousimoff) died Jan. 27, 1993, of a heart attack at 46. At 7 feet tall and more than 500 pounds, Andre was one of the biggest and most popular wrestlers in the business for nearly 20 years. The man who wore a size 26 EEEE shoe died just 12 days after he buried his father.

 

Dino Bravo: Bravo (Adolpho Bresciano) was shot and killed near his home in Canada on March 11, 1993, at the age of 44. Bravo was believed to have upset members of an organized crime group in Canada for his involvement with cigarette smuggling. The murder was never solved.

 

Eddie Graham: Graham (Eddie Gossett) committed suicide on Jan. 21, 1985, at the age of 55. The former wrestler and promoter was despondent after falling victim to a con man's scam involving a dirt-hauling business venture.

 

"Gorgeous" Gino Hernandez: Hernandez (Charles Wolfe) died of a cocaine overdose on Jan. 30, 1986, at the age of 29. Hernandez was at the peak of his wrestling career when he became a drug abuser.

 

"Adorable" Adrian Adonis: Adonis (Keith Franke) died in an auto accident on July 4, 1988, at the age of 34 while traveling to a wrestling show in Lewisporte Newfoundland, Canada.

 

"Flyin' " Brian Pillman: Pillman, 35, was found in a Minnesota hotel room in October 1997 with empty vials of painkillers near his body. His widow, Melanie King, said an autopsy found that Pillman died from undiagnosed heart disease, although she also claimed his heavy use of prescription drugs may have played a role by enabling him to exceed normal physical limits.

 

Louie "Spicolli" Mucciolo: Mucciolo, 27, died from coronary disease in his San Pedro, Calif., home in 1998, according to his autopsy. Investigators found an empty vial of the male hormone testosterone, pain pills and an anxiety-reducing drug on the scene and the Los Angeles County coroner's office determined the drugs might have contributed to his heart condition.

 

Richard "Ravishing Rick Rude" Rood: Rood, 40, died from an overdose of "mixed medications" in Alpharetta, Ga., in 1999, his autopsy shows. In 1994 he testified that he had used anabolic steroids to build muscle mass and relieve joint pain.

 

Owen Hart: At the Over the Edge '99 PPV event, Owen Hart, dressed as the Blue Blazer, was set to descend from the ceiling of the arena to the ring. However, Hart plummeted from the rafters chest-first onto a turnbuckle. He was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. The event went on -- fans in attendance did not find out what happened to Hart while the audience at home was told. Fans in attendance and at home did not witness the fall, as an interview was being shown at the time of the accident.

 

"The British Bulldog": "The British Bulldog" (Davey Boy Smith), 39, died in 2002 in Canada of an enlarged heart with evidence of microscopic scar tissue, possibly from steroid abuse, a coroner said.

 

Miss Elizabeth: In 2003, wrestling beauty Elizabeth Anne Houlette passed away from an overdose of a combination of pain pills and alcohol..

 

Curt Hennig: Hennig, 44, died of acute cocaine intoxication in February 2003, medical records show. But his family has said that years of steroids and painkillers use contributed to his death.

 

Eddie Guerrero: Although Guerrero was primed to overcome his personal battle with drug and substance abuse, he was found dead from heart failure November 13, 2005, the morning he was scheduled to wrestle for the World Championship.

 

Ed "The Bull" Gantner: Ed "The Bull" Gantner committed suicide on Dec. 31, 1990, at 31. Gantner, who played football at Edgewater High School and the University of Central Florida before becoming a professional wrestler, was in failing health due to steroid abuse.

[Guest Dave7g]

That's just stupid to be honest, what genius came up with the fact that wrestlers sometimes die?

[Guest The Great Ahmar]

Bruiser Brody is died! So how much I know about him!

[Guest The Beltster]

Dino Bravo actually died in his home watching the TV. The police had to pry the TV remote out of his hand according to Rick Martel.

[Paul 584]

That's just stupid to be honest, what genius came up with the fact that wrestlers sometimes die?

 

I think its less that they die more the dodgy deaths dave. You know, that actual newsworthy bit. :roll

[Guest Jung]

The reporting isn't great though?

 

I mean Owen Hart falls 65 feet onto a turnbuckle but the people in attendance didn't see it cause they were watching a video?! Right...

 

To be fair I will say one thing. Wrestling deaths are way way way too common. It seems like a monthly cycle at the moment. And I remember as a kid of 14-15 hearing of maybe 2 or 3 deaths of famous wrestlers per year. Now its virtually 2 a month.

 

All from similar generations too. Makes you wonder if steroid use is actually more in the 90's, than it was in the 80's?!

[Paul 584]

Oh some of the details (lol) are shockingly baddly reported for sure.

[Guest Da Showstoppa]

The reporting isn't great though?

 

I mean Owen Hart falls 65 feet onto a turnbuckle but the people in attendance didn't see it cause they were watching a video?! Right...

 

To be fair I will say one thing. Wrestling deaths are way way way too common. It seems like a monthly cycle at the moment. And I remember as a kid of 14-15 hearing of maybe 2 or 3 deaths of famous wrestlers per year. Now its virtually 2 a month.

 

All from similar generations too. Makes you wonder if steroid use is actually more in the 90's, than it was in the 80's?!

 

IMO: The reason we are seeing increasing deaths of wrestlers and valets is that their wild lifestyles (I.e booze and drugs) from their road days (and lets face it we've all heard the stories) as well as over reliance on painkillers rather than rest (due to financial pressure etc) are catching up and as they get older their bodies finally begin to break down. It's no coincidence that all the recent deaths seem to be the same kind of era (Davey boy, Hawk, Sherri, Liz, Eddy) etc. Of course the acts perpetrated at the weekend (murder/suicide, or the fatal accident of Owen or even the passing of Chris Candido (thrombosis) are freak occurences.

 

The simple facts are that the world of wrestling needs to look very hard at the proliferation of drugs (prescription or otherwise) being used by it's people. Regardless of whether steroids played any part in the Benoit murders. It is time that wrestlers were looked after instead of needing to take these overdoses to keep paying the bills. Look at the walking disaster that is Kurt Angle for example.

 

Maybe wrestling fundimentally needs to change. Schedules to be lightened and talent rotated better. Also the idea of bodybuilding monsters seems to be better consigned to the past. Wrestling is an athletic pursuit - fans don't care if someone looks like adonis, all they care is that they get a good show.

 

Anyway I hijacked this thread a bit there :)

 

 

Mike

[Guest Jung]

IMO: The reason we are seeing increasing deaths of wrestlers and valets is that their wild lifestyles (I.e booze and drugs) from their road days (and lets face it we've all heard the stories) as well as over reliance on painkillers rather than rest (due to financial pressure etc) are catching up and as they get older their bodies finally begin to break down. It's no coincidence that all the recent deaths seem to be the same kind of era (Davey boy, Hawk, Sherri, Liz, Eddy) etc. Of course the acts perpetrated at the weekend (murder/suicide, or the fatal accident of Owen or even the passing of Chris Candido (thrombosis) are freak occurences.

 

The simple facts are that the world of wrestling needs to look very hard at the proliferation of drugs (prescription or otherwise) being used by it's people. Regardless of whether steroids played any part in the Benoit murders. It is time that wrestlers were looked after instead of needing to take these overdoses to keep paying the bills. Look at the walking disaster that is Kurt Angle for example.

 

Maybe wrestling fundimentally needs to change. Schedules to be lightened and talent rotated better. Also the idea of bodybuilding monsters seems to be better consigned to the past. Wrestling is an athletic pursuit - fans don't care if someone looks like adonis, all they care is that they get a good show.

 

Anyway I hijacked this thread a bit there :)

 

 

Mike

 

 

Personally I think they need to do a lot of things.

 

First thing I would do is vastly reduce the schedule. TV Tapings and maybe a house show at the weekend. I don't care about the money lost, the schedule has to change, cause that has to be one of the reasons so many guys over indulge in drugs and alcohol, and have the need to take painkillers and roids because of the constant nature of being in the WWE.

 

Reduce the schedule and there is more time to heal, more time with your family, more time to write storylines, just more time for everything.

 

As for drugs tests, its going to be difficult to monitor that, I suppose ultimately they need their own union, or else more drug deaths and what not, will continue to happen.

[Paul 584]

I quite like the 'seasons' idea. Have Raw running december - july, and Smackdown march - october to ensure evryone has time off.

 

 

 

OK its totally never going to happen for so many buisness reasons, but its a nice thought.

[Guest Jung]

I just think even cutting week's down would be fine. Raw crew work Raw on Monday, then work a house show on Friday night. SD and ECW crew film on Tuesday, work a house show on Saturday.

 

Obviously that changes slightly with PPV's, but that gives everyone on the roster a good 3-4 days to themselves per week, to live a reasonably normal life, with storylines and what not ticking over.

[Guest Da Showstoppa]

I don't know why WWE doesn't organise gym training and fitness programmes like a football team. So then everyone is monitored to make sure they're not overdoing it or indeed taking things they shouldn't. I agree totally that the schedule needs to change, but also I think the style of wrestling needs to change too. It seems to be about ladders and steel cages and death defying stunts all the time now. Maybe that's partly our fault as fans, demanding these high spots all the time.

 

Triple H once said that his quad tear (2001) was due to him "redlining" for several months - that's proof enough that WWE needs to make sure guys are rested better. Also it would allow more time for newer guys to establish themselves as well. I don't want to see it being a case of "MVP will miss Wrestlemania because of a pulled hamstring" like football, but a medium has to be set somewhere between guys injuring themselves longterm because their bodies simply cannot cope.

 

 

Mike

 

 

Mike

[Guest Jung]

I don't think its the style of matches thats the problem, more the amount of them. You can't expect anyone to wrestle 15 mins of high octane stuff, 4 or 5 nights a week, and not be struggling.

 

I just there needs to be more resting time, cause at the moment there's no way to get off the train with WWE, its just show after show after show, with no breaks. Only when you get seriously injured is when you get a break.

 

Dynamite Kid is living proof of what happens when you work constantly and have no time off. No time to heal, no time to wind down, so you do whatever it takes to keep going. Is it worth it?

[DC 536]

I was channel-hopping the news channels to see if anything new was reported and came across 'The O'Reilly Factor' on FOX News. The host was interviewing a former wrestler, and all he asked about was steroids and "roid rage".

 

Three people are dead, and yet they're only interested in steroids. He even started to talk about if Benoit had been mixing his steroids with cocaine and other hard drugs.

 

It was sickening to see what the main focus over on FOX is. I hate that

kind of news reporting.

[Guest Da Showstoppa]

 

It was sickening to see what the main focus over on FOX is. I hate that

kind of news reporting.

 

 

That's why I quit a possible career in the media. I do have qualifications, but the ethics or lack thereof are frightening.

 

 

Mike

[Guest MastersGonads]

That's why I quit a possible career in the media. I do have qualifications, but the ethics or lack thereof are frightening.

 

 

Mike

 

Depends on what form of media you choose to work in, read and believe...

 

Fox is sensationalist to the hilt, and Sky News since 9/11 has followed suit, and have won Baftas for it...It seems Sensationalism appeals...

[etz 78]

This is so stupid.

 

Died in a car accident, died because he had a disease which made him 7+ feet and 500+ pounds, died of cocain overdose, committed suicide with pills.

 

 

So, check the stats in

 

a) people who earn as much as wrestlers.

 

b) people who travel as much as wrestlers.

 

 

I bet they are as high or higher.

 

Comparing their death rates to the national average is bordering on the criminally stupid.

 

PS did anybody mention that Eddie hit a 500foot frogsplash in a car accident and LIVED!! no normal person could have survived that.