Despite what we read about wrestling being scripted, there are still a good number of wrestlers who died in the ring. What this means is that this multi-million-dollar entertainment industry is not without risks after all.
In recent years, however, there have been measures put in place by the WWE wellness program to reduce the incidence of death and debilitating injuries to wrestlers. However, evidence still shows that wrestling stars still suffer life-threatening injuries in the ring.
In a wrestling match, whether to entertain or not, we cannot rule out that so many dangerous stuff happens in that ring that can lead to a wrestler’s death. The neck grappling, jumping from the rope, and arm twisting could go wrong. But let’s leave wrestling tactics out for today.
Now, let’s take a look at some wrestlers who died in the ring. Out of the several casualties, we will serve you with the top ten.
Table of Contents
The Top Wrestlers Who Died In The Ring
11. Silver King
Silver King (Real Name, Cesar Gonzalez) was a Mexican wrestler. Born on 9 January, 1968, Silver started wrestling at an early age. He made his professional debut in 1985 and started making name for himself.
He met death in the ring on 11 May 2019 during a match in London, England against Juventud Guerrera. His death was a shock to spectators and fans as he simply collapsed to the floor without any punch or pull from his opponent. It was later discovered that he suffered a sudden heart attack inside the ring and that lead to his demise.
10. Mitsuharu Misawa
Mitsuharu was a popular wrestler from Japan who was active in the 1980s. His ring name was “Tiger Mask” because he regularly came into the wrestling arena wearing a tiger-themed veil. He never pulled out his veil until 1990.
Mitsuharu fell in the ring during a match in June 2009 and was rushed to a nearby hospital. In what could be tagged tragic, he passed on in the emergency clinic where the Doctor later affirmed that he died as a result of a cardiovascular breakdown
9. Jeanette Wolfe
As wrestling began to turn into a mainstream event during the 1950s, women began stepping their feet on wrestling sands. Female wrestlers like Mildred Burke were at that point commonly recognized names in the business.
By 1951, she started searching for a substitution. This drove her to begin preparing her 18-year-old Janet Boyer as her replacement. She started working under the name of Jeanette Wolfe; however, a half year into her vocation, she died.
Her death happened in a tag team match with WWE wrestler Mae Young on July 28, 1951, in Liverpool, England.
8. Malcolm Kirk
Obviously, one of the heaviest wrestlers of all time, Kirk, nickname “King Kong” weighed around 350 pounds. He reigned in the ’70s and ’80s. On 24 August 1987, He got into the ring to face another monster in Big Daddy.
Big Daddy was as big as Kirk, and they were an excellent match for each other. Big Daddy dropped King Kong with a beastly style titled “The Big Splash” during the bout. People expected kirk to stand up from that fall, but that led to his tragic end.
Despite efforts by the medics around to save his life, he still could not be saved and was subsequently pronounced dead.
7. Perro Aguayo, Jr.
People are still baffled at the demise of Perro in 2015. Filled with energy and life as he made his entrance into the ring with his tag team, no one knew the Mexican would not walk away with his life.
His tragic demise came in a tag team match on March 25, 2015, in Tijuana, against Extreme Tiger and Rey Mysterio Jr. Aguayo jumped on the middle rope, expecting Rey Mysterio to make his trademark move, but Perro collapsed from the rope in a matter of seconds.
It was later learned that he suffered three fractured vertebrae during the match.
6. Plum Mariko
Plum Mariko was a female professional wrestler who endured various injuries in her career. Sadly, on 15 August 1997, she died in the ring while in a tag team duel against Reiko Amano and Mayumi Ozaki.
She was knocked down and pinned to the ground by her opponent. She became unconscious without them knowing. Even after her opponent got off her, she showed no sign of life in her.
It was generally believed that she died of Intracerebral Hemorrhage (in-ring injury).
5. Oro
Jesús Javier Hernández Silva was given Oro as his ring name while working in Mexico. He kicked the bucket at a young age of 21, only two months to his 22 years birthday. Oro’s Tragic passing occurred because of a hefty knock on his head during a match on 26 October 1993. He passed on at the spot, even before the emergency vehicle sought salvage.
4. Gary Albright
Gary is one of the wrestlers who died in the ring that not many will remember.
The wrestling star also worked in a World Wrestling show at Pennsylvania at the age of 36. He competed with Lucifer Grimm in a match; as a result of the wrestle, Grimm used an Ace Crusher on him, which cost Albright his life. Gary Albright neglected to respond after the incident until he was confirmed dead. However, His medical report stated that Albright died of a heart attack.
3. Larry Cameron
Larry Cameron was a professional football player who tried to make it in the Canadian Football League, earlier before he left to wrestle in a popular Hart Dungeon. He competed in North American Professional Wrestling Organization and was given a ring name “Butcher” and “Lethal Larry”
Unfortunately, Cameron was working in Bremen, Germany, on 13 December 1993, when he got in a wrestling match against Tony St. Clair and suffered what ended up being a fatal heart attack. The referee quickly stopped the match as he tried to revive Cameron. However, Cameron had already passed on.
2. Mike DiBiase
Mike DiBiase known as “The Ring” was the first patriarch of the wrestling family that later added to his previously existing names, “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase, Ted Jr., Mike, and Brett DiBiase. He won titles in a few associations during his vocation.
He wrestled with Mountain Man on July 2, 1969, and suffered respiratory failure during the match. The referee did everything to save him but to no avail. It would later be discovered that a cholesterol buildup and not a specific move during the match caused the passing of DiBiase.
1. Owen Hart
Owen Hart was a Canadian wrestler who became a hero in 1999 and was fondly called the ‘Blue Blazer.’
Owen didn’t have to tragically die. In short, he didn’t die wrestling in the ring like some other wrestlers. It was an extravagant show by WWF on May 23, 1999, where they made him fly into the ring; that cost his life.
A complex system of wires that would drop Owen Hart to the ring from atop the rafters was set up to make an incredible impact. But a terrible thing happened when the framework broke down while the Blue Blazer was still 78 feet over the ring.
That is terrifying, right? On landing inside the ring, Owen collapsed and was rushed to the hospital where he passed on. WWE has since stopped that type of entry into the ring.
Conclusion
So, you see, not everything scripted goes as planned. Please share your views in the comments section below.
