Archive and tribute to dead wrestlers

Deceased Wrestling Managers and Personalities

This list includes deceased wrestling managers, valets, referees, broadcasters, promoters, writers, and wrestling historians, all of which deserve a mention for their contributions to the wrestling world from outside the ring.

Note that some of these guys and gals may have taken a few bumps, or even had a short career as a wrestler (including gimmick matches), but if they are most commonly linked to a role outside the ring, they’re included on this page, and not our deceased wrestlers page.

Last updated: 1/1/2019


This list is sortable by ring name, real name, date of death, age, and cause of death. Simply click a heading below to sort. If you wish to search the list, start typing into the search box below, just above the table. Your search results will automatically filter as you type.

Ring Name(s)Real NameDate of DeathAgeCause of Death
Abe FordAbraham Abrams2002-5-1390Natural causes
Adrien DesboisAdrien Desbois1985-12-24?Accident - automobile accident
Al HaftAlbert C. Haft1976-11-1089?
Al MandellAlbert Mandell2012-12-2692?
Al PabonAl Pabon2011-7-2246?
Aunt BurkeKitty Burke2012-1-885Natural causes
Barney Tucker Barney Tucker 2008-3-3088?
Barry Bernsten Sr.Barry Bernsten Sr.2011-2-28?Heart attack
Benjamin Francisco Mora MercadoBenjamin Francisco Mora Mercado2017-7-1871?
Bert MaxwellBert Maxwell1977-5-???
Big Al Ansel Al Ansel2008-3-7??
Bill CardilleWilliam Robert Cardille2016-7-2187Pneumonia
Bill ConnellWilliam D. Connell Sr.2008-5-31??
Bill Kersten Bill Kersten 2017-10-20?Natural causes
Bill KunkelBill Kunkel2011-9-461?
Bill SmithWilliam J. Smith1950-7-968?
Billy TacketBilly Tacket2011-3-1646Accident - automobile accident
BJ Race Beverly Race2009-10-960?
Bob LeonardRobert Leonard2016-1-9??
Bob LuceRobert A. Luce2007-2-878Natural causes
Bobby "The Brain" HeenanRaymond Louis Heenan2017-9-1772Cancer (throat)
Bobby CunninghamBobby Cunningham2015-5-20??
Bobby LombardiBobby Lombardi2016-9-23?Diabetes
Bobby WhitlockBobby Whitlock2005-4-368?
Boyd PierceBoyd A. Pierce1999-5-1870?
Bubba DouglasAndrew Douglas1986-2-1342Died in ring (heart attack)
Bucky PalermoBucky Palermo2017-6-686Accident - fall
Buffalo JimJames Barrier2008-4-655Heart complications
C.B. CochranCharles Blake Cochran1951-1-3179?
Cal EatonAlvah Eaton1966-1-1058?
Captain Leslie Holmes Leslie Holmes2006-2-2889Cancer
Captain Lou AlbanoLouis Vincent Albano2009-10-1476Heart attack
Carl Murnick Carl Murnick2002-10-1354Heart attack
Carlos MaynezCarlos Maynez Flores2015-4-29?Heart attack
Carnation Lou DaroLou Daro1958-7-1171?
Chandler BigginsChris Bryan2017-6-17??
Charles Anschutz Jr.Charles William Anschutz Jr.2018-5-950Cancer (pancreatic)
Charlie HarvilleCharles Harville2002-3-183Natural causes
Chef D.Z. GillepsieDavid Gillespie2016-9-2450?
Chip BurnhamJames W. Burnham III2017-1-961?
Chris DundeeCristofo Mirena1998-11-1791Stroke
Chris KreskiChristopher Kreski2005-5-942Cancer
Chuck MarlowChuck Marlow2016-2-1186?
Col. Tom WalkerThomas Lee Walker2017-2-2867?
Connie Marker Constantine Marker2010-12-3187?
Corey MaclinCorey Maclin2013-7-3043Accident - automobile accident
Curt OtterholtCurt Otterholt2016-8-2848Blood related (clot)
Dale PierceDale Pierce2018-11-860Cancer (prostate)
Dan CurtisDaniel Curtis1998-12-2937Diabetes
Dan ShocketDan Shocket1985-5-435Cancer
Daniel NickersonDaniel Nickerson2006-7-1548Heart attack
Danny PrickettDanny Prickett2004-2-2558Heart attack
Danny WilliamsDanny Williams2013-2-1985Heart attack
Dark AngelAngel Gabriele2016-2-2360?
Dave ReeceDave Reece2018-7-30??
Dean Detton Jr.Dean Detton Jr.2015-4-2983Surgery complications
Dennis CoraluzzoDennis Coraluzzo2001-7-2948Stroke
Dennis JamesDemie Sposa1997-6-379Cancer (lung)
Dennis StecherDennis Stecher?-?-???
Dick LaneRichard Lane1982-9-583?
Dick WoehrleDick Woehrle2012-3-1281Cancer (colon)
Doc KroneJohn Krone1934-2-861?
Don OwenDonald H. Owen2002-8-190Natural causes
Doug HansenDoug Hansen2012-11-10??
Dr. Grange BernardGrange H.Y. Bernard2013-3-1854?
Dr. Johnny Peebles IIIJohnny Peebles III2016-7-2770?
Dusty FeldbaumerRobert Feldbaumer Sr.2011-5-189Heart failure
Ed CapralEdward R. Capral1997-4-1570Cancer (prostate)
Ed McLemoreEdward McLemore1969-1-963Heart attack
Ed WhalanEd Whalan2001-12-474Heart attack
Eddie EinhornEddie Einhorn2016-2-2480Stroke
Eddie QuinnEdmund R. Quinn1965-12-1459Brain (cerebral hemorrhage)
Edward GershEdward Gersh2014-6-15??
Elliott Paul MurnickElliott Paul Murnick2017-6-1975?
Eric CaidenEric Caiden2015-5-1862Brain aneurysm
Erik NewtonErik W. Newton2015-5-2936?
Fernand Ste-MarieFernand Ste-Marie2016-10-2976?
Frances ZicariFrances Zicari2013-8-1285?
Fred HorbyFrederick Horby2015-7-1576?
Freddie MillerFreddie Miller1992-11-2563Heart attack
Gary HowardGary Howard2012-2-18?Cancer
Gene GordonGene Gordon1986-?-???
Gerald HebertGerry Hebert2018-4-1372?
George CulkinGeorge Culkin2005-2-2678Natural causes
George O'BrienGeorge O'Brien2015-9-2786?
George SimpsonGeorge Simpson?-?-???
Georgiann MakropoulosGeorgiann Makropoulos2010-1-2567Heart attack
Gino Moore, The Big KahunaEugene W. Moore, Jr2017-12-8?Cancer
Gordon Scozzari Gordon Scozzari 2011-1-541Kidney disease
Gordon SolieFrancis Jonard Labiak2000-7-2771Cancer
Guy CoffeyGuy Coffey2011-1-886Suicide
Hank the Angry Drunken DwarfHenry Joseph Nasiff Jr.2001-9-439Other - seizure
Harold Harris Harold Harris 2008-7-8??
Harry ElliottHarry Elliott2006-6-25101Natural causes
Harry ThorntonHarry Thornton1982-11-1564?
Hector “Bebo” MoyanoHector Moyano Sr.2013-5-27??
Helen HartHelen Hart2001-11-477Stroke
Henry MarcusHenry Marcus2004-7-2593Natural causes
Henry VineyHenry Viney?-?-???
Herb OwenHerb Owen1951-?-???
Herman GustHerman Gust Funk2015-5-1488?
Hotline Ric CarterRick Carter2006-9-244Accident - hit by car
J. Michael KenyonJ. Michael Kenyon2017-5-373?
Jack BrickhouseJohn Beasley Brickhouse1998-8-1582Cardiac arrest
Jack CorcoranJohn Corcoran1935-12-2877?
Jack CurleyJacques Armand Schuel1937-7-1261Heart attack
Jack CurranJohn Bernard Curran2003-7-971Cancer
Jack DaroJack Daro1977-12-?76?
Jack LittleJack Hiram Little1986-1-477Heart complications
Jack PfeferJacob Pfefer1974-9-1379?
Jack ReynoldsJoseph Rizzo2008-10-1671Surgery complications
Jack TunneyJohn Jack Tunney Jr.2004-1-2468Heart disease
James DudleyJames Dudley2004-6-194Natural causes
Jason SpeedJason Speed2012-12-1429?
Jay WestJay West2017-6-21??
Jeff BarnesJeffrey Barnes2006-2-2523Accident - fell off cliff while hiking
Jersey BrownDarlene Brown2003-7-15?Suicide
Jess McMahonRoderick James McMahon1954-11-2272?
Jesus PerezJesus Perez2007-2-2391Natural causes
Jim "Clawmaster" ZordaniJames Zordani2014-9-1450Heart attack
Jim BarnettJames E. Barnett2004-9-1780Cancer
Jim Crockett Sr.James Allen Crockett Sr.1973-4-163?
Jim DotsonJames Dotson2015-12-1049?
Jim FaganJames Fagan2017-1-1772Parkinson’s disease
Jim MandlJames Matthew Mandl2013-6-265Cancer
Jim MelbyJames C. Melby2007-2-1157Heart attack
Jimmy ClydesdaleDaniel C. Schwartz2015-5-931Heart complications
Jimmy Lennon Sr.Jimmy Lennon Sr.1992-4-2079Heart failure
Jimmy McGuireJames McGuire2002-9-1651?
Jimmy RiversJames Oliver Hampton Jr.2018-3-1968?
Joaquin Padin Jr.Joaquin Padin Jr.1997-?-???
Joaquin RoldanJoaquin Roldan2017-4-863?
Joe BaileyJoseph Bailey2013-6-1560Cancer (lung)
Joe GaragiolaJoseph Garagiola Sr.2016-3-2390?
Joe HiguchiKanji Higuchi2010-11-781Cancer (lung)
Joe JaresJoe Jares2016-7-278?
Joe Lesperance Joe Lesperance 2008-6-2880Cancer
Joe MurnickJoe H. Murnick1985-6-1768?
Joe PottgieserJoe Pottgieser Jr.2016-10-21?Cancer (lung)
Joe SchoenbergerJoseph Schoenberger2000-10-2??
Joe TurnerJoe Turner1947-2-1862?
Joey MarellaJoseph Adriano Marella1994-7-430Accident - automobile accident
John AyresJohn Ayres1995-10-242Cancer (liver)
John RegusJohn Fredrick Regus1995-1-478?
John StevensJohn Stevens1940-3-150Died in ring (accident by LaVerne Baxter, cause unknown)
John Tolos, Golden GreekJohn Tolos2009-5-2878Kidney failure
Johnny RaybornJohnny Steven Rayborn2015-4-1051?
Johnny SeamonJohnny Seamon1940-?-???
Joyce FrazierJoyce Frazier2004-3-2962?
Judd The StudTim R. Frankenfield2011-7-2444Surgery complications
Ken HawkKenneth David Stidger2017-9-2675?
Kunimatsu MatsunagaKunimatsu Matsunaga2005-8-1963Suicide
Kurt SchneiderKurt Michael Schneider2018-8-967?
Lance RussellLance Russell2017-10-391Complications from broken hip sustained after a fall
Larry MatysikLarry Matysik2018-11-2572?
Larry NelsonLarry Shipley2014-6-23?Cancer (pancreatic)
Leah Maivia Ofelia Maivia 2008-10-1981Heart attack
Lee Campione Lee Campione 2008-4-2288?
Lee MarshallLee Marshall2014-4-2668Cancer (esophageal)
LlakorMichael Ryan2013-4-2545?
Lou SpandleLouis Spandle?-?-???
Lucky RobertsSam Roberts?-?-???
Luis Magana Luis Magana 2008-3-2397?
Lynn ToneyLynn Toney2008-7-2583Natural causes
Mad Mike AllenMike Allen2005-4-?32?
Major Duke GeorgeDuke George2016-7-669Heart failure
Malcolm CormierMalcolm Cormier2011-8-974Multiple ailments - diabetes, alzheimer’s disease
Marianna, Mrs. CleavageMarianna Komlos2004-9-2635Cancer (breast)
Mark CurtisBrian Hildebrand1999-9-837Cancer (stomach)
Mark NultyMark Nulty2016-2-1055Cancer (lung)
Marty O'NeillMartin O'Neill1983-2-774?
Mary GagneMary Gagne2002-5-775Surgery complications
Max ClaytonMaxwell Clayton?-?-???
Michael HogewoodMichael Hogewood2018-9-563Heart attack
Mickey GaragiolaMickey Garagiola2010-8-2988Cancer
Miguel AlonzoMiguel Alonzo2012-4-689?
Mike D'avanzo Mike D'avanzo 2017-7-6??
Mike DuncanRobert M. Duncan2011-6-2364Natural causes
Mike LeBelle Mike LeBelle2009-11-2479Lung (respiratory failure)
Mike MilanoMike Miele Jr.2010-10-2046Stroke
Mike PatryMichael Patry2017-2-2142?
Mike PorterMichael Porter2010-10-2359Diabetes
Milt AvruskinMilton Avruskin2011-5-2865Natural causes
Miss ElizabethElizabeth Ann Hulette2003-5-142Drug overdose
Motoko BabaMotoko Baba2018-4-1478Liver (cirrhosis)
Morris SigelMorris Pincus Sigel1966-12-2668?
Mr. Main EventDennis Richard Main2017-3-2047?
Musty MusgraveFloyd A. Musgrave1948-2-2747?
Nagaharu ImaiNagaharu Imai2013-7-2953Cancer (stomach)
Naoto MorishitaNaoto Morishita2003-1-942Suicide
Nate the RatNathaniel Whitlock2018-7-759Heart attack
Neil “The Real Deal” O’BrienNeil O’Brien2017-12-547?
Nick GulasNick Gulas1991-1-2176?
Norm KimberNorm Kimber2002-3-1270?
Omar WilliamsOmar Williams2008-5-481?
Paul ApersteinPaul Aperstein2014-9-1858Multiple sclerosis
Paul Bearer, Percy PringleWilliam Alvin Moody2013-3-558Heart attack
Paul BeoschPaul Max Boesch1989-3-776Heart attack
Paul BowserPaul Forbes Bowser1960-7-1774Heart attack
Paul WinkhausPaul Winkhaus1974-11-???
Pedro "El Mago" SeptienPedro Septien2013-12-1997Pneumonia
Phil TaggertPhil Taggert1938-4-2148Died after match (heart attack)
Pinkie GeorgePaul L. George1993-11-188?
Princess BonitaBonita Vasquez2014-2-2894?
Princess SalimaJoyce Jean Farhat2013-11-2883?
Quick Count Al SopranoAlan Lebowitz2016-12-163?
Ralph MondtRalph Mondt1949-2-2558?
Randy AndersonRandall Anderson2002-5-642Cancer (testicular)
Ray BelecRay Belec?-?-???
Ray CorteseRay Cortese2006-9-11?Cancer
Ray FabianiAurelio Fabiani1973-4-1983?
Ray MurrowDoug Gentry2007-1-2634Heart disease
Red AndrewsErnest R. Andrews1977-10-2377?
Red Shoes Dugan Raymond J. Gedeon2001-3-2689Parkinson’s disease
Reisor BowdenReisor Bowden2001-4-274Cancer (lung)
RhubarbWarren Jones2017-4-265Heart attack
Ric StuartRobert Rhodes1989-9-?32?
Richard SzczypinskiRichard Szczypinski2015-2-1567Heart attack
Rick HendricksonRick Hendrickson III2017-8-1634?
Rocky McGuire Norman McGuire2008-4-11??
Rocky RomanRocky Roman2013-5-1647?
Rodger KentRodger Vogel2014-11-2890?
Roland AlexanderRoland Alexander2013-11-559Diabetes
Ron DobratzRonald Dobratz2006-2-1164Cancer (lung)
Ron MartinezRonald Martinez2010-2-2057Heart attack
Rod Trongard Rodney Douglas Trongard2005-6-1672Cancer (liver)
Ron WestRon West2013-5-1565Natural causes
Ronnie GossettRonald Gossett2007-7-2363Cancer (colon)
Rudy MillerPaul Miller1981-12-22??
Russ BarkerRuss Barker1993-?-??Diabetes
Sam AveySam Avey1962-8-967?
Sam MushnickJeshua Muchnick1998-12-3193Other - internal bleeding
Sam PriceSam Price1945-5-1053?
Sammy MackSammy Mack?-?-???
SapphireJuanita Wright1996-9-1061Heart attack
Scott EilandWilliam Scott Eiland2017-9-2743?
Scott EpsteinScott Epstein2013-12-2764Accident - automobile accident
Scott LeDouxAlan Scott LeDoux2011-8-1162ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease)
Scott WilliamsScott Williams2016-8-1749Heart attack
Sean CurtinSean Curtin2016-8-1174?
Sheik AbdulJohn Roberts2008-8-10?Murdered
Shoichi Arai Shoichi Arai2002-5-1636Suicide
Sid MarkusSid Markus?-?-???
Speedy HatfieldVirgil Hatfield2002-6-3093Heart attack
Stanley BlackburnStanley Blackburn1997-11-2080?
Sterling BrewerSterling N. Brewer2016-9-3090?
Steve Stack Steve Stack 2010-4-20?Alzheimer's disease
Susan “Pebbles” AdamsSusan Adams2008-5-2349?
Sweet Daddy Malcolm OatnealMalcolm Monroe Sr.2004-6-752Stroke
T.J. WeatherbyEdward Weatherby Jr.2014-6-1844?
Takashi MatsunagaTakashi Matsunaga2009-7-1173Pneumonia
Ted TanabeTetsuo Tanabe2009-6-1546?
The Commish Eric AckerEric Acker2005-7-332Accident - motorcycle accident
The Grand Wizard, Abdullah FaroukIrwin J. Roth1983-10-1254Heart attack
The Haiti KidRaymond Kessler2002-5-542Cancer (testicular)
The JackalPaul R. Jackiewicz2017-1-1251?
Theo EhretTheo Ehret2012-5-2491Natural causes
Tom PacksAnthanasios Pakiotis1964-10-2270?
Tommy KnoxvilleTom Loomis2012-9-344?
Tommy MarlinTommy Marlin2018-1-2485?
Tommy WeathersTommy Weathers2012-3-670Cancer
Toni AdamsToni Donahoo2010-6-2445Other - abdominal abscess
Tony SchoffAnthony V. Damato Sr.2016-5-2861?
Tony WattsTony Watts2017-3-2553Lung complications
Toshikuni MatsunagaToshikuni Matsunaga2002-9-2257?
TrixieGeorgina Pallo2013-2-2588?
Veto TallaritaVeto Tallarita1984-?-???
Victor QuinonesVictor Quinones2006-4-246Heart attack
Vince McMahon Sr.Vincent McMahon Sr.1984-5-2469Cancer (pancreatic)
Vince RiskoVincent Thomas Pelkowski2002-10-290?
Wally KarboWally Joseph Karbo1993-3-2577Heart attack
Walt HarrisWalt Harris2018-8-1897?
Walter "Skippy" WejtenWalter Wejten2008-11-2382?
Wayne CashmanWayne Cassibo2001-3-1353Multiple ailments - diabetes, stroke, heart attack
Willie GilzenbergWilliam L. Gilzenberg1978-11-1577?
Woman, Fallen AngelNancy Elizabeth Benoit2007-6-2243Murdered
Woody WoodworthBrent Charles Woodworth2013-2-2352Heart attack
Zack Murray Zack Murray 2007-9-2361?
Zane BresloffZane Bresloff2003-6-2057Accident - automobile accident

Have a correction or notice someone that was missed? Drop me an email.


Disclaimer:

“Natural causes” was only used to describe a cause of death when it’s the only information that I could source. It should be taken into account that causes of death such as heart attacks and cancer are of course also technically “natural causes”, as-is any ailment that is not considered unnatural (unnatural would be circumstances including suicide, drug overdoses, etc).


View full list of deceased wrestlers
View most popular deceased wrestlers
View wrestlers who died before age 50


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