Lance Russell Death

By Mike Rickard on March 11, 2018   /   2010s, 2017   /   Leave a comment
lance russell death

Lance Russell Death – Complications from Broken Hip 1926-2017 (Age 91) Lance Russell was a legendary announcer whose smooth, easy-going style made calling matches look easy, but as anyone who’s heard bad commentating can attest, it’s far more difficult to call matches than it seems. Russell spent the majority of his career in Memphis Wrestling, yet earned a worldwide reputation as one of the greatest wrestling announcers of all time. That Lance Russell’s name is spoken in the same breath as Jim Ross and Gordon Solie is a testament to his work, and like these two announcers, he was equally gifted as a stick man, capable of getting a good interview out of even the most marble-mouthed of wrestlers. Would You Like to Announce Wrestling Matches? Lance Russell was born on March 18, 1926 and grew up in the small town of Jackson, Tennessee. Although Russell’s legend grew out of

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Andy Kaufman Death

By Mike Rickard on December 7, 2017   /   1980s, 1984, Cancer, Dead Before 50   /   1 Comment
andy kaufman death

Andy Kaufman Death – Lung Cancer 1949-1984 (Age 35) Although Andy Kaufman was often billed as a comedian, his place in history isn’t so simple. Part actor, part performance artist, and yes, part comedian – Andy was a multifaceted entertainer. Today, we dive into Kaufman’s run as a professional wrestler. That’s right, the self-proclaimed “Intergender Champion”. Kaufman truly left behind a legacy just as strange as he would have hoped for… A Born Entertainer Andy Kaufman was born on January 17, 1949 in Queens, New York. Growing up in upper-middle class Great Neck Long Island, young Andy entertained his friends and family from the time he was an infant, dancing in his crib to music and eventually entertaining people at birthday parties. A tumultuous childhood saw Andy experiment with drugs and father an out-of-wedlock child (who was turned up for adoption but later connected with Kaufman’s family in 1992). However, he

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Buzz Sawyer Death

By Ryan on October 25, 2016   /   1990s, 1992, Dead Before 50, Drug Overdose   /   3 Comments
buzz sawyer death

Buzz Sawyer Death – Drug Overdose 1959-1992 (age 32) Bruce Woyan, best known to wrestling fans as “Mad Dog” Buzz Sawyer, was a fixture in 1980s professional wrestling. Buzz Sawyer spent time with various territories, including NWA, UWF, Mid-South, WCCW, WCW, among others. He spent a short stint with the WWF in 1984, managed by the late Captain Lou Albano. Last Battle of Atlanta In the early 80s, Buzz had a bloody feud with “Wildfire” Tommy Rich, including the legendary 1983 match inside an enclosed cage – the first match of its kind, dubbed the “Last Battle of Atlanta”. Shawn Michaels notes the “Last Battle of Atlanta” as the inspiration for the WWE’s “Hell in a Cell” – a PPV that’s still prevalent today. Arguably, Buzz Sawyer saw the most success while working for Fritz Von Erich‘s Texas-based WCCW. In 1986, he won WCCW tag team gold alongside the late Matt Osborne

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