Are These 25 Former WCW Stars Dead Or Alive?
- by Joey Haverford
- – on
- in Sports
WCW went out of business over sixteen years ago when WWE won the Monday Night Wars. However, the impact that WCW had on the industry is still remembered today. WWE purchased the library to WCW and it has become one of the biggest selling points for the WWE Network. Fans from the era still appreciate what WCW did for the industry and miss it. New viewers get excited watching the old content to see some familiar names in a different setting. Regardless of how it ended, the glory days of WCW still hold a special place in the world of wrestling history.
A lot of time has passed since WCW has gone under and sadly many of the stars we enjoyed watching in the 90s are no longer with us. The wrestling business is one of the few that sees a high percentage of deaths at a young age. Plenty of stars from the 90s made poor decisions regarding their lifestyle and a few managed to have bad luck. We will take a look at a plethora of WCW names and you will guess if they are still with us today. Find out how in tune you are with the wrestling world by answering if the following WCW wrestlers are dead or alive.
Perry Saturn
Perry Saturn was one of the young talents trying to make his name bigger in WCW. The work of Saturn made him a well-rounded midcard performer for WCW after many years in ECW learning the craft. WCW would book him to win multiple titles but always managed to underutilize him. Saturn was one of the Radicalz that chose to jump ship from WCW to WWE when the company offered them the chance to ditch their contracts. Is Saturn still alive or has he passed?
Chris Kanyon
Chris Kanyon could be argued as being one of the most underrated stars in WCW history. The in-ring work and ring presence of Kanyon always made him a credible performer. WCW just never viewed him as being anything more than a midcarder. The biggest success of Kanyon’s career came when he teamed with real life best friend Diamond Dallas Page. Kanyon came over to WWE following the purchase of WCW but never got over. Is Kanyon still with us today?
Buff Bagwell
Buff Bagwell was one of the members of the New World Order that often stood in the background participating in group beat downs. The role of Bagwell typically saw him in the midcard along with various tag teams. Bagwell never fulfilled his potential of getting to the top of WCW and lost his job quickly after WWE bought them out. The wrestling career of Buff would hit a downfall leaving him out of the spotlight for the rest of it. Is Bagwell still with us today?
Sean O'Haire
WCW struggled to build new stars or push young talent until it was too late. They tried to start a youth movement around 1999 when they were losing money by investing in young athletes. Sean O'Haire was one of the breakout stars from their developmental system that made it to television. The potential of O’Haire made it clear he become a future main eventer if he progressed. Unfortunately, WCW went out of business and he failed in WCW. Is O’Haire still with us?
Scott Norton
Scott Norton could be argued as the most underrated member of the New World Order. Despite growing too large in members, the faction definitely needed some intimidating wrestlers to make them credible as a heel group trying to take over WCW. Norton was among the strongest wrestlers in the world and no one wanted to meet him in a real fight. The work of Norton also impressed as a great in-ring performer. Do you know if Norton is still alive or if he has passed away?
Brian Pillman
Brian Pillman delivered superb in-ring work during his WCW career. The company made him one of the original cruiserweights to start that division and he delivered outstanding matches with Jushin Thunder Liger. Pillman however never got to showcase his charisma and unpredictable personality until the end of his WCW run. It was too late as he was unhappy with the company causing him to jump ship to ECW and then WWE. Do you know if Pillman is still alive or has he passed away?
Vader
The era of WCW before the Monday Night Wars is often forgotten despite delivering some great content. Vader was arguably the best heel in the industry at the time working against the likes of Ric Flair and Sting in great feuds. The decision to leave for WWE saw him give up a spot right before WCW blew up to pass WWE for a few years. Vader struggled in WWE and it turned out to be a bad decision. We still remember him as a legend. Do you know if Vader is still with us today?
Bam Bam Bigelow
Bam Bam Bigelow is one of the most underrated wrestlers of all time. The big man could move around the ring with agility unlike his peers. Bam Bam joined WCW originally to be a rival for Goldberg. Both men had intense brawls that saw Bigelow lose and eventually move down the card. The rest of Bam Bam’s career would be spent in the hardcore division. WWE didn’t reach out to him after purchasing WCW. Do you know if Bam Bam is still with us today?
Alex Wright
Alex Wright is remembered for his dancing skills that were a part of his character, but he had tremendous in-ring skills as well. WCW signed Wright at a young age due to his potential and employed him for many years. Wright played his dancing character well knowing he would never get to the top of the card. Diehard WCW fans still remember the charm of his overall presentation and wrestling skills leading to entertainment. Is Wright still with us today?
Steve Williams
“Dr. Death” Steve Williams could have been so much more in the wrestling business but his peak came before the business exploded with the Monday Night Wars. Williams spent a few years in WCW earning a few accolades and utilizing his real life amateur wrestling background to become an intimidating figure. WCW hired him back for the final few years during the Vince Russo era but they just used him as a joke. Is Williams still with us or has he passed away?
Scotty Riggs
Scotty Riggs never did much of note as a singles performer during his WCW time but he did achieve some success in tag team action. Along with Buff Bagwell, Riggs was one of half of the American Males. The cheesy tag team act did well before Buff turned on him to join the New World Order. Riggs struggled to find a role going forward and mostly was a lackey in Raven’s flock. Do you know if Scotty Riggs is still alive or has he passed?
Brian Adams
Brian Adams did not spend many years in WCW but he was there for the end. More fans may remember him for his WWE career as Crush. Adams made the jump to WCW in 1998 to join the New World Order. Unfortunately, the group was at its end and he had to find a new role. Adams formed a tag team with fellow big man and good friend Bryan Clark as Kronik. They were one of WCW’s finals success stories. Is Adams still with us?
Bryan Clark
The tag team partner of Brian Adams just happened to be someone with a similar story and a similar name. Bryan Clark struggled to get over in WWE with the Adam Bomb character leading to him leaving and eventually joining WCW. The intimidating figure played the character Wrath inspired by the Mortal Kombat video game at first. Kronik forming gave both Adams and Clark a fair chance to get over in WCW and they did. Do you know if Clark is still alive or if he has passed away?
Hector Garza
Mexican wrestling star Hector Garza started working in home promotion AAA at a young age in the early 90s. The work of Garza was impressive enough to land a contract with WCW. Garza and numerous other luchadors earned spots in WCW to help build the company as a global brand. Along with some of the other lesser known talents, Garza would typically participate in entertaining multi-men tag matches to pass time. He continued his career after WCW ended by going back to Mexico. Is Garza still with us today or has he passed?
Mike Awesome
One of the most memorable talent acquisitions in WCW history came when they signed Mike Awesome away from ECW when he was the ECW Champion. Awesome actually agreed to drop the title in a trash can on WCW television until ECW threatened lawsuits forcing him to lose it before joining WCW. Unfortunately for Awesome, it hurt him in the long run as WCW used him poorly and no one trusted him afterwards. Has Awesome passed away or is he still with us today?
Lodi
The silly character of Lodi saw this wrestler usually in the background. Lodi was a member of Raven’s Flock faction but he rarely wrestled. The role of Lodi was to walk around with witty signs and take part in group beat downs. Lodi eventually moved into a comedic tag team with partner Lenny towards the end of WCW. Once WCW went under, Lodi struggled to find work and his career was forgotten. Do you if Lodi is still with us today?
The Wall
The Wall was another star WCW tried to make in their final years when it became clear they had to let some of the bigger name veterans go. Jerry “The Wall” Tuite had the size and strength that the wrestling business desired from the performers at the time. WCW pushed The Wall as an unbeatable big man that would chokeslam his opponents off the stage. His push ended out of nowhere and his career would never take off as expected. Did The Wall pass away or is he still alive?
Johnny the Bull
Johnny the Bull was one of the last ditch efforts from WCW to push new talent. The young man primarily worked in tag team matches with partner Big Vito and eventually moved into the hardcore division. WWE employed him for a few years following the purchase of WCW. Most people remember him for being in the Full Bloodied Italians faction with Nunzio and Chuck Palumbo. His singles career would never take off sadly. Is Johnny still alive or has he passed?
Jimmy Hart
Legendary manager Jimmy Hart achieved success in every promotion he worked for. WCW signed him to come over with Hulk Hogan as they changed everything up in hopes of competing with WWE. Hart not only managed many of the wrestlers on the roster such as Meng, The Giant and Brian Knobbs at various points, but he worked backstage creating music. The entrance themes in WCW would be created thanks to Jimmy’s background in both worlds. Do you know if Hart is still with us today?
Louie Spicolli
Louie Spicolli was one of the lesser known wrestlers that worked for WCW, WWE and ECW all in the 90s. The talents of Spicolli made him stand out most in ECW working in a feud against Tommy Dreamer. WCW realized his value was rising and went after him. Spicolli joined WCW as the lackey of Scott Hall trying to become a member of the New World Order. Do you know if Spicolli is still alive with us today or if he has passed way?
Evan Karagias
Evan Karagias is remembered for his time in the 3 Count faction towards the end of WCW’s existence. Along with partners Shane Helms and Shannon Moore, Karagias would poorly sing and dance as a parody of the boy bands from the era. The entertaining yet annoying heel act worked perfectly as they also had great matches to back it up. Helms and Moore had strong careers after WCW ended, but Karagias disappeared right after. Is Evan still with us or has he passed?
John Tenta
John Tenta was one of the top monster wrestlers of the 80s as Earthquake in WWE often working against Hulk Hogan and the other faces of the time. WCW signed him away during the Hogan era when the company was looking to acquire as many established names as possible to create competition. Unfortunately, WCW had to think of a new name and character for Tenta. The Shark would see him portray a human shark before other failing gimmicks. Is Tenta still with us today?
Raven
Another memorable signing that saw WCW steal a top talent away from ECW was Raven. The heel work of Raven made him the biggest name in ECW as arguably the best villain in wrestling. WCW signed him and had him play a version of the same character. Sadly, the lack of creative freedom doomed Raven. His midcard work was great in both entertaining promos and great matches, but he never moved up the card. Raven left for a return to ECW and signed with WWE towards the end of the era. Is Raven still alive today?
Vampiro
Vampiro was one of the few North American wrestlers to become a huge star in Mexico. The Mexican fans viewed him as a heartthrob despite originating from Canada. WCW saw the success he had in Mexico and offered him a big money contract. Vampiro had a memorable feud with Sting before fading away into less impactful feuds until WCW ended. His career continued in TNA and other promotions. Do you know if he’s still with us today or if he has passed away?
Ray Traylor
Most fans remember Ray Traylor for his WWE career as the Big Boss Man. WCW stole him away and tried finding similar success. Various gimmicks like The Guardian Angel, The Boss and Big Bubba all flopped. Traylor found his best success in WCW using his name and trying to feud with the New World Order after they kicked him out. It still was never the same as his peak days in WWE. Is Ray Traylor still with us today or he has passed?