Real WWE Fans Know If These Wrestling Stars Are Still Alive
- by Chris Roberts
- – on
- in Sports
Believe it or not, the WWE is actually ahead of the curve in terms of protecting its athletes. While the NFL and NHL continue to allow its players to continue competing following multiple concussions, the WWE goes out of its way to be almost too protective of its wrestlers. While you could argue it's mostly due to the potential lawsuits it could face (it's already facing one large-scale lawsuit involving a majority of ex-wrestlers), you have to at least give the company credit for maintaining its position. For instance, despite attempts to receive medical clearance from outside doctors, the WWE won't allow Daniel Bryan, arguably its most popular worker in over a decade, to step back into the ring due to fear of him suffering another concussion. It's a publicly-traded company and that sort of controversy is the last thing both the company and its shareholders need.
However, the reason the WWE has taken so many precautions in recent years is because of the frequency of former wrestlers dying at a young age due to heart attacks, most often caused by steroid and further drug and/or alcohol abuse. In fact, when examining a list of former wrestlers, especially those over 50 years old, you'll find that it's almost a 50-50 split in regard to who's dead and who's still alive. With that in mind, how well have you been keeping up on your favorite ex-WWE wrestlers?
Is Hulk Hogan dead or alive?
There were stars in the wrestling industry long before him and there has been several since, but none have been as popular or synonymous with wrestling as Hulk Hogan. He inspired a nation of Hulkamaniacs in the late 1980s and early 1990s during his tenure with the WWE and later helped take the WCW's nWo to new heights with a heel turn that shocked the world. He's a six-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion and was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2005.
Is Big Boss Man dead or alive?
The Big Boss Man underwent several uniform transformations throughout his career, but was always known as the long arm of the law. He debuted with WWE as part of the Twin Towers tag team in 1988 and would often handcuff his opponents to the ring rope following his matches. As several mid-card wrestlers did in the 1990s, he left for WCW in 1993 and had a rather insignificant five-year run before returning to WWE in 1998 and competing in the hardcore division. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2016.
Is Bret Hart dead or alive?
Younger wrestling fans might solely associate Bret Hart with the Montreal Screwjob in which he had the WWE Championship basically stolen from him in a coup by Vince McMahon and Shawn Michaels, who has maintained his innocence in the plot. However, before that, Hart was the face of the company and helped carry it through a down period in terms of talent and creativity. His run with the WCW was forgettable, but he did win the World Heavyweight Championship twice, making him a seven-time World Champion between both promotions.
Is Tatanka dead or alive?
Christopher Chavis might not be remembered as one of the best wrestlers in the world, but he enjoyed an impressive run as Tatanka in the WWE in the early 1990s. Before Goldberg did it in WCW, Tatanka enjoyed a lengthy undefeated streak before suffering his first televised defeat in 1993 against Ludvig Borga. He later turned heel and joined the Million Dollar Corporation and has returned to the WWE multiple times in the 2000s. He surprisingly failed to win a championship in the WWE, but did win a Slammy Award in 1994.
Is Andre the Giant dead or alive?
Andre the Giant was one of the biggest (quite literally) attractions in the WWE back when it was the World Wide Wrestling Federation. He wrestled with the company from 1973 up until 1992 in a limited role, but was a one-time World Heavyweight and Tag Team Champion. He was also on the receiving end of the most famous scoop slam of all-time when Hulk Hogan picked him up and body slammed him during a match. Outside of wrestling, he's best known for his role as Fezzik in The Princess Bride.
Is Bobby Heenan dead or alive?
Arguably one of the greatest commentators and managers of all-time, Bobby Heenan first entered the wrestling industry in 1965 with World Wrestling Association and later worked with American Wrestling Association before joining the WWE in a managerial role in 1984. He worked with the company up until 1993 and spent the final seven years of his professional career with WCW. Throughout his career, he managed multiple well-known wrestlers, including Andre the Giant, King Kong Bundy, Harley Race, and Ric Flair.
Is Bam Bam Bigelow dead or alive?
A native of Asbury Park, New Jersey, Scott Charles Bigelow is better known for his wrestling name of "Bam Bam." Although he wasn't necessarily in peak physical condition throughout his career, he was known for his willingness and ability to pull off high-flying moves; one of his signature moves was a moonsault. He has had success in the WWE, WCW, and ECW. He didn't win a championship in WWE, but put on several memorable matches. He's also a two-time WCW World Tag Team Champion and one-time ECW World Heavyweight Champion.
Is Scott Hall dead or alive?
Known as Razor Ramon in the WWE, Scott Hall reached new levels of fame in the WCW as one half of The Outsiders with longtime friend Kevin Nash. The pair eventually created the nWo, which grew with the help of "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan and several other prominent wrestlers. Hall was a seven-time WCW Tag Team Champion and two-time United States Champion, but never won the World Heavyweight Championship in either WCW or WWE, despite clearly being worthy enough. His ladder match against Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania X remains one of the best matches of all-time.
Is Yokozuna dead or alive?
If you grew up watching wrestling in the early 90s, you were fooled into thinking Rodney Agatupu Anoa'i was a Japanese sumo wrestler. In reality, he was actually a Samoan American and never once competed in sumo. Yet, as Yokozuna in the WWE, he enjoyed decent success for a seven-year period due to his size and surprising athletic abilities - at least, early in his career. He's a two-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion, two-time Tag Team Champion, and winner of the 1993 Royal Rumble. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2012.
Is Test dead or alive?
Andrew Martin was introduced to WWE fans as Test in 1998. The Corporation member went on to have an on-screen relationship with Stephanie McMahon before she was drugged and married to Triple H (yeah, wrestling used to be weird). The native of Whitby, Ontario, Canada lasted just over seven years with the company before joining Total Nonstop Action (TNA) in 2007. He's a one-time Intercontinental Champion, two-time Hardcore Champion, one-time European Champion, and two-time Tag Team Champion with Booker T.
Is Eddie Guerrero dead or alive?
A one-time WWE Champion, four-time Tag Team Champion, and winner of the 2004 SmackDown Royal Rumble, Eddie Guerrero is one of the most talented wrestlers to have ever stepped foot in a WWE ring. He was the sixth ever Grand Slam champion and inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2006. Prior to joining the WWE in 2000, he made his mark in the WCW, where he was part of Latino World Order and The Filthy Animals, the latter of which was with Billy Kidman, Rey Mysterio Jr. and Konnan.
Is Ric Flair dead or alive?
WOOOOO! That's the famous shout of "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair that can still be heard during sporting events throughout North America either as part of a goal song or in an attempt to hype up crowds. Flair was much more than that however; the native of Memphis, Tennessee is regarded as one of the best professional wrestlers of all-time and he has the accolades to back up the claim. He's a 10-time World Heavyweight Champion between both the WWE and WCW, but is best remembered as the man who carried the WCW and Jim Crockett Promotions during the 1980s and early 1990s.
Is Randy Savage dead or alive?
Snap into a Slim Jim if you remember the days when "Macho Man" Randy Savage was one of the most popular wrestlers in the world. In the late 1980s and early 90s, there was no wrestlers as popular as Savage and Hulk Hogan and their feud helped elevate the WWE to new heights in regard to popularity. Throughout his 32-year career, Savage won a total of 29 championships, including the WWE World Heavyweight Championship twice and the WCW World Heavyweight Championship four times.
Is Terry Funk dead or alive?
A hardcore legend and wrestling innovator, Terry Funk has enjoyed a successful in-ring career spanning a remarkable 50 years. Beyond the WCW and WWE, Funk has competed for numerous promotions, including All Japan Pro Wrestling, International Wrestling Association, Big Time Wrestling, and of course, ECW, where he was a two-time World Heavyweight Champion and member of its Hardcore Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into both the WWE Hall of Fame and National Wrestling Alliance Hall of Fame in 2009.
Is Chris Benoit dead or alive?
You might remember Chris Benoit most for an incident nobody wants to be remembered for, but before that he was a world-class wrestler who held a combined 22 championships between the WWE, WCW, ECW, and New Japan Pro Wrestling. One of the best technical wrestlers of his era, Benoit could also pull off high-flying moves and had incredible submission skills. He was a three-time World Television Champion and one-time World Heavyweight Champion in WCW, but he rose to new heights in WWE, where he won the World Heavyweight Championship and became a three-time United States Champion.
Is Ultimate Warrior dead or alive?
James Brian Hellwig became so entrenched into the Ultimate Warrior character that he eventually changed his legal name to Warrior. It's not all that surprising since he played the character perfectly, rushing out to the ring in a matter of seconds and shaking the ropes with an unmatched intensity. His matches often lasted less than a minute and he was billed as one of the most feared wrestlers in the WWE during the late 1980s and early 90s. He's a two-time Intercontinental Champion and one-time World Heavyweight Champion who was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2014.
Is Dean Malenko dead or alive?
Never one to be accused of being too exciting or personable on the microphone, Dean Malenko may have been held back due to his lack of personality, but there's no denying he is one of the best in-ring workers of his era - there's a reason Daniel Bryan counts him as his favorite wrestler of all-time. "The Man of 1,000 Holds" rose to fame in ECW and eventually enjoyed stints in both WCW and WWE, but was often used poorly by the creative team in both promotions. Still, he's a two-time WWE Light Heavyweight Champion, four-time WCW Crusierweight Champion, and one-time United States Champion.
Is Iron Sheik dead or alive?
A native of Tehran, Iran, The Iron Sheik was one of the most controversial wrestlers of his era and arguably one of the most-hated wrestlers among fans - he is credited with being the perfect foil to help the rise of Hulk Hogan in the 1980s. Never one to hold his tongue, he often shared his dislike for fellow wrestlers and has even done so on Twitter, making him a bit of a social media celebrity. He's a one-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion, one-time Tag Team Champion, and WWE Hall of Fame inductee.
Is Rick Rude dead or alive?
Even some hardcore wrestling fans fail to remember that Rick Rude was one of the co-founders of WWE's ever-popular D-Generation X stable along with Shawn Michaels, Triple H, and Chyna. Rude didn't last very long in the group and is in fact best known for his work in WCW, where he was a three-time International World Heavyweight Champion and one-time United States Champion. The Minnesota native was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2017.
Is Diamond Dallas Page dead or alive?
A late starter in the wrestling industry, Diamond Dallas Page nonetheless became one of WCW's biggest stars in the mid-1990s. He earned the Pro Wrestling Illustrated Feud of the Year award in 1997 for his feud with Randy Savage and was also voted by the publication as the fourth-best wrestling in the world that year. The three-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion later joined WWE, but didn't have the same level of success. Aside from a creepy stalker angle involving The Undertaker, he was a one-time Tag Team Champion and one-time European Champion.
Is Bruno Sammartino dead or alive?
A WWE Hall of Famer, Bruno Sammartino made his debut with the company back in 1963 when it was known as World Wide Wrestling Federation. He was the original wrestling superstar and held the WWWF Heavyweight Championship for a record length of time that will never be beaten - Sammartino was champion for a 2,803 days from 1963 to 1971 and later held the title from 1978 to 1981. Naturally, there wasn't weekly televised events back then so it was a little different, but it's still impressive nonetheless.
Is Road Warrior Hawk dead or alive?
Road Warrior Hawk is one half of the Road Warriors along with Road Warrior Animal. The duo was arguably the most popular WWE tag team of the 1990s, if not of all-time. They spent two years with the company from 1990 to 1992, but later wrestled in Japan and for WCW before returning to WWE in 1997. They are two-time WWE Tag Team Champions and were ranked as the PWI Tag Team of the Year in 1983, 1984, 1985, and 1987 while performing with NWA. They were both inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2011.
Is Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat dead or alive?
Whereas several 1990s and 2000s-era wrestlers made a name for themselves in WCW before being recruited to WWE, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat was an accomplished star in the WWE in the late 1980s before joining WCW in 1989. He went on to become a four-time United States Champion and one-time World Heavyweight Champion with the promotion and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2009. His match against Randy Savage at WrestleMania III is one of the best of all-time.
Is "Rowdy" Roddy Piper dead or alive?
The WWE loved to have its wrestlers play characters of different backgrounds as we previously noted with a Samoan American playing the role of a Japanese sumo wrestler. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, meanwhile, was a kilt-wearing, foul-mouthed Scotsman who was played by a Canadian. Yet, it somehow worked brilliantly. Piper was incredibly popular in the WWE during the 1980s and 90s and later enjoyed a brief run in WCW. His interview segment Piper's Pit is one of the best the WWE has ever produced; he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.
Is Umaga dead or alive?
Edward Smith Fatu made his WWE debut as a member of the 3-Minute Warning tag team that would put an end to boring matches through physical force at the request of then-general manager Eric Bischoff. However, following a brief stint with TNA, he returned to WWE in 2005 as Umaga and enjoyed a successful run as a main event superstar - he even represented Vince McMahon in a hair versus hair match against President Donald Trump at WrestleMania 23. He's a two-time WWE Intercontinental Champion.