The world of professional wrestling is the home of hush-hush legends. Every other sport in the world, has more recognizable players than those in wrestling. Even after their days in the matted floor ring are long over…professional wrestlers do not get the public attention that other athletes receive. Dying is no exception.
It’s been mentioned, recently, that there seems to be, somewhat, of a curse on professional wrestlers. They are dying very young, in disturbing numbers. This year alone… there have been, at least, seven deaths of professional wrestlers or former professional wrestlers. The oldest one was only 53 years old.
These are the names, dates of death and ages of the professional wrestlers who died in 2009.
1. Lanny N. Kean aka “Cousin Junior/MoonDog Cujo” Age:48 Died: 01/13/2009
2. Ricky L. Crabtree aka “Rick” Crabtree Age: 51 Died: 03/23/2009
3. Steven Dunn aka “Steve Doll” Age: 48 Died: 03/22/2009
4. Alejandro Jimenez aka “Expectrito Jr.” Age: 35 Died: 06/29/2009
5. Adam Dykes aka “Adam Firestorm/El Antorcha” Age: 32 Died: 11/05/2009
6. Hiroshi Yagi aka “Ryum Go” Age:53 Died: 10/18/2009
7. Anores A. Palomeque Gonzalez aka “Abismo Negro” Age: 37 Died: 03/23/2009
There have been a few women wrestlers to fall under this curse, as well. Two of them, in particular, were Kelly S. Tabor aka “The Diva” who died at the age of 28, on 12/22/2002 and Liz Chase at age 45 on 02/26/2000. Christopher M. Benoit aka “Chris” Benoit suffered the most unthinkable death on 06/25/2007, at the age of 40. He murdered his wife and children and then committed suicide.
As we all know…there is an exception to every rule. Abe Coleman died on 03/28/2007 at the age of 101. The old expression that a person who lives to reach 100 or older, is living a part of someone else’s life…just might be true. Mr. Coleman could have possibly lived an enormous portion of Christopher J. Bauman Jr. aka Chris Cash’s life. He died on 08/18/2005 at the tender, young age of just 23. May your names and memories be “choke” held into the books of wrestling history!
