10 wrestlers who died before turning 40

Most people outside the fan community categorize professional wrestling as fake. But what they ignore is the amount of pain and risk that the performers go through to put on a show for the fans. Sometimes, a few of these guys go beyond their limit and end up giving their life for the profession they have chosen. The life expectancy of a wrestler is way below the average, and that has been reinforced over the years in many tragic ways. Many wrestlers met their demise before they even touched the age of 40. These athletes still had a lot to give to the fans, the business, their families, but most importantly, they all had a life to live. Here is a look at some of those stars whose memories still shine in our hearts.

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#10 Lance Cade 29

A great technician in his time, Cade is well-known for his tag team run with Trevor Murdoch and for his feud with Chris Jericho.

Trained by Shawn Michaels, Cade began his career by teaming up with Daniel Bryan in Japan before having a long run in WWE which saw him capture the tag team title thrice. However, he was released by the company after some physical problems he suffered.

Cade then went on to have a short run in the independent circuit before dying due to intoxication from mixed usage of drugs.

#9 Chris Candido 33

Candido started his career at a very young age thanks to his grandfather’s wrestling background. He featured in all the top promotions that the United States had to offer.

Candido won the coveted NWA World Heavyweight title after Shane Douglas vacated in his famous effort to baptize the new ECW. After runs in ECW, WCW and WWE, Candido found himself in TNA in the twilight of his career.

At TNA’s Lockdown pay-per-view, Candido suffered a fracture in a tag team match which necessitated surgery. Though he tried to get back in the business, Candido soon saw his condition worsen and he died due to a blood clot from the complications of the surgery.

#8 Test 33

Test had a roller-coaster wrestling career which sometimes took him to the top and sometimes to the depths.

Spending most of his career in WWE, Test had an interesting kayfabe relationship with Stephanie McMahon which ended thanks to Triple H. He went on to form a tag team with A-Train, and he was also part of the Invasion storyline.

He then took a break and returned to the rebooted ECW and had a main event run there before heading to TNA. However, he didn’t stay there long either as the company decided to let him go due to drug problems.

Those drug problems soon took his life at the tragically early age of 33.

#7 Crash Holly - 32

One of the wrestlers who made the Hardcore title famous in WWE, Holly was known for escaping his opponents in any way possible to keep his title intact.

Introduced as the cousin of Bob Holly, Crash had 22 Hardcore title reigns thanks to the 24/7 rule of the title. He later had a tag team run with Bob as well, before he released by the company. After that, he had brief stints in the independent circuit and TNA.

Crash was found dead at Steve Richards' home after swallowing his own vomit. The death was later confirmed as a suicide.

#6 Yokozuna 34

Not many big-name wrestlers would have found their feet in WWE the way Yokozuna did. He got a great push thanks to his size and menacing disposition and found himself heading WrestleMania in no time.

He then had a WWE title reign and went on to feud with Undertaker and Lex Luger. However, after that impressive run, his weight started going out of control and most of the wrestlers refused to fight him due to his size.

He was eventually released by the WWE and he found himself in the Indy circuit. He died due to a heart failure while touring England, bringing an end to a memorable career.

#5 Eddie Fatu - 36

Belonging to the famous Anoa’i family, Fatu is one of those wrestlers who saw his gimmick take over his career. Fatu didn’t make much of an impact in his initial run in WWE, but he rose to main event status thanks to his alter ego, Umaga.

He had some high profile feuds during that run and had matches with almost every main eventer that WWE had during that time. Fatu was also part of the famous 'battle of the billionaires' match in WrestleMania.

He died due to a heart attack caused by the excessive use of drugs, and his passing left a big hole in the family and the business.

#4 Brian Pillman - 35

A cult figure back in his WWE days, Pillman was one of the best gimmicks that WWE ever produced. He was unpredictable and had many intriguing worked shoots which aided his in-ring skills.

Pillman is also well-known for pulling out a gun on national television and shouting the f-word along with that. That turned into a big controversy, which actually aided his rise. But he had a heart condition which ended his life earlier than anyone could've expected.

Pillman was scheduled to face Mick Foley in a WWE pay-per-view on the day of this death, but the heart failure marked the end of a great character and person.

#3 Davey Boy Smith 39

Smith was arguably one of the best wrestlers to come out of Britain and was known as the legend who never won the world championship.

He started off his career in WWE as a singles competitor and feuded with Bret Hart over the Intercontinental title. He then formed the British Bulldogs alongside the Dynamite Kid, and the tag team went on to become a huge success in WWE.

After his stint with WWE, Smith had spells in WCW and AJPW. He became a part of the Hart Family after getting into a relationship with Andrea Hart.

Smith died due to the excessive use of drugs and steroids but left his legacy behind in the form of his son, David Hart Smith.

#2 Owen Hart - 34

Probably the second most famous member of the Hart Family, Owen will always be looked at as a tragic figure in the history of professional wrestling.

Being a great technician in the ring, Owen headlined many major pay-per-views and had feuds with several big names including his brother, Bret Hart. Owen is also known for cutting short Steve Austin’s career, as he messed up a piledriver which broke Austin’s neck.

However, Owen's premature passing overshadowed everything that he did in his career. He fell to his death during a live pay-per-view while trying to pull off a spectacular entrance for his match against the Godfather.

Triple H has stated in several interviews that "The Game" nickname that he would adopt months after Owen's death was originally intended for Owen. Triple H would adopt the nickname himself in honour of Owen.

#1 Eddie Guerrero 38

The wrestling business would’ve have been a lot different if most of the wrestlers in this list hadn’t died early, but the wrestler who could’ve made perhaps the biggest impact of all was Eddie Guerrero.

Eddie is known for his excellent in-ring skills, which were a combination of the technical and Mexican high-flying styles. But more importantly, he was a best friend to many, and the shoulder to cry on for Chris Benoit.

It is believed that Eddie’s death was a catalyst for Benoit’s murder-suicide controversy, as Benoit lost a great friend. And that’s the difference a single person can make to the whole business, which shows how interconnected everyone is in the professional wrestling universe.

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