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Eddie GuerreroIf you thought the life of professional wrestlers is all about the stardom and the spotlight, think again. There is a huge amount of hard work and dedication that goes into the profession, and these athletes deserve every bit of respect that we can give them.In fact, a lot of WWE superstars get so stressed out by their job that they resort to illicit drugs to deal with their problems. Several lives and careers have been ruined due to drug addiction, and this list takes a look at them:
#10 Rick Rude
Rick Rude might not be a familiar face to the modern era fans, but he was a major part of the business during the good old days. Rude was part of some memorable storylines in both WWE and WCW, and was one of the original founding members of D-Generation X. Known for his good looks and chiseled body, Rude was a huge fan favourite during his time.
His career went downhill during the late 90s due to a back injury. On April 20, 1999, Rick Rude died due to a heart attack. The autopsy later showed that he had suffered from an overdose of mixed medications which resulted in the heart failure.
#9 Umaga
Eddie Fatu had a few stints in WWE, but the most memorable character that came from his career was Umaga. After his initial run in 2002 as Jamal, Eddie returned to WWE in 2005 to play the Umaga character. He found great success with it and headlined numerous pay-per-views.
Umaga was later released from WWE for violating the wellness policy. He had a brief run in the independent circuit afterwards.
Eddie was found dead with blood coming out of his nose; the acute toxicity of various drugs had resulted in a heart attack. He was only 36 years old at the time of his passing.
#8 Sherri Martel
Sherri Martel had a lot of memorable moments in her career. She won the WWE Women’s championship on her debut by defeating the Fabulous Moolah, and later went on to manage the likes of Randy Savage and Shawn Michaels. Her stay with Savage earned her the ‘Manager of the Year’ award in 1991 and a year after that, Sherri began a successful managing stint with Shawn Michaels as well.
Martel went on to have short spells in WCW, ECW, TNA and many other small promotions. But in 2006, she was found dead at her mother’s residence. The cause of her death was an overdose of various drugs, with Oxycodone being the most notable one.
#7 Davey Boy Smith
One-half of the British Bulldogs, Davey Boy Smith was a respected name in the wrestling business. He was a tag team champion on two separate occasions and was an Intercontinental champion on one occasion.
Despite the success that Davey Boy Smith had in the ring, he was constantly fighting demons off it. He was known for taking various drugs including steroids and growth hormones.
Smith eventually entered rehabilitation at WWE's expense, and stayed away from drugs for some time. However, he passed away in 2002 due to a heart attack, and the autopsy revealed that the drugs he consumed throughout his career played a big role in the death.
#6 Test
Test had the looks, the body and the skills that were required to be a star in the business. The lack of charisma and the microphone skills worked against him though, and he was stuck in the mid-card throughout his career. Test was part of some good storylines back in the Attitude Era, but his career took a big blow when he left WWE.
He later worked in TNA and WWE’s version of ECW, but none of those spells produced anything memorable. He was released from WWE for violating the wellness policy, and TNA released him for his increasing physical size.
Two years after his release from TNA, Test was found dead in his home. He died due to an overdose of Oxycodone, aged just 33 years old.
#5 Chris Benoit
On paper, Chris Benoit committed suicide and murdered his family. The motive behind his crime is still a topic of debate, but according to various reports, the usage of drugs and constant pain were what drove Benoit crazy. He took heavy doses of pain-killers to keep performing, and also took growth hormones to keep his body toned.
The autopsy report of Benoit’s body showed the presence of various drugs and an unnaturally high amount of testosterone. We cannot be sure of what happened that night, but the drugs that Benoit took did play a big role.
#4 \'Mr. Perfect\' Curt Hennig
History books will show Curt Hennig as a great performer and rightfully so. He was excellent between the ropes and was one of the most underrated superstars of his time. In WWE he won the Intercontinental Championship while in WCW he won the United States championship and the Tag team Championship.
In a career that lasted more than two decades, Hennig performed in numerous promotions including WWE, WCW and TNA. He was found dead in a hotel room in 2003 and the reason for his death was declared to be acute cocaine intoxication.
Hennig was just 44 at the time of his death. Four years later, his son Curtis Axel made his debut in WWE.
#3 Bam Bam Bigelow
Bam Bam Bigelow is a familiar face for ECW fans. He was one of the established names that helped the company during the mid-90s, and he was also part of that famous ring-breaking match involving Taz. Apart from ECW, Bigelow wrestled in WWE and WCW as well. He made his debut in 1985 and wrestled all the way up to 2006.
Bigelow suffered numerous injuries during the latter part of his career and in 2007, he was found dead in his home. The toxic level of drugs in his system was the reason for his death; the drugs included cocaine and anti-anxiety drugs.
#2 Miss Elizabeth
Miss Elizabeth's life story would work perfectly as a Hollywood film. At the prime of her career, she managed her then husband Randy Savage. The couple split in real life, but they were professional enough to put on a show of being together on-screen. She managed various other wrestlers later, and got into a relationship with Lex Luger.
It would be an understatement to say that their relationship was strainged; the two had numerous domestic disputes. In 2003, Luger called 911 to report that Elizabeth was not breathing, and she was pronounced dead soon. Acute toxicity due to painkillers and vodka was ruled as the reason for her death.
#1 Eddie Guerrero
Eddie Guerrero’s story is probably the most tragic of the lot. He had problems with substance abuse at one part of his career but he later decided to give up on them and lead a sober life. Eddie went on to achieve some success after overcoming his addictions, but his past was not going to leave him that easily.
In 2005, Eddie was found unconscious in his hotel room and he was pronounced dead soon after that. Acute heart failure due to underlying atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease was declared as the cause; this condition came about due to the addictions that he had during the early part of his career.
