10 Professional wrestling deaths in 2019

Ashley Massaro
Ashley Massaro

2019 has been a very significant year for professional wrestling. So much has happened this year that we will remember for years to come. Although many fans will remember 2019 as the year that reignited our passion for pro wrestling, it has also been quite a tragic year, as a lot of wrestlers have passed away.

These athletes contributed a lot to this business so that we, the fans, can be entertained. Even though some of them didn't win a championship belt in their career, they'll always be champions in our eyes.

They may not be around today, but they'll never be forgotten. This list is dedicated to these legends and what they've done for this business.


#10 Dick 'The Destroyer' Beyer

11 July 1930 - 7 March 2019
11 July 1930 - 7 March 2019

Dick Beyer began his pro wrestling career in the 1950s, and for three decades, he thrilled fans and frightened his opponents. In the '60s, he wrestled as 'The Destroyer' and wore a mask after Freddie Blassie, whom he defeated to win his first WWA World Championship, convinced him that the gimmick would give him a big push. Beyer defended the title for 10 months before dropping and regaining it in 1964.

In 1963, Beyer traveled to the Land of the Rising Sun for the first time to wrestle Japanese legend Rikidōzan. The bout that was watched by more than 70 million television viewers, making it one of the most-watched matches in the history of the sport.

In that same year, he competed in three sold-out matches against Shohei Baba in Los Angeles. In June 1964, Beyer defeated Dick the Bruiser to win the WWA Title for the second time but he lost it to Bob Ellis three months later. He recaptured it in November and lost it for the final time to WWE Hall of Famer Pedro Morales in 1965.

He also wrestled in the now-defunct American Wrestling Association promotion under the ring name Doctor X. On 7 March 2019, Beyer passed away at the age of 88.

#9 Yusuke 'Wally' Yamaguchi

 5 May 1958 - 9 March 2019
5 May 1958 - 9 March 2019

Yusuke Yamaguchi, better known as Yamaguchi-san during his WWE tenure, began his career in the '70s as a writer for Gong Magazine. He was a lifelong fan of professional wrestling, and in the '80s, he began working for several Japanese promotions as a referee, manager, and commentator.

Yamaguchi signed with WWE in March 1998 and became a manager for the Japanese stable Kaientai, who feuded with former WWE Light Heavyweight Championship Taka Michinoku.

Yamaguchi's younger brother, Shun Yamaguchi, currently works for WWE as a Japanese commentator/announcer for the company's pay-per-view events. At the age of 60, Yusuke Yamaguchi died on 9 March 2019, after a long battle with an undisclosed illness.


#8 Salvatore Bellomo

18 June 1951 - 9 February 2019
18 June 1951 - 9 February 2019

Salvatore Bellomo joined the WWF (now WWE) in 1983. During his tenure, he wrestled Superstars such as Jesse 'The Body' Ventura, Bob Backlund and Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan. Bellomo lost to Backlund in the latter's last match of the decade and to Heenan in a match at Madison Square Garden in 1984.

Bellomo was also a fixture of NWA Eastern Championship Wrestling (which later became Extreme Championship Wrestling or ECW) from 1993 to 1994. In 1993, he wrestled in the first-ever ECW Championship match, where he lost to Jimmy Snuka.

On 9 February 2019, Bellomo passed away due to cancer at the age of 67.

#7 Al Wilson

1941 - 4 April 2019
1941 - 4 April 2019

Al Wilson is the father of WWE Hall of Famer Torrie Wilson. He appeared on SmackDown in 2002 through 2003 and his most memorable moment in the company saw him getting married to Dawn Marie on an episode of Thursday Night SmackDown on 2 January 2003.

During the 2019 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony, Torrie Wilson, in regards to her father, stated:

"I'm still so blessed I was able to have this experience with him here."

#6 Silver King

9 January 1968 - 11 May 2019
9 January 1968 - 11 May 2019

Silver King was a Lucha Libre legend who entertained fans from across the world and was a standout in World Championship Wrestling’s Cruiserweight division in the late nineties.

He has competed in various promotions such as Universal Wrestling Association (UWA), CMLL, AAA, WCW, AJPW, NJPW and has won championships from several promotions all around the world.

Outside the squared circle, Silver King appeared under a golden mask in the popular 2006 film Nacho Libre as the villainous Ramses.

He passed away on 11 May at the age of 51 after suffering from a heart attack in the ring during a match. A tribute in his memory was held at the Arena Campeones de Torreón on 22 May.

#5 Ashley Massaro

26 May 1979 - 16 May 2019
26 May 1979 - 16 May 2019

Ashley Massaro joined WWE in 2005 after winning that year's RAW Diva Search competition. She feuded with the likes of Candice Michelle and Torrie Wilson after becoming a member of the Red brand and even joined forces with WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus to battle the duo.

Massaro was moved to SmackDown in 2006 after returning from injury, and the following year, she was suspended indefinitely after accidentally spilling coffee on Vince McMahon.

She also took part in the reality competition TV show Survivor: China in 2007, but she was voted off six days later and returned to WWE before being released in 2008. She made a brief return to the squared circle in 2017 by taking on former Divas Champion Jillian Hall in an independent promotion.

On 16 May 2019, Ashley Massaro passed away, 10 days before her 40th birthday.

#4 King Kong Bundy

7 November 1955 - 4 March 2019
7 November 1955 - 4 March 2019

King Kong Bundy originally made his WWF debut in 1981 under the ring name Chris Canyon. He competed in various territories such as the World Class Championship Wrestling, American Wrestling Association, National Wrestling Alliance and Mid-South Wrestling before officially signing with WWE in 1985.

He raked up a lot of victories and demanded referees to count up to five while pinning an opponent, to show how dominant he was. At the first WrestleMania, which took place in 1985, Bundy defeated his opponent S.D. Jones in 9 seconds, which was recognized by WWE as the shortest match in WrestleMania history, until it was broken in 2008 when Kane defeated Chavo Guerrero in 8 seconds at WrestleMania XXIV.

Bundy challenged Hulk Hogan for the WWE Championship in a steel cage match in the main event of WrestleMania 2 but was unsuccessful. The Walking Condominium left the company in 1988 and returned in 1994 as a member of The Million Dollar Corporation. He faced The Undertaker at WrestleMania XI but was defeated, extending the latter's WrestleMania winning streak.

Bundy has also appeared in several films, commercials, and shows. He passed away at the age of 63 due to complications from diabetes.

#3 Pedro Morales

22 October 1942 - 12 February 2019
22 October 1942 - 12 February 2019

Pedro Morales is known for his time with the Worldwide Wrestling Associates (WWA) and the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF, now WWE). He achieved great success in both promotions, becoming the first Latino to hold a world heavyweight championship.

In the 1960s, Morales defeated Dick Beyer to capture his first WWA World Heavyweight Championship and retained it against various opponents before finally dropping it to Luke Graham in 1965. After leaving the WWA in 1968, he joined Mid-Pacific Promotions in Hawaii as a full-time performer before signing with the WWWF in 1970.

The following year, he defeated Freddie Blassie to win the vacant WWWF United States Championship. In February 1971, a month after winning the US Title, Morales won the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Ivan Koloff, vacating the United States Championship in the process.

After leaving the company in 1975, Morales wrestled for various territories such as NWA San Francisco, American Wrestling Association, Championship Wrestling from Florida and New Japan Pro Wrestling until the 1980s. He returned to the WWF in 1980 and went on to win the Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship and Tag Team Championship, making him the first Triple Crown Champion in WWE history.

#2 'Mean' Gene Okerlund

19 December 1942 - 2 January 2019
19 December 1942 - 2 January 2019

Mean Gene joined WWE in 1984 as an interviewer and host of the company's TV shows such as All-American Wrestling and Tuesday Night Titans. He made his in-ring debut that year by teaming up with Hulk Hogan to take on Mr. Fuji and George 'The Animal' Steele in a tag team match. Although he didn't get physical in the ring, he pinned Mr. Fuji for the win.

After his WWE contract expired, he left the company in 1993 and signed with WCW as an interviewer. He also competed several times in the promotion before rejoining WWE after the company purchased WCW in 2001. On 1 April 2006, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by Hulk Hogan.

Okerlund is the most recognizable interviewer in WWE and he has interviewed many Superstars such as 'Macho Man' Randy Savage, The Ultimate Warrior and most notably, Hulk Hogan. The Hulkster paid respect to him on RAW following his death.

#1 Harley Race

11 April 1943 - 1 August 2019
11 April 1943 - 1 August 2019

Harley Race began his pro wrestling career in the 1960s. In AWA, he teamed up with Larry 'The Axe' Hennig to form a villainous tag team and in 1965, they captured the AWA World Tag Team Championships.

Race was the first-ever NWA United States Heavyweight Champion (now known as the WWE United States Championship) and he held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship eight times.

He joined WWE in 1986 and was managed by one of, if not, the greatest manager in the industry and his longtime friend Bobby Heenan. He went on to win the 1986 King of the Ring tournament and became the first person to wear the royal attire and crown. After winning the tournament, he officially became known as 'King' Harley Race.

In 2004, Harley Race was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. On 1 August 2019, Race passed away from lung cancer at the age of 76.


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