Professional wrestling has come a long way. From its humble beginnings to the era of Gorgeous George and Lou Thesz, and now - the so-called “New Era”, the business, is often morphing to fit the contours of the society’s paradigm, has evolved.
Along with the evolution of the business, the fans and their influence on the industry have changed as well. There was a time when the fans bought the tickets just to enjoy “the circus”. Today, they are truly invested in the company’s product and play a major role in the booking and creative direction of the characters.
This urge to get deeply involved has led to the fans being intrigued about the Superstars’ personal lives. The explosion of social media has given them access to the performers like never before and became a tool for them to interact with their icons. On the flip side, the Superstars now have the opportunity to show the fans what they’re like off-camera.
However, this has also resulted in the fans being privy to the most intimate moments of WWE Superstars. Today, we take a look at the five last recordings of WWE Superstars before their death, either on WWE TV or on their social media accounts.
#5 Owen Hart
There has never been a greater tragedy unfold in front of the WWE fans, quite like the Owen Hart mishap. Owen, who also performed as The Blue Blazer, was a fan favourite because of his technical prowess, and his ability to toy with the fans’ emotions.
Being the younger brother of Bret Hart meant Owen could never truly get out of his brother’s shadow, but “The Rocket” managed to leave a lasting impact on the business.
During the Over The Edge Pay - Per - View in 1999, Owen Hart was scheduled to face The Godfather for the WWE Intercontinental Championship. Owen had just cut a promo backstage about becoming the new Intercontinental Champion and was being lowered down from the rafters.
However, the cable lowering Owen snapped, resulting in the Superstar falling 70 feet to his death.
Owen is still remembered by the ardent wrestling fans, who have been lobbying for his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame. The last recording of Owen Hart was his promo backstage, for his match with The Godfather that never took place.
#4 Chyna
If there ever was a Superstar that broke the shackles, transcending stereotypes and blasted through the proverbial glass ceiling, it was Chyna. At a time when the women were perceived as “eye candy”, and were used for their sex appeal, Chyna started manhandling the men.
The former WWE Intercontinental Champion also became the first woman in WWE history to enter the Royal Rumble match.
Over the years, the strained relationship between Chyna and WWE meant that the organisation wasn’t interested in bringing her back, or even acknowledge her on-air. While Chyna was battling her demons, the crumbling world around her led to her relapsing and she was found dead in her apartment.
Just before her untimely demise, Chyna posted her final video - a chilling reminder of how flimsy life can be. Chyna advised people to “wake up” during the course of the video, and looked upbeat and optimistic.
#3 Rosey
Matt Anoa’i, better known to the WWE fans as Rosey, is a part of the legendary Anoa’i family. Rosey competed in the WWE from 2002 - 2006. He was a part of the 3 Minute Warning tag team, along with his cousin. Rosey later formed a tag team with The Hurricane, winning the World Tag Team Championship on one occasion.
Rosey is also the older brother of WWE Superstar Roman Reigns. Rosey sadly passed away last month on April 17th. However, just days before his death, Rosey uploaded a video where he asked the fans to respect his brother’s accomplishments, and not take their frustrations out on him.
This turned out to be the last recording of Matt Anoa’i, who passed away due to congestive heart failure.
#2 The Ultimate Warrior
When we talk about some of the most intense Superstars in WWE history, The Ultimate Warrior’s name will be at the top. Known for his intensity, high energy and donning ‘war paint’ before his matches, The Ultimate Warrior quickly ascended the ranks, and became the WWE Champion.
After Hogan ‘passed the torch’ to Warrior, great things were expected from him. However, a disagreement between Warrior and Vince McMahon meant he couldn’t achieve the heights he was destined to.
While both parties have since put the past behind them, it wasn’t until 2014 that Warrior returned to WWE TV. After getting inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, Warrior appeared on RAW one last time and spoke about how his essence would live long after he was gone. What made the message eerie was the fact that Warrior passed away just a day later!
#1 Chris Benoit
There is perhaps no tragedy that could even come close to the Benoit double-murder and suicide back in 2007. Benoit, who was widely regarded as one of the greatest technical wrestlers in history, failed to show up at WWE Vengeance back in 2007. Concerned colleagues, friends and relatives tried reaching out to the Benoit family to no avail.
When the police eventually showed up, Chris, Nancy and Daniel were found dead. After a thorough investigation, it was revealed that Chris had murdered his wife and son over the course of three days, before hanging himself.
While the reasons for the killings are unclear to this day, it was later revealed that Chris’ brain resembled that of an 85-year-old Alzheimer’s patient. Telephonic recordings were then released, which were exchanged just days before the heinous incident took place.
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