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2017 was a pretty good year in pro wrestling and saw many evolutions in sports entertainment take place. But 2017 also had its share of heartbreak. As we wrap up the year and head into 2018 to see what it holds, let's take a look at some of the people from the pro wrestling community that we sadly lost this year.
To include proper biographies of each individual as they deserve, it would take books of information. So please enjoy a brief retrospective of these lost friends and family of the pro wrestling community so we can celebrate their contributions to the sport that we all love.
#5 Rosey
A member of the famous Anoa?i family and brother of Roman Reigns, Rosey first came into the WWE Universe as a member of Three Minute Warning alongside cousin Jamal and he continued on the WWE radar for a rather impressive run as he ended up tagging with The Hurricane to wind up capturing the WWE Tag Team Championships in the process.
In 2006, Rosey was released from his WWE contract and travelled the world as a part of the world's indie wrestling scene. He would reunite with Jamal a couple time during their travels on the indie circuit but the two would never make it back to WWE at the same time to bring the Three Minute Warning gimmick back.
Rosey passes away on April 17, 2017, just 10 days after his 47th birthday due to congestive heart failure.
#4 Bobby Heenan
Widely regarded as the best manager in pro wrestling history, Bobby Heenan blazed a trail of witty comebacks and time-honoured angles in his wake. Never one to hold anything back, Heenan could keep a grudge, but there was so much more to the man that many wouldn't realize.
As leader of The Heenan Family, many pro wrestlers followed his words to greatness but it was on commentary where Heenan made a huge mark for most modern fans.
There will never be another person like Bobby Heenan, a boy who lied his way into the pro wrestling business by not disclosing his true age and he never stopped working in the business he loved. Even in his final days as the sickness took over his body, his spirit never wavered. Heenan passed on September 17, 2017, at the age of 72 while surrounded by his family.
#3 Chavo Guerrero Sr
Father of Chavo Guerrero, Jr, the Mexican pro wrestling legend meant so much more to the business than even his short run with WWE as an on-screen character in 2004 where he was known as "Chavo Classic." He not only became the oldest WWE Cruiserweight Champion at 55-years-old but influenced a generation of pro wrestling before him which is sure to live on with his outstanding legacy.
He worked in the pro wrestling business his entire life being a second-generation pro wrestler himself hailing from the famous Guerrero Family of Mexican wrestling. After his run with WWE, he didn't slow down one bit as he kept working in the business he loved.
His last appointment in the pro wrestling business was working with Lucha Underground where he took a 6-1-9 from Rey Mysterio at the age of 67-years-old. Guerrero passed away after losing a fight with liver cancer on February 11, 2017.
#2 Jimmy Snuka
Father of current WWE Superstar Tamina, "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka was one of a kind. As he wrestled with bare feet, he left millions in awe of his high-risk offence in a day and age where that was not the norm at all. He was one of the top babyfaces in the 1980s and carried his demeanour and charismatic energy where ever he went.
He was not only a part of the infamous "coconut smash" segment where Roddy Piper laid him out with the tropical fruit because few could do what he did in the ring with the same intensity.
Although Snuka's life might have ended in the middle of a court case surrounding the 1983 death of Nancy Argentino, this WWE Hall Of Famer had an incredible career that will certainly live on. It is important to remember that Snuka was never convicted of Argentino's death either as the charges were dismissed just twelve days before his death on January 15, 2017, at age 73.
#1 Ivan Koloff
Known as the Russain Bear, Ivan Koloff was a groundbreaking superstar who was able to break so much more as well. Although he was born in Canada, he was billed from Moscow Russia and people really bought it. He was a great heel and many have attributed some of the early aspects of Rusev's character to that of Koloff.
While taking over every territory he stepped into, Koloff went on to the World Wide Wrestling Federation (which would later become WWE). He captured the WWWF Championship in 1971 and ended Bruno Sammartino's still standing record of 2,803 days in the process.
He would go on to have an amazing career as part of The Russians in the NWA and took part in many legendary feuds for the remainder of his career including appearing at the first-ever ECW card and the first television main event of Smoky Mountain Wrestling where be defeated Bobby Fulton in 1992.
He was a WWE Legend although he might not have ever wrestled for the modern-day company. His bright personality carried him to appear throughout the end of his life where he loved seeing fans and telling stories from the past. Koloff passed away on February 18, 2017, from liver cancer at his home in North Carolina.
