5 Wrestlers who lost their lives while in a wrestling ring

There are times when wrestling turns to tragedy

#3 Mitsuharu Misawa

There were few Japanese stars as decorated as Mitsuharu Misawa

Misawa was a Japanese wrestling legend who performed well into his 40s. He was trained by legends Giant Baba, Dick Beyer, and Dory Funk Jr. On June 13, 2009, he was to wrestle in a tag team match at the Hiroshima Green Arena.

Misawa received a belly to back suplex during the match, and was knocked out by the move and never regained consciousness. It is believed he suffered a spinal cord injury during the spot, which led to his death.

He was a champion in the Orient many times over having won the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship five times and the GHC Heavyweight Championship three times. He was also named Wrestler of the Year by Wrestling Observer Newsletter on three occasions.

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