The Complete List Of WCW Wrestler Deaths

By PWPIX on December 11, 2018

The death of a professional wrestler is always a tragic occurrence, a shocking and often unexpected jab of reality. While WWE is often targeted with criticism whenever a wrestler dies, a number of those who have passed appeared for company rival World Championship Wrestling, also known as WCW. This proves that many of these tragedies can be attributed to the rigors of the professional wrestling industry rather than WWE per se and that Vince McMahon’s organization is at times unfairly blamed.

Throughout the 1980s, Ted Turner presented the action from Jim Crockett Promotions — a promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance, a professional wrestling governing body which has historically been the largest league of independent wrestling promotions in the world—on the World Championship Wrestling program on his TBS cable network. With Jim Crockett’s organization experiencing financial problems stemming from mismanagement, the media mogul purchased the failing business on October 11, 1988, and formed Universal Wrestling Corporation, which would be renamed World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in order to retain familiarity. Therefore, this list is limited to those who appeared for the Turner-owned organization from the purchase date through the final episode of WCW Monday Nitro on March 26, 2001. On March 23, 2001, all of WCW’s trademarks and archived video library, as well as a select twenty-four contracts, were sold to Vince McMahon and World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. through its subsidiary, WCW, Inc.

This growing list of WCW deaths has proved startling — it now stands at 80. Since 1992, at least one person who wrestled on WCW programming has died, showing that many of these deaths were premature. Seven WCW alumni have passed away so far in 2018: Chuck Williams (aka Rockin’ Rebel), Vader, Johnny Attitude, Masa Saito, Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart, Doc Dean, Yoshi Kwan and most recently, Frank Anderson.

This list is limited to individuals who were presented on WCW television as either an official wrestler, referee or other on-air personality. This list does not include one-off appearances from legendary wrestling figures, many of whom were alumni of the National Wrestling Alliance and Jim Crockett Promotions, the predecessors of WCW. For instance, Andre the Giant’s final television appearance in the United States was for WCW in a brief interview on the Clash of the Champions XX special that aired on TBS on September 2, 1992. He would not count. This list also does not include those who WWE would label as random characters — doctors, lawyers, cops and other civilians who appeared on WCW television at one point or another.

Ring Name	Date Of Death	Age	Real Name
Al Green	2013 / 06 / 14	57	Alfred Dobalo
Awesome Kong	2012 / 11 / 17	54	Dwayne McCullough
Axel Rotten	2016/ 02 / 05	44	Brian Knighton
Bam Bam Bigelow	2007 / 01 / 19	45	Scott Charles Bigelow
Big Daddy Dink	2011 / 03 / 20	62	John Jay Sutton
Big Josh	2013 / 06 / 28	55	Matthew Wade Osborne
Bobby Duncum, Jr.	2000 / 01 / 24	34	Bobby Edward Duncum, Jr.
Bobby Heenan	2017 / 09 / 17	72	Raymond Louis Heenan
Brad Armstrong	2012 / 11 / 01	50	Robert Bradley James
Brady Boone	1998 / 12 / 16	40	Dean R. Peters
Brian Adams	2007 / 08 / 13	44	Brian Keith Adams
Brian Pillman	1997 / 10 / 05	35	Brian William Pillman
British Bulldog	2002 / 05 / 17	39	David Boy Smith
Buddy Landel	2015 / 06 / 22	53	Buddy Landel
Buzz Sawyer	1992 / 02 / 07	32	Bruce Alan Woyan
Chase Tatum	2008 / 03 / 23	34	William Chase Tatum
Chris Adams	2001 / 10 / 07	46	Christopher Adams
Chris Benoit	2007 / 06 / 24	40	Christopher Michael Benoit
Chris Candido	2005 / 04 / 28	33	Christopher B. Candito
Chuck Williams	2018 / 06 / 01	52	Charles Williams
Curt Hennig	2003 / 02 / 10	44	Curtis Michael Hennig
Dick Murdoch	1996 / 06 / 15	49	Hoyt Richard Murdoch
Dino Casanova	2002 / 02 / 01	35	David Mark DiMeglio
Doc Dean	2018 / 08 / 13	48	Ian Dean
Doug Furnas	2012 / 03 / 02	52	Doug Furnas
"Dr. Death" Steve Williams	2009 / 12 / 29	49	Steven Williams
Dusty Rhodes	2015 / 06 / 11	69	Virgil Riley Runnels, Jr.
Eddie Gilbert	1995 / 02 / 18	33	Thomas Edward Gilbert, Jr.
El Gigante	2010 / 09 / 22	44	Jorge González
Elizabeth	2003 / 05 / 01	42	Elizabeth Ann Hulette
Emory Hale	2006 / 01 / 28	36	Emory Hail
Frank Anderson	2018 / 09 / 09	62	Frank Öivind Stefan Andersson
Hector Garza	2013 / 05 / 26	57	Hector Solano Segura
Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart	2018 / 08 / 13	63	James Henry Neidhart
Jimmy Graffiti	2014 / 12 / 06	52	David Everett Ferrier
Johnny Grunge	2006 / 02 / 16	40	Michael Lynn Durham
John Tenta	2006 / 06 / 07	42	John Anthony Tenta, Jr.
Johnny Attitude	2018 / 06 / 12	53	John Thomas Greene
"Jumping" Joey Maggs	2006 / 10 / 15	37	Joseph Magliano
Kanyon	2010 / 04 / 02	40	Christopher Klucsaritis
Lee Marshall	2014 / 04 / 26	64	Marshall Aaron Mayer
Lethal Larry	1993 / 12 / 13	41	Larry Cameron
Loch Ness	1998 / 11 / 29	51	Martin Austin Ruane
Louie Spicolli	1998 / 02 / 15	27	Louis Mucciolo, Jr.
Luna Vachon	2010 / 08 / 27	48	Gertrude Elizabeth Wilkerson
"Macho Man" Randy Savage	2011 / 05 / 20	58	Randall Mario Poffo
Mark Curtis	1999 / 09 / 08	37	Brian Curtis Hildebrand
Mark Starr	2013 / 06 / 06	57	Mark Ashford-Smith
Masa Saito	2018 / 07 / 14	76	Masanori Saito
Mike Graham	2012 / 10 / 19	61	Michael Gossett
Mike Awesome	2007 / 02 / 17	42	Michael Lee Alfonso
Norman the Lunatic	2010 / 09 / 11	53	Michael Shaw
Owen Hart	1999 / 05 / 23	34	Owen James Hart
Pez Whatley	2005 / 01 / 18	54	Pezavan Whatley
Randy Anderson	2002 / 05 / 05	42	Randall Anderson
"Ravishing" Rick Rude	1999 / 04 / 20	42	Richard Erwin Rood
Ray Traylor	2004 / 09 / 22	41	Raymond Walter Traylor, Jr.
Rex King	2017 / 01 / 09	55	Timothy Alan Smith
Rhonda Singh	2001 / 07 / 27	40	Rhonda Ann Sing
Rocco Rock	2002 / 09 / 21	50	Theodore J. Petty
"Rowdy" Roddy Piper	2015/ 07 / 31	61	Roderick George Toombs
Sean O'Haire	2014 / 09 / 08	43	Sean C. Haire
Sister Sherri	2007 / 06 / 15	49	Sherri Schrull (born Sherri Russell)
Steve Doll	2009 / 03 / 22	48	Steve Doll
Super Invader	2004 / 03 / 09	47	Raymond C. Fernandez
Terry Gordy	2001 / 07 / 16	40	Terry R. Gordy
The Black Scorpion	2007 / 11 / 25	54	David Sheldon
The Juicer	1994 / 11 / 23	28	Arthur L. Barr
The Master	2010 / 09 / 15	73	Curtis Piehau Iaukea, III
The Renegade	1999 / 02 / 23	33	Richard Williams
The Ultimate Solution	1997 / 08 / 18	40	Robert Alexander Swenson, Jr.
The Wall	2003 / 12 / 06	35	Michael Jerome Tuite
Tim Parker	2015 / 02 / 25	?	publicly unknown
Tom Zenk	2017 / 12 / 09	59	Thomas Erwin Zenk
Tommy Rogers	2015 / 06 / 01	54	Thomas R. Couch
Tony Rumble	1999 / 11 / 06	43	Anthony David Magliaro
Vader	2018 / 06 / 18	63	Leon Allen White
Woman	2007 / 06 / 22	43	Nancy Elizabeth Toffoloni
Warrior	2014 / 04 / 08	54	Warrior (born James Brian Hellwig)
Yoshi Kwan	2018 / 08 / 22	57	Christopher Ashford-Smith

Of those listed, here are their other ring names.

Ring Name	Date Of Death	Age	Also Known As
Arachnaman	2012 / 11 / 01	50	Brad Armstrong
Avalanche	2006 / 06 / 07	42	John Tenta
Badstreet	2012 / 11 / 01	50	Brad Armstrong
Beef	2001 / 07 / 27	40	Rhonda Singh
Big Bubba Rogers	2004 / 09 / 22	41	Ray Traylor
Blade	2013 / 06 / 14	57	Al Green
Buzzkill	2012 / 11 / 01	50	Brad Armstrong
Fantasia	2012 / 11 / 01	50	Brad Armstrong
Flyin' Brian	1997 / 10 / 05	35	Brian Pillman
Frank Andersson	2018 / 09 / 09	62	Frank Öivind Stefan Andersson
Mortis	2010 / 04 / 02	40	Kanyon
Norman the Maniac	2010 / 09 / 11	53	Norman the Lunatic
Rage	2013 / 06 / 14	57	Al Green
Robin Green	2007 / 06 / 22	43	Woman
Sensuous Sherri	2007 / 06 / 15	49	Sister Sherri
Sherri Martel	2007 / 06 / 15	49	Sister Sherri
The Boss	2004 / 09 / 22	41	Ray Traylor
"The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith	2002 / 05 / 17	39	British Bulldog
The Demon	2007 / 08 / 13	44	Brian Adams
The Dog	2013 / 06 / 14	57	Al Green
The Final Solution	1997 / 08 / 18	40	The Ultimate Solution
The Guardian Angel	2004 / 09 / 22	41	Ray Traylor
The Machine	2006 / 01 / 28	36	Emory Hale
The Shark	2006 / 06 / 07	42	John Tenta
The Yellow Dog	1997 / 10 / 05	35	Brian Pillman
Trucker Norm	2010 / 09 / 11	53	Norman the Lunatic
Z-Man	2017 / 12 / 09	59	Tom Zenk