The Complete List Of WCW Wrestler Deaths

Vader

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 NameDate Of DeathAgeReal Name
Al Green2013 / 06 / 1457Alfred Dobalo
Awesome Kong2012 / 11 / 1754Dwayne McCullough
Axel Rotten2016/ 02 / 0544Brian Knighton
Bam Bam Bigelow 2007 / 01 / 1945Scott Charles Bigelow
Big Daddy Dink2011 / 03 / 2062John Jay Sutton
Big Josh2013 / 06 / 2855Matthew Wade Osborne
Bobby Duncum, Jr.2000 / 01 / 2434Bobby Edward Duncum, Jr.
Bobby Heenan2017 / 09 / 1772Raymond Louis Heenan
Brad Armstrong2012 / 11 / 0150Robert Bradley James
Brady Boone1998 / 12 / 1640Dean R. Peters
Brian Adams2007 / 08 / 1344Brian Keith Adams
Brian Pillman1997 / 10 / 0535Brian William Pillman
British Bulldog2002 / 05 / 1739David Boy Smith
Buddy Landel2015 / 06 / 2253Buddy Landel
Buzz Sawyer1992 / 02 / 0732Bruce Alan Woyan
Chase Tatum2008 / 03 / 2334William Chase Tatum
Chris Adams2001 / 10 / 0746Christopher Adams
Chris Benoit2007 / 06 / 2440Christopher Michael Benoit
Chris Candido2005 / 04 / 2833Christopher B. Candito
Chuck Williams2018 / 06 / 0152Charles Williams
Curt Hennig2003 / 02 / 1044Curtis Michael Hennig
Dick Murdoch1996 / 06 / 1549Hoyt Richard Murdoch
Dino Casanova2002 / 02 / 0135David Mark DiMeglio
Doc Dean2018 / 08 / 1348Ian Dean
Doug Furnas2012 / 03 / 0252Doug Furnas
"Dr. Death" Steve Williams2009 / 12 / 2949Steven Williams
Dusty Rhodes2015 / 06 / 1169Virgil Riley Runnels, Jr.
Eddie Gilbert1995 / 02 / 1833Thomas Edward Gilbert, Jr.
El Gigante2010 / 09 / 2244Jorge González
Elizabeth2003 / 05 / 0142Elizabeth Ann Hulette
Emory Hale2006 / 01 / 2836Emory Hail
Frank Anderson2018 / 09 / 0962Frank Öivind Stefan Andersson
Hector Garza2013 / 05 / 2657Hector Solano Segura
Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart2018 / 08 / 1363James Henry Neidhart
Jimmy Graffiti2014 / 12 / 0652David Everett Ferrier
Johnny Grunge2006 / 02 / 1640Michael Lynn Durham
John Tenta2006 / 06 / 0742John Anthony Tenta, Jr.
Johnny Attitude2018 / 06 / 1253John Thomas Greene
"Jumping" Joey Maggs2006 / 10 / 1537Joseph Magliano
Kanyon2010 / 04 / 0240Christopher Klucsaritis
Lee Marshall2014 / 04 / 2664Marshall Aaron Mayer
Lethal Larry1993 / 12 / 1341Larry Cameron
Loch Ness1998 / 11 / 2951Martin Austin Ruane
Louie Spicolli1998 / 02 / 1527Louis Mucciolo, Jr.
Luna Vachon2010 / 08 / 2748Gertrude Elizabeth Wilkerson
"Macho Man" Randy Savage2011 / 05 / 2058Randall Mario Poffo
Mark Curtis1999 / 09 / 0837Brian Curtis Hildebrand
Mark Starr2013 / 06 / 0657Mark Ashford-Smith
Masa Saito2018 / 07 / 1476Masanori Saito
Mike Graham2012 / 10 / 1961Michael Gossett
Mike Awesome2007 / 02 / 1742Michael Lee Alfonso
Norman the Lunatic2010 / 09 / 1153Michael Shaw
Owen Hart1999 / 05 / 2334Owen James Hart
Pez Whatley2005 / 01 / 1854Pezavan Whatley
Randy Anderson2002 / 05 / 0542Randall Anderson
"Ravishing" Rick Rude1999 / 04 / 2042Richard Erwin Rood
Ray Traylor2004 / 09 / 2241Raymond Walter Traylor, Jr.
Rex King2017 / 01 / 09 55Timothy Alan Smith
Rhonda Singh2001 / 07 / 2740Rhonda Ann Sing
Rocco Rock2002 / 09 / 2150Theodore J. Petty
"Rowdy" Roddy Piper2015/ 07 / 3161Roderick George Toombs
Sean O'Haire2014 / 09 / 0843Sean C. Haire
Sister Sherri2007 / 06 / 1549Sherri Schrull (born Sherri Russell)
Steve Doll2009 / 03 / 2248Steve Doll
Super Invader2004 / 03 / 0947Raymond C. Fernandez
Terry Gordy2001 / 07 / 1640Terry R. Gordy
The Black Scorpion2007 / 11 / 2554David Sheldon
The Juicer1994 / 11 / 2328Arthur L. Barr
The Master2010 / 09 / 1573Curtis Piehau Iaukea, III
The Renegade1999 / 02 / 2333Richard Williams
The Ultimate Solution1997 / 08 / 1840Robert Alexander Swenson, Jr.
The Wall2003 / 12 / 0635Michael Jerome Tuite
Tim Parker2015 / 02 / 25?publicly unknown
Tom Zenk2017 / 12 / 0959Thomas Erwin Zenk
Tommy Rogers2015 / 06 / 0154Thomas R. Couch
Tony Rumble1999 / 11 / 0643Anthony David Magliaro
Vader2018 / 06 / 1863Leon Allen White
Woman2007 / 06 / 2243Nancy Elizabeth Toffoloni
Warrior2014 / 04 / 0854Warrior (born James Brian Hellwig)
Yoshi Kwan2018 / 08 / 2257Christopher Ashford-Smith

Of those listed, here are their other ring names.

Ring NameDate Of DeathAgeAlso Known As
Arachnaman2012 / 11 / 0150Brad Armstrong
Avalanche2006 / 06 / 0742John Tenta
Badstreet2012 / 11 / 0150Brad Armstrong
Beef2001 / 07 / 2740Rhonda Singh
Big Bubba Rogers2004 / 09 / 2241Ray Traylor
Blade2013 / 06 / 1457Al Green
Buzzkill2012 / 11 / 0150Brad Armstrong
Fantasia2012 / 11 / 0150Brad Armstrong
Flyin' Brian1997 / 10 / 0535Brian Pillman
Frank Andersson2018 / 09 / 0962Frank Öivind Stefan Andersson
Mortis2010 / 04 / 0240Kanyon
Norman the Maniac2010 / 09 / 1153Norman the Lunatic
Rage2013 / 06 / 1457Al Green
Robin Green2007 / 06 / 2243Woman
Sensuous Sherri2007 / 06 / 1549Sister Sherri
Sherri Martel2007 / 06 / 1549Sister Sherri
The Boss2004 / 09 / 2241Ray Traylor
"The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith2002 / 05 / 1739British Bulldog
The Demon2007 / 08 / 1344Brian Adams
The Dog2013 / 06 / 1457Al Green
The Final Solution1997 / 08 / 1840The Ultimate Solution
The Guardian Angel2004 / 09 / 2241Ray Traylor
The Machine2006 / 01 / 2836Emory Hale
The Shark2006 / 06 / 0742John Tenta
The Yellow Dog1997 / 10 / 0535Brian Pillman
Trucker Norm2010 / 09 / 1153Norman the Lunatic
Z-Man2017 / 12 / 0959Tom Zenk