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Grappling With Tragedy: Bubba Sutton

Posted: Jan 1st 2026 By: Brian Damage - RingTheDamnBell.com

Grappling with Tragedy is a series of articles that deal with unfortunate, tragic incidents that have occurred throughout the history of professional wrestling. It is unlike the ‘Wrestling with Sin’ series that deals more with the seedier side of wrestling like arrests, murders and suicides. Grappling looks more at particular tragic incidents that have in some instances altered pro wrestling in some way.

Bubba Sutton

Howard Alden aka Bubba Sutton began his wrestling career in 2015. He wrestled primarily on the Midwest independent circuit for promotions like XWE, Buzzsaw Championship Wrestling, the Kansas Wrestling Alliance and Prairie Championship Wrestling. Sutton had the nickname of “100-proof Redneck.” When he wasn’t wrestling as Bubba Sutton, Alden held down a manufacturing job in his hometown of Salina, Kansas.

On February 20, 2022, Alden was driving his minivan along with his 14 year old son Kenneth. They had pulled over onto the shoulder of the highway in Platte City, Missouri. When Alden drove out of the shoulder, he was struck head on by another vehicle driven by a 62 year old woman. Both Alden and his son were killed in the crash. Howard ‘Bubba Sutton’ Alden was 37 years old at the time of his death.