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Can a wrestling fed be cursed?

Posted: Jun 27th 2007 By: mikeiles

With the recent tragedy regarding Chris Benoit, several wrestling fans have begun to wonder if perhaps Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) is cursed. The fact a wrestling company is cursed is nothing new by any stretch of the imagination. In the past, it was believed that World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) was a cursed wrestling federation due to several of its top stars dying either at the peak of their career or dying at a relatively young age.

By most accounts, there have been 18 former WCCW stars that have had their life end tragically and far too early. The Von Erich family tragedy is well documented with four of Fritz Von Erich's wrestling sons dying young and three of them taking their own lives. David Von Erich was the first of those sons to pass away. He died while on a wrestling tour of Japan in February 1984. It was ruled that David died of acute enteritis which is a severe inflammation of the intestines. However, conspiracy theorists feel that the enteritis cause of death was a cover up and David actually died of a drug overdose. Mike Von Erich was the second to pass away and first to take his own life. He committed suicide in April 1987 by overdosing on the tranquilizer, Placidyl. Chris Von Erich, who was extremely close to his brother Mike, committed suicide by self inflicted gunshot in September 1991, his older brother Kerry Von Erich did the same in February 1993. However, they are far from the only stars who left the Earth far too soon.

Billy Joe Travis: heart attack in November 2002
Bruiser Brody: stabbed in the locker room in Puerto Rico in July 1988
Buzz Sawyer: drug overdose (reportedly heroin) in February 1992
Captain USA (John Studd): Hodgkins Disease in March 1995
Chris Adams: killed by gunshot following an altercation in October 2001; shooter claimed self defense
Crusher Yurkof (Bam Bam Bigelow): drug overdose of cocaine and Benzodiazepine in January 2007
Dave Peterson: motorcycle accident in May 1993
Gino Hernandez: drug overdose of cocaine in January 1986
Magic Dragon: plane crash in November 1987
Mike Davis: heart attack in December 2001
Ralph Pulley: AIDS in January 1992
Rick Rude: heart attack in April 1999
Scott Irwin: brain aneuryism in September 1987
Terry Gordy: heart attack in July 2001

However, ECW has also had its fair share of tragedy as well.

Bam Bam Bigelow: see Crusher Yurkof above
Big Dick Dudley: kidney failure in May 2002
Chris Benoit: alleged suicide by hanging in June 2007
Chris Candido: blood clot due to surgery complications in April 2005
Eddie Gilbert: heart attack in February 1995
Eddie Guerrero: heart failure in November 2005
Johnny Grunge: sleep apnea complications in February 2006
Louie Spicolli: drug overdose of Soma and wine in February 1998
Mike Awesome: suicide by hanging in February 2007
Mike Lockwood (AKA Crash Holly): drug overdose of painkillers in November 2003
Mike Lozansky: died in his sleep of apparent heart failure in December 2003
Pitbull #2 (Anthony Durante): drug overdose of homemade Oxycontin in September 2003
Rocco Rock: heart attack in September 2002
Terry Gordy: see above
Woman: allegedly murdered by her husband Chris Benoit in June 2007

An argument could possibly even be made that WCW or WWF/WWE are also cursed. In addition to several of the names already listed above, WCW and/or WWF/WWE also have had several wrestlers on their roster that have passed away. Below is a list of those wrestlers and by no means a complete and comprehensive list:

Art Barr (AKA The Juicer; WCW)
Adrian Adonis (WWF)
Andre the Giant (WWF)
Bad News Brown (WWF)
Bertha Faye (AKA Rhonda Singh; WCW & WWF)
Bobby Duncum Jr. (WCW)
Brady Boone (WCW & WWF)
Brian Pillman (WCW & WWF)
Curt Hennig (AKA Mr. Perfect; WCW & WWF)
Davey Boy Smith (WCW and WWF)
Dick Murdoch (WCW & WWF)
Dino Bravo (WWF)
Hercules (WWF)
Jeep Swenson (WCW)
John Tenta (AKA Earthquake; WCW & WWF)
Junkyard Dog (WCW & WWF)
Loch Ness (WCW)
Marianna Komlos (AKA Mrs. Cleavage; WWF)
Mark Curtis (WCW)
Miss Elizabeth (WCW & WWF)
Moondog Spot (WWF)
Owen Hart (WWF)
Pez Whatley (WCW)
Randy "Pee Wee" Anderson (WCW)
Ray Traylor (AKA Big Bossman; WCW & WWF)
Renegade (WCW; not the one with Oklahoma experience)
Road Warrior Hawk (WCW & WWF)
Russ Haas (under a WWE developmental deal at the time of his death)
Sapphire (WWF)
Sherri Martel (WCW & WWF)
The Wall (WCW)
Uncle Elmer (WWF)
Yokozuna (WWF)

Is there a curse involving WCCW, ECW, or any other wrestling fed? That is something for wrestling fans to debate and decide for themselves. We should all hope that the list of wrestlers passing away before their time does not continue to add names anytime soon.