Pro-wrestling is a dangerous business and the sport has seen wrestlers lose their lives or have their careers ended with serious injuries – all in the ring. Owen Hart and Droz are primary examples.
Main eventers like Bret Hart, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Edge and Daniel Bryan had to retire early due to injuries suffered in the ring as well.
But nothing is worse than losing a loved one and however tough a professional wrestler may seem on the surface, he/she takes the loss hard. Be it your children, parents, siblings or romantic interests, it affects the person badly.
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Here is a list of five wrestlers who tragically lost a family member or a partner.
1. Bill DeMott
Bill Demott became more famous for his controversial role as head trainer of WWE’s developmental territories than his prowess inside the ring. Demott was accused by many WWE trainees of basically being a bully and racist.
Demott resigned from his post to ‘avoid any embarrassment to the company’ and was replaced as NXT head trainer by Albert.
However, personal tragedy struck Demott in 2015 when his daughter Keri passed away after a head-on motor vehicle crash in Florida. Keri was just 20 years of age and the driver of the other car was alleged to be DUI.
Demott took the loss of his daughter hard and has vowed to run for office in order to implement stricter DUI rules.
2. Fritz Von Erich
Fritz Von Erich was the patriarch of the Von Erich family. Fritz was one of the mainstays of WCCW and NWA during his time and was widely popular in Japan as well. Five of his six sons also took up wrestling and the Von Erich family was a considerable force in the Pro-wrestling world.
But tragedy struck continuously and Fritz would go on to bury five of his sons before his own death in 1997.
Fritz’ eldest son Jack would die in 1959 at the age of six after accidentally electrocuting himself on an exposed wire and drowning in the Niagra Falls.
David Von Erich would die in 1984 in a Tokyo hotel room due to acute enteritis (as per official records) or a drug overdose (as per the accounts of fellow wrestlers). At an NWA tribute show held in his memory a few months later, David’s brother Kerry Von Erich would win the NWA World Heavyweight title from Ric Flair.
Mike Von Erich would commit suicide in 1987 by overdosing on a tranquillizer and Chris Von Erich would also take his own life four years later with a gunshot to the head.
All this and his failed marriage led Kerry Von Erich into depression and he too committed suicide in 1993 with a gunshot to his heart.
The only surviving first or second generation Von Erich is Kevin Von Erich, but his sons – Ross and Marshall Von Erich are wrestlers too as is Kerry’s daughter – former TNA Knockouts Champion Lacey Von Erich.
3. Adam Rose
Adam Rose’s WWE career never really took off after his elevation to the main roster from NXT and he was eventually released from the company.
His personal life was never far from trials and tribulations either – Rose lived on the streets for a couple of years when he was a teenager and his first child Maverick was born with a rare abdominal wall defect that required multiple surgeries to be conducted.
He was also involved in a domestic abuse dispute with his wife and recently, his sister – a single mother - passed away in her sleep. Donations were invited from well-wishers to fund the education of Rose’s niece.
4. Lex Luger
Lex Luger’s life spiralled out of controlled after WCW closed its operations. Luger had been living with his girlfriend Miss Elizabeth and his domestic troubles were on the rise.
Luger was arrested on charges of assault on Elizabeth and the duo was pulled over a few months later by cops for driving under the influence. On 1 May 2003, Elizabeth was found dead in their residence after mixing Xanax with vodka. The ensuing search of the house discovered a number of banned substances.
Luger was arrested and charged with 13 felonies of drug possession even though he was later cleared of having anything to do with causing Elizabeth’s death.
In 2007, Luger would suffer a spinal stroke and would not be able to walk on his own for three years. Luger is doing better now and is working in the WWE’s Wellness Department.
5. Ric Flair
The Divas title feud between Ric Flair’s daughter Charlotte and Paige had the former dedicate their ensuing match to the memory of her brother, Reid who had died from a heroin overdose in 2013. Paige would attack Charlotte, asking her – "your brother didn't have much fight in him did he?".
The Reid Flair angle was brought about to generate buzz for the feud and generate sympathy for Charlotte, but it backfired – critics bashed this brazen attempt to evoke generate cheap heat and the viewers actually cheered Paige after the remark. WWE never mentioned the remark again.
That Raw segment which aired two years after the death of Reid should not be his lasting legacy. Reid was 25 when he died and he had already wrestled in WCW and Japan. In fact, he took on Eric Bischoff in a match on Nitro when he was 10 years old.
Reid would go on to Japan and compete in New Japan after his training, but his promising career was always interrupted by drug use. His license had been revoked twice for driving while impaired and Reid would pass away in 2013 at a hotel following an accidental overdose of heroin.
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