Five tragic moments in wrestling history

Back in the mid 90s, every kid growing up who had cable TV was a fan of the WWF, and those who had TNT and could stay after 9 PM (Of course, most of the kids wouldn’t have, since that was when Cartoon Network stopped airing in the old days), could watch WCW Monday Nitro. It was an excellent time if you’re a wrestling fan; the Monday Night Wars was just starting, and the fans were left salivating for more. After Hollywood Hulk Hogan turned on the fans and joined the nWo, things took a turn for the better in terms of the product and the Entertainment, as WWF and WCW went toe to toe to win the ratings War. I remember the time when the Stinger stood alone against nWo, with a great storyline and an outstanding gimmick, while I used to tune into RAW for Undertaker and Bret Hart. It was one of the most fascinating days of my, and many others’ childhood.

Everyone who watches the WWF/E knows the ‘Please don’t try this at home’ clause. Back in the 90s, this used to be a lot more problematic than what it is now. And of course, there were times when this actually played in front of our eyes. I remember moments when things went horribly wrong, either on TV, or outside of the ring. I recount 5 of the most tragic events that happened since the mid 90s, either in the WWF/E, WCW, or the Japanese promotions.

5. Brian Pillman’s death ( he died of a heart attack due to a congenital defect.) _

Brian Pillman was one of the more outrageous characters in the WWF. As part of the famous ‘Hollywood Blondes’ tag team with ‘Stunning’ Steve Austin, Brian made a big name for himself while in WCW, and was popular for being one of the very first American Wrestlers to incorporate Lucha Libre style moves in his matches. It was after he adopted the ‘Loose Cannon’ gimmick that he really showed what he was capable of! As a matter of fact, a lot of the ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin promos were highly influenced by Brian Pillman’s mic work! The infamous ‘Pillman’s got a gun’ angle turned the fortunes for Austin, while it also led to some problems for Vince McMahon. Brian would have made an excellent addition to the Attitude Era, but his life was cut short, as he was found dead in his hotel room in Minnesota. ‘Flyin’ Brian was one of a kind, a master during the promos, and an innovator in the ring. I couldn’t understand much when his death was announced, considering I was only 7, but thinking about it now makes me wonder ‘What if’.

4. Owen Hart’s fall

Growing up, Owen Hart was one of the guys I loved to hate. Extremely talented and charismatic, Owen was the younger brother of Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart. It is not completely untrue to say Owen was always in his brother’s shadows. Looking back, many would agree with me that Owen was more gifted than his brother, and is one of the most under rated wrestlers in the history of Professional Wrestling. Whether it be as the ‘The King of Harts’, or ‘The Rocket’, or the ever so popular ‘Blue Blazer’, Owen Hart stole the hearts of millions. He had a sense of humour like no one else; he could crack you up in a second. Owen achieved success with Davey Boy Smith in tag team wrestling, and also in singles competition, through a legendary feud with his brother Bret Hart. Perhaps the most shocking incident happening infront of the fans was the Owen Hart incident, during ‘Over the Edge’ PPV in ’99 at the Kemper Arena in Kansas City, where the malfunctioning of his harness resulted in Owen falling down 80 feet from the rafters, and losing his life in the process. Owen was an incredible human being, a loving father and husband. Even after so many years, it’s hard to get on with the fact that I can’t hear the ‘I’m not a nugget!’ shout anymore.

3. Eddie Guerrero’s death

An autopsy revealed that Guerrero died as a result of acute heart failure, caused by undiagnosed arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease

Let us admit it, almost all of the people who had the pleasure of watching Eddie either laughed their hearts out, or were too busy hating him. No matter what he did, Eddie loved the business. Being the youngest son of the legendary promoter Gory Guerrero Sr., Eddie was destined to make it big in the business. But he went through bad phases with his personal demons getting the better of him most of the times; whether it be the drug and alcohol abuse, or getting into a very serious accident, life was never easy for Eddie. This made what he accomplished all the more special. There’s probably no one in the business who can say anything bad about Eddie. His on-screen rival, JBL, credits Eddie to be his best friend, someone who was with him when he was going through a bad phase. I remember seeing Eddie’s tribute on RAW on TV on 9th December in ’05, and not believing it. One of those ‘Good guys taken too soon’ situations played out as fans couldn’t control their tears, and his best friend Chris Benoit shedding tears in front of millions is a memory no one can erase.

2. Chris Benoit tragedy

Chris Benoit, a former World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment World Champion was found hanging by the neck in the weight room of his house where he had killed himself after murdering his wife and their young son, Daniel.

June 24th 2007 will end up as the darkest day in the history of Professional Wrestling. It was an instance where a hero turned into a villain; the most hated person in Pro Wrestling. It wasn’t even an O.J.Simpson situation, but much much worse. It was a day when one of the most beloved wrestlers ever in the Industry did something unimaginable. Chris Benoit was respected by everyone, and idolized by many. His journey and sacrifices in Pro Wrestling made him a hero, a living legend in many ways. Starting out as the Pegasus Kid and ‘Wild Pegasus’ in Japan and North American promotions, Benoit soon became one of the best technical wrestlers the sport had ever seen. His work and dedication made him a leader among his peers, and was known as a loving father and a faithful, caring husband. This made the events even harder to believe, and being one of the biggest, if not the biggest Benoit fan, it was a day when a larger part of the wrestling fan inside me died with him. This not only led to his two decades of sacrifice meaningless, but he will forever be held in the dark light; something he would have never imagined.

1. Mitsuharu Misawa

Arguably one of the greatest Japanese wrestlers in the History, Mitsuharu Misawa, at one point, was one of the best wrestlers in the world. Tough as nails and a dedication to the business like none other, Misawa garnered a huge fan base in Japan, and all across the globe. He wrestled for organizations like All Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Noah, and took part in a legendary feud with the great Jumbo Tsuruta. Respected and adulated by everyone in the business, Misawa was an idol and inspiration to many of the younger wrestlers in Japan. Everything came crashing down in ’09 during a tag team match, when Misawa received a belly to back suplex. Something terrible happened, Misawa was knocked out. The fans became restless, some started crying; everything happened too soon to even think about it. Misawa was pronounced dead when the ambulance arrived at the hospital. It was one of the rare occasions where a legend lost his life in the ring. When I came to know about the incident on the day it happened, like other big wrestling fans, I was in denial. But when the news surfaced online, it was one of the most bizarre incidents. Misawa, nevertheless, will be a hero for his fans, and a legend in the business.