In Memoriam: Wrestlers who passed away in 2018

MATT CAPPOTELLI

Matt Cappotelli had to retire in 2007 due to a malignant brain

tumor

DIED ON JUNE 29, 2018, AGE 38

CAUSE OF DEATH: BRAIN TUMOR

Cappotelli won the third season of Tough Enough along with John Morrison (Johnny Nitro, Mundo, Impact).

The season and Cappotelli's involvement on the show were highlighted by the brutal beating Bob Holly gave Cappotelli as a lesson during a tag team match on one episode of the show.

Holly claimed he was teaching the rookie that not everything in pro wrestling is easy and that sometimes you have rough matches.

Al Snow and X-Pac later commented that he went overboard with the whole attack. Cappotelli and Holly actually shook hands after the match.

It was truly a strange and unsettling moment to watch.

Capotelli had been assigned to OVW, WWE's previous developmental system before being forced to retire in 2007 due to a brain tumor.

He had surgery in May of 2007 and WWE even reported that most of the brain tumor had been removed.

Cappotelli battled outside the ring for OVW, helping to train new wrestlers to OVW.

In July 2017, Cappotelli was diagnosed again with an aggressive brain tumor. After battling it for over a year, he passed away nearly a year after the recurrence of his brain cancer on July 29, 2018.

His co-winner has gone on to have a pretty successful wrestling career both in and out of the WWE.

It's hard to know how big an impact Cappotelli could have made as a pro wrestler.

Some like Morrison have had long, successful careers while others like Andy Leavine, Ariadne Andrew and Josh Bredl haven't had much of any success to speak of.

While he was unable to truly make a huge impact in the WWE, he was respected among his peers like Elijah Burke and John Morrison for his toughness, grit and fighting spirit.