Former pro wrestler Mike ‘Mad Dog’ Bell was found dead in a Costa Mesa rehab home on Sunday. The 37 year old WWE jobber took falls to promote other fighters. He was hot in the 1990’s and ‘got it on’ with The Undertaker, Bret Hart and the British Bulldog.
Mike’s brother Chris Bell of Venice Beach said that Bell had an up-and-down battle with his addictions and had checked into Ramona House. He was reportedly 60 days clean when his body was discovered by a roommate.
Bell was the subject of a recent documentary called Bigger, Stronger, Faster, which told the story of his addiction to painkillers and alcohol abuse. Said Chris, “You can’t really blame wrestling, but it’s kind of the lifestyle. You have a couple of painkillers to get to the next match, have a couple drinks night after night and it gets out of hand.”
The Orange County coroner’s office has conducted an autopsy but the cause of death has not yet been determined, pending toxicology tests. Chris believes a “rough life” and always pushing his body to the max were probably contributing factors.
Check out movie trailer for Bigger, Stronger, Faster below.