When Joanie Laurer died in April of 2016, she continued a very sad trend within the world of professional wrestling.
As documented below, far too many men and women from this industry have passed away at a very young age.
We send our condolences to their loved ones while we rundown this very sad list of superstars…
Chyna
Chyna (real name: Joanie Laurer) battled substance abuse and starred in a number of adult movies before being found dead in her home at the age of 45.
Chris Kanyon
At the age of 40, not long after coming out as gay, Chris Kanyon tragically committed suicide by overdosing on antidepressants.
Sean O’Haire
Sean O’Haire also committed suicide, for him by hanging. He was 43 years old.
Mike Awesome
Mike Awesome was the first WCW wrestler to win a title as part of the WWE invasion angle. He hanged himself at age 42
Sensational Sherri
The beloved manager was inducted into WWE Hall of Fame in 2006, but was found dead from a drug overdose at age 49.
Andrew Martin
Known as “Test” in the ring, Martin was released from the WWE after being suspended for a Wellness Policy violation and died of an accidental overdose on pills just before his 34th birthday.
Bam Bam Bigelow
Bam Bam Bigelow was found dead of an accidental overdose at the age of 45.
Rick Rude
Rick Rude also died of an accidental drug overdose at the age of 40. He once appeared on both Monday Night Raw and WCW Nitro on the same night.
Lance Cade
Lance Cade died at the very young age of 29 of a heart problem, though doctors say he was also the result o drug use.
Crash Holly
Crash Holly won the Hardcore Title 22 times in his career. He was found dead at the age of 32 after an overdose of pills, mixed with alcohol. The death was ruled a suicide.
Big Bossman
Big Bossman died of a heart attack at the age of 41. He was a pretty huge star in the early 1990s.
Umaga
Umaga was released from WWE after refusing to go to rehab after his second Wellness Policy violation. He sadly died a few months later after suffering two heart attacks due to a drug overdose at the age of 34.
Miss Elizabeth
Miss Elizabeth, arguably the most famous WWE female of all-time, died of acute toxicity due to a mixture of painkillers and vodka at the age of 42.
Mr. Perfect
Mr. Perfect is widely considered the best wrestler never to win the Heavyweight Championship. He was found dead in a hotel room at 44, passing away from acute cocaine intoxication.
Yokozuna
Yokozuna was in the main event at WrestleMania two years in a row. He died at the age of 34 of a pulmonary edema, partially caused by his weight, which was over 580 pounds at the time of his death.
Brian Pillman
Brian Pillman died of a congenital heart condition on the day he was supposed to wrestle Dude Love on a pay-per-view event; he was only 35 at the time.
Owen Hart
Owen Hart was a multiple-time Intercontinental and Tag Team Champion. He tragically died when he fell from near the top of the Kemper Arena due to a cable malfunction during a pay-per-view event.
Eddie Guerrero
Eddie Guerrero became the WWE Champion in 2004. He had been clean of his substance abuse issue for years when he died of an enlarged heart at the age of 38 in 2005.
Chris Benoit
This was as terrible as it gets: Benoit murdered his wife and son on June 22, 2007… and subsequently hanged himself on June 24, 2007. Research suggested that depression and brain damage accrued from numerous concussions were likely contributing factors leading to Benoit’s behavior.
Roddy Piper
Piper was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005. He’s an all-time, but he died from cardiac arrest on July 31, 2015.
Randy Savage
The Macho Man passed away of cardiac arrhythmia while driving with his second wife on the morning of May 20, 2011. In 2015, he was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.