"Mean" Gene Okerlund

I am so saddened to hear of the passing of "Mean" Gene Okerlund.  He was the consistent voice of wrestling for me from my childhood watching WWF on the weekends, and on into college until WCW closed its doors in 2001.  Announcers and wrestlers came and went, but Gene Okerlund was always there.

His interviews were legendary.  Watching him stand next to legends like Andre The Giant, "Macho Man" Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan, just to name a few.  Mean Gene was the consummate professional and was able to get the best out of anyone he interviewed.

Kurt Angle said it best, "Very seldom does an interviewer become just as popular, and at times even more popular than the superstars he/she interviews. Gene Okerlund was that person."

My thoughts and prayers go out to his friends and family.  He was 76 years old.

Dynamite Kid

 

One of the legendary wrestlers from the 1980's passed away today, "The Dynamite Kid" Tom Billington.

Billington gained notority teaming with his cousin, Davey Boy Smith as the tag team The British Bulldogs in WWF.  They won the WWF Tag Team Championship once, defeating Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefcake at Wrestlemania II.

Before joining the WWF, Billington wrestled in New Japan Pro-Wrestling.  He was active in the Junior Heavyweight division and had legendary matches with Tatsumi Fujinami and the original Tiger Mask.  He won the WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship in Febuary 1984 while NJPW had a working relationship with WWF.  He defeated The Cobra in a tournament.  He vacated the title on November 6, 1984 when he left NJPW to return to WWF full time.

The British Bulldogs were a prominant tag team when I first started watching wrestling in the mid 1980's.  I used to love watching them because they had the bulldog, Matlida, and thought it was cool that they would bring their dog to the ring.  I loved to watch Billington wrestle because of how technically solid he was in the ring and how he flew with off the top rope and delivered the swandive headbutt.

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.  He was 60 years old.

Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart

The wrestling world lost another great one today.  Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart passed away after suffering a head injury following a seizure.

Neidhart toured New Japan in 1985 when they had a working agreement with WWF.  He returned in 1992 following his release from WWF, competing in the 1992 G1 Climax, Super Grade Tag League II and Battle Final.

I was lucky enough to meet The Anvil in 2010.  I ran into him at the Hard Rock Casino in Tampa.  He was super nice and very gracious with his time.

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.  He was 63 years old.

Masa Saito

 

Masa Saito, the Japanese wrestling legend, passed away today from complications from Parkinson's disease.

I was first introduced to the man I knew as Mr. Saito in 1990, when he teamed up with The Great Muta for the Pat O'Connor Memorial Tag Team Tournament at WCW's Starrcade.  Yes he did play the traditional salt-throwing Japanese heel, but what made him memorable was his physical style.

Saito is credited with being the innovator of the Scorpion Deathlock / Sharpshooter and the Saito Suplex.  During his time in prison from 1985-1987, Saito created a hold called Kangokugatame, which translates to Prison Hold.

Saito had a legendary feud in New Japan with the legendary Antonio Inoki.  In 1987, to settle their feud, the two competed in an Island Death match.   The match lasted two hours and went all over the island.  Inoki was eventually victorious defeating Saito by TKO.  Saito won the IWGP Tag Team Championship twice during his career, once with Riki Choshu and the second with Shinya Hashimoto.

Saito wrestled his last match in 1999 against Scott Norton.  Following his retirement, he stayed with New Japan as a commentator until 2003.

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.  He was 76 years old.

Matt Cappotelli

Former Tough Enough winner, Matt Cappotelli, has lost his battle with brain cancer. He was 38.

Matt’s wife, Lindsay, has been keeping fans up-to-date on his well-being through her blogs and Facebook posts. Yesterday, she shared the news with the world.

“Hey Team Capp…I’ve been struggling with what to say and how to say this, and I’ll probably end up rambling, but here goes,” she wrote. “Today my love-my strong, sweet, beautiful love-took his last breath at 3:30 a.m. and went Home to be with Jesus…exactly one year after his brain surgery,” she continued. “You think you can be prepared for this when you know it’s coming, but you just can’t. The only person whose comfort I want right now is the one who can’t give it to me.”

Earlier this year, Lindsay outlined the timeline of Matt’s latest battle with brain cancer.

“Dr. Yao, the brain surgeon, came to our room to discuss things more with us and give us our options,” Lindsey wrote. “He explained that the tumor was of significant size and that he was shocked at how fast it had grown in the 4 months since Matt’s February MRI.”

Cappotelli had been working as a trainer at Ohio Valley Wrestling since 2013. He had previously won the promotion’s heavyweight championship before being diagnosed with a brain tumor for the first time in 2006. He announced last summer that he’d been diagnosed with a grade IV glioblastoma multiforme cancer. This form of cancer is the most aggressive of its kind.

“Throughout all of this, Matt and I really never discussed death,” Lindsey wrote. “A part of me wishes that we had, but I just never wanted to make him think that I didn’t think he would make it. Because I still had hope, and I didn’t want him to give up hope.”

Big Van Vader

 

The legendary wrestler, Big Van Vader passed away today from complications from pneumonia.

Vader was considered one of the greatest super-heavyweight wrestlers of all times.  It was amazing to watch him use his size and weight to make his moves look more painful than when performed by someone half his size.

I first saw Vader at WCW's Great American Bash in 1990.  He came out to the ring wearing the mastodon mask that spouted smoke once he took it off.  I was scared of him.  He wasn't like the big, lovable El Gigante.  Vader was a massive man that scared the crap out of me.

Watching Vader in the ring, I was amazed at what he could do.  His speed was that of a man half of his weight.  Watching him do a moonsault off the top rope, my jaw dropped.  I never thought a man of his size could be able to do a move like that.

I was never lucky enough to watch Vader in New Japan, except for the WCW/New Japan Supershow cards.  So I missed out on his matches with Antonio Inoki and Riki Choshu.  I also missed out on the legendary match with Stan Hansen, when Vader's eye popped out of it's socket after Hansen accidentally poked his thumb in Vader's eye.

However, I was lucky enough to see Vader have amazing matches in WCW with Sting and Ric Flair.  But it was his matches with Cactus Jack (Mick Foley) that I remember the most.  Those matches were so physical and makes me cringe just thinking about them.  Especially the match in Germany, where Cactus Jack lost his ear when he got tangled up in the ropes.

Most fans will remember him for his run in WWF, but I try to forget it.  When he came to WWF, he was paired up with Jim Cornette, and to me it never worked.  WCW paired him up with Harley Race and it worked.  Harley had that rough voice and was known for being a tough man himself.  Cornette had the high pitched voice and looked like he was he was AWOL from an accounting firm.

I don't remember Vader having any memorable matches in his WWF run.  While he did have matches against people like Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, Goldust and Kane, it made me sick at my stomach to see Vince McMahon turn the man I once feared, into a glorified jobber.

I will always remember Big Van Vader as the power house monster that made a kid want to cry as he squashed his heroes.

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.  He was 63 years old.

Big Bully Busick

Nick Busick, better known to wrestling fans as Big Bully Busick, has passed away at the age of 63. He had been receiving hospice care after a lengthy battle with cancer.

Busick began his wrestling career in the late 1970s. He had been competing as a powerlifter before then and wrestled in high school. After moving to Atlanta to work for the local police department, Busik began wrestling for Jerry Blackwell and developed the Big Bully persona.

Under his gimmick, Busick wore a derby hat and smoked a cigar. When he debuted for Vince McMahon in 1989, he used the gimmick as a way to get heat with fans at ringside. Busik would be shown popping a kids balloon with his cigar and committing other acts to antagonize live crowds. The act led to the introduction of the “Sid Justice” character in 1991. The Sid Eudy character came to the aid of a ring announcer Big Bully Busick was bullying. Busick would then enter a feud with the Brooklyn Brawler before leaving the company the same year.

His son Branko is a professional Mixed Martial Artist. Branko lost his debut fight in Bellator last year but won his 2nd bout earlier this year.

Busick suffered cardiac arrest in 2005 but reportedly refused medical treatment after. His health started to deteriorate further in 2015 when he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. After losing almost 80lbs during chemotherapy, Busick announced he was cancer-free in 2016.

He underwent surgery for a brain tumor last year. Busick was diagnosed with cancer of the Cerebrospinal fluid earlier this year and was placed into hospice care in Weirton, West Virginia. His wife released word of his passing yesterday.

After leaving wrestling in 1991, Busick began working as a bouncer and private investigator in Atlanta. He continued competing in powerlifting competitions up until 2015.

Tom Zenk

Former AWA, WWF and WCW star, Tom "The Z-Man" Zenk has passed away. 

I first remember watching Tom Zenk when he was a member of the Can-Am Connection with Rick Martel in the WWF.  I thought he was cool doing all the high flying stuff that normally wasn't seen in the WWF at that time.  Then he disappeared and I didn't know why.  I was introduced to WCW a year or so later and was amazed that a guy named "The Z-Man", who was tagging with Brian Pillman was actually the same guy I saw in WWF (yes I was young and had no idea that wrestlers could go from company to company at that time).

After I learned of his passing, I wanted to gather some information to make an informative post about him.  I had no idea that Zenk was introduced to the sport of professional wrestling by Road Warrior Animal, whom he met at a body building competition. Or that in 1984 he was named co-Rookie of the Year by the Wrestling Observer along with the legendary Jushin "Thunder" Lyger!

I'm not sure what happened in his career, whether it was injuries or whatever, but he retired in 1996.

Tom Zenk was 59 years old.  My thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family.

Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

It is with great sadness that I must announce the passing of a true legend in wrestling, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan.  He passed away today from complications from throat cancer.

Bobby Heenan will always be the best manager ever in wrestling.  I remember Arn Anderson saying once that Heenan was so good, all he had to do was raise his eybrow and the fans would start chanting "Weasel" at him.  People say that Heyman is the best manager with a microphone, and I will strongly disagree and say it is Bobby Heenan.  He was able to use the skills he learned as a manager and turn it into a very successful career as a broadcaster.

Heenan managed a list of Hall of Fame wrestlers that included: Angelo Poffo, Nick Bockwinkle, The Blackjacks (Mulligan & Lanza), Ernie Ladd, Big John Studd, Andre the Giant, The Brainbusters (Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard), Rick Rude, Harley Race, Curt Hennig, Ken Patera, Paul Orndorff and Ric Flair.  Heenan was able to do one thing that a lot of managers were not, and that was be a physical part of the match.  While he was never a trained wrestler, it just came naturally to him.

As great as Heenan was as a manager, I think I will remember him most for his comedy.  His comedic timing with Gorilla Monsoon was legendary.  It was on full display in 2004 when he was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame.  I laughed so hard at his speech, and to this day it is my favorite Hall of Fame speech.

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.  He was 72 years old.