Wrestlers Who Had Incredibly Tragic Deaths

Gino Hernandez lived life in the fast line in and out of the ring. He routinely paraded his lavish lifestyle to World Class Championship Wrestling fans in the 1980s, where he became one of the company's top heels alongside Chris Adams as one half of The Dynamic Duo. He also partnered up with the likes of Jake Roberts and Bruiser Brody. He won various championships in WCCW, as well as Southwest Championship Wrestling with Tully Blanchard, who claimed interest in bringing Hernandez into The Four Horsemen thanks to his image.

Hernandez passed away at the age of 28 in February 1986. His body was found on the floor of his apartment bedroom a few days after he died, but an official date of death couldn't be determined. His passing has been the subject of much discussion over the years due to Hernandez's ties to the drug underworld, with some people claiming that his death was a "hit" due to the fact that coroners found eight times the usual fatal amount of cocaine in his system. This is the view of Baby Doll, who believes very bad people made an example of Hernandez.

The door to Hernandez's apartment was mysteriously unlocked when his body was discovered, something that was out of character for him, as he always deadbolted it shut, especially after he began experiencing paranoia. Whether it was an acute cocaine overdose or a murder, Hernandez's death is an example of how tragic one's life can be when you get involved with the wrong crowds and very bad habits.

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

One of the most popular stars of the 1980s didn't have an easy life, but Junkyard Dog overcame everything. His natural charisma in the ring and on the microphone made him beloved by whatever crowd he performed in front of. Whether it was his low-key roles in the WWE or his feud with The Fabulous Freebirds, JYD was a man who overcame the underlying racism in the business at the time to become a significant player. However, his personal life sent him down a much darker path.

The biggest battle of JYD's career was with addiction. He developed a cocaine habit, and his in-ring ability started to dwindle due to his drug usage and unhealthy diet. JYD retired in 1988, but due to a messy divorce from his second wife, he was left with virtually nothing and would appear at autograph signings and independent shows to get by. JYD was open about his struggles with addiction, telling all the kids he met to stay in school and work hard.

On June 1, 1998, JYD attempted to attend his daughter's high school graduation but missed it as he arrived too late. On his way back home, he was involved in a severe single-vehicle car accident that saw his car roll several times, killing him at the age of 45. JYD's daughter accepted her father's induction into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004, but would also tragically pass away in 2011 at the age of 31 from a heart attack.

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

This is arguably the most infamous example of a professional wrestler dying at a young age, and tragically, it could have been prevented. During the WWE's Attitude Era, Owen Hart was one of the only people who pushed back against the use of strong language, adult themes, and less focus on in-ring work, resulting in him adopting the character of "The Blue Blazer," a child-friendly character that Hart was fine portraying as it wouldn't upset his children. His entrance saw him descend from the rafters like a superhero, which went very wrong on May 23, 1999.

At WWE's Over The Edge pay-per-view, Hart was meant to descend from the roof of the Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri, before his match. While waiting for his cue, Hart was secured into his harness, ready to be lowered, but the equipment malfunctioned, and he accidentally triggered an early release button. He plummeted more than 70 feet from the roof of the building to the ring, hitting the top rope, and bouncing onto the canvas. He was transported to a local medical facility where several attempts were made to revive Hart, but the impact of the fall severed his aorta, causing internal bleeding, which ultimately led to Hart dying from blunt force trauma. He was 34.

Since Hart's death, the Hart family has filed lawsuits against WWE, resulting in the company paying $18 million when a settlement was reached. Owen's widow, Martha Hart, established the Owen Hart Foundation charity, which aims to provide university and college scholarships for children in need and contribute to housing for low-income families. The charity partnered with AEW in 2021 and together, have honored Hart's name with an annual tournament.

You would be hard-pressed to find a wrestler more beloved and celebrated by fans and wrestlers than Eddie Guerrero. "Latino Heat" overcame his perceived size disadvantage to become one of the most popular wrestlers ever by the mid-2000s, winning the WWE Championship in 2004 from Brock Lesnar. This came after years of perfecting his craft in Japan, Mexico, ECW, and WCW, and by the end of 2005, Guerrero was set to be in line for another push towards the title picture.

On November 13, 2005, Eddie's nephew, Chavo Guerrero, was told by the staff at the Marriott Hotel City Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that his uncle hadn't answered his wake-up call and that he was still in his room as the latch was still on his door. Once his door was broken down, Chavo found Eddie on the bathroom floor, holding his toothbrush and responsive but frothing at the mouth. Medical personnel did all they could to resuscitate Guerrero, but it was no use, and he passed away at the age of 38, with the cause of death being a heart attack caused by an underlying atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease that caused him to keep losing consciousness throughout the day.

The WWE "Super Show" that was meant to take place that weekend became a taping of "Raw" and "Smackdown" designed to honor the memory of Guerrero, with a ten-bell salute, memorable exhibition matches, talking head segments, and video packages chronicling his career. To this day, Guerrero's influence can still be found in wrestlers worldwide whenever they use a frog splash. Rey Mysterio also paid tribute to Guerrero at WWE WrestleMania 40 by recreating his late friend's entrance before his match.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the world, Hana Kimura looked like she would be Japan's next big wrestling star. Her work in STARDOM, JWP, and Wrestle-1 earned her international acclaim from fans and critics, and she had already won several championships as a teenager. She had also become a reality TV star in Japan thanks to her appearances on "Terrace House: Tokyo 2019-2020." However, the world shut down, and everyone was forced indoors, leading to many people spending the bulk of their time on the internet.

During Kimura's time on "Terrace House," she would get into an altercation with a cast member, which was reportedly staged to add drama to the show. Because of this, she started receiving hateful messages from people on social media, with some calling her out for her actions on the show, while others called her names and were even racist due to her mixed heritage. A bombardment of hateful messages combined with the isolation of COVID-19 resulted in Kimura being sent into a depression spiral.

Kimura began posting distressing images on her social media feeds of her harming herself while also sharing some of the hateful messages she had been getting from people. Tragically, she was reported dead later that day, with Dave Meltzer confirming that the official cause of death was hydrogen sulfide inhalation. Kimura's death was officially ruled a suicide and two men were subsequently arrested for cyberbullying, while a third had a lawsuit filed against them by the wrestling star's mother.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org