In the early hours on June 18, 2013, Hastings died in a single-vehicle automobile crash in his Mercedes C250 Coup. He was a three-time Tag Team Champion with Trevor Murdoch and was building on a promising singles career prior to the abrupt release. Have a comment about Crash Holly? From the long-tenured career of Chris Candido, many were surprised to know how old he was when he died. [27], On the December 19 SmackDown!, Holly teamed with Bill DeMott to defeat Noble and Nunzio. Lockwood met his wife, Christeena Wheeler, when she escorted Mark Henry to the ring at Unforgiven 1999, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Somehow I blamed myself. In the early morning hours of February 3, 1959, a small aircraft carrying Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. The Big Bopper Richardson crashed a few miles from Mason City Municipal Airport, near Clear Lake, Iowa. He wrestled on nine NWA-TNA weekly PPVs, lastly on October 1. After being released from WWE in June 2003, Lockwood joined NWA Total Nonstop Action as Mad Mikey, where he remained until his death later that year. As a member of the legendary Von Erich family, and with his father Fritz being the owner of the promotion, Kerry obtained significant success in WCCW, winning the World Heavyweight Title on multiple occasions. A Beach Bonanza, N 3794N, crashed at night approximately 5 miles northwest of the Mason City Municipal Airport, Mason City, Iowa, at approximately 0100, February 3, 1959. He gained popularity in a quick span of time, so he returned back to the USA and signed up with Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) in 2003. Patsy Cline singing I Fall To Pieces on February 23, 1963, a few weeks before her death. In fact, he would often carry around a weight scale, billing himself as weighing over 400 lbs. Crash Holly was arguably the greatest Hardcore Champion in WWE history, courtesy of his impressive 22 title reigns. [8] In total, Holly won over 25 championship reigns in WWE. It's a strategy that makes sense if you're trying to maintain a squeaky-clean image in response to numerous tragedies, but at the same time, it's a slap in the face to the wrestlers and their families - at least in most cases. The Buddy Holly plane crash shocked the world. As the wrestler was only 32 years old, Crash Hollys death shocked and saddened fans around the world and fellow wrestlers alike. No mention has been made of his death by the WWE, other than Jim Ross commenting: "Perhaps others have a different view of this man but I personally found him to be somewhat obnoxious and he could be a bully if allowed to be such.". She shared premonitions of her early death with fellow country stars June Carter and Loretta Lynn. Trevor Murdoch and Cade formed a tag team where they posed a threat to D-Generation X. In the early morning hours of February 3, 1959, a small aircraft carrying Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson crashed a few miles from. Flying blind, he entered a graveyard spiral and accelerated straight downward. If you grew up watching WWE in the 1980s, you likely thought Jack Tunney was the company's president and Vince McMahon was no more than an announcer. Jennings, who died in 2002 at age 64, was haunted by his decision for years to come. Although it was primarily intended for comic relief, the character still seemed to beover. He became the Hardcore Champion a total of 22 times. But Holly had tired of the arduous late-night drives and suggested flying instead. match, on September 5, he defeated The Hurricane. [10] He wrestled in Monterrey for three months, under a mask, as "The Green Ghost" (a play on the word "gringo"). Do check the Promotions tab if you cannot find it in the Primary Inbox. Pillman will always be remembered for playing a high-flying and striking cruiserweight with excellent technical skills. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you. When the WWF was renamed World Wrestling Entertainment and divided into two Raw and SmackDown! He was found by his wife, and while his family has limited the information made public in regard to his death, it's believed his heart failure was caused by his regular use of enhancement drugs. San Bruno, California, USA Day of death: 06.11.2003 (at the age of 32) Cause of death: berdosis Drogen Gender: male Height: 5' 9" (175 cm) Weight: 198 lbs (90 kg) Career Data Alter egos: Crash Holly a.k.a. image image of grave. He was found in the home of good friend and fellow wrestler Stevie Richards, lying near empty alcohol and pill bottles, as well as a pool of his own vomit. He had barely graduated himself when he opened for Elvis Presley during a 1955 tour stop in Lubbock. He was related by marriage to Montreal mobster Vic Cotroni and used his power to smuggle illegal cigarettes in Canada. That weekend, she played shows in New Orleans and Birmingham, and then on March 3, she headed to Kansas City for a benefit concert. O'Grady wrestled Grimes in a try-out match for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) on January 20, 1998,[13] and both were signed to contracts. The crash has inspired generations of artists. At approximately 12:55 a.m., they took off from runway 17 (now runway 18). [35] Empty bottles of the prescription drug carisoprodol and a partially consumed bottle of alcohol were found nearby. YouTubePatsy Cline singing I Fall To Pieces on February 23, 1963, a few weeks before her death. By continuing to browse or by clicking I Accept Cookies you agree to the storing of first-party and third-party cookies on your device and consent to the disclosure of your personal information to our third party service providers or advertising partners to optimize your experience, analyze traffic and personalize content. She never knew a note of music, Clines mother later said. The WWE had known Benoit, his wife, and child were all pronounced dead, but didn't have the details of how or why - then they came out. Starting his wrestling career at only 15, Smith was focused on being a household name throughout the business. He didn't do much following his wrestling career, other than fighting briefly in the UFC, entering Finland's Parliament in 2007 and calling the country's president a lesbian. Officially, the cause of death on the autopsy was listed as asphyxiation. His autopsy report lists his cause of death as "traumatic injuries due to massive blunt-force trauma" consistent with a high-speed impact. They were supposed to make an easy hop home to Nashville, Tennessee. The WWE did little to memorialize the early WrestleMania fixture, though a Facebook tribute page for Hernandez currently has 7,264 likes. He was also an openly gay wrestler (at least, following his release from WWE) and sued the company, accusing it of denying him health care benefits following a leg injury that hurt his career. A staff writer for All That's Interesting, Kaleena Fraga has also had her work featured in The Washington Post and Gastro Obscura, and she published a book on the Seattle food scene for the Eat Like A Local series. Country legend Waylon Jennings, then Hollys bass player, gave up his seat to a sick Richardson. [2], Crash made his pay-per-view debut at SummerSlam in August, where the Holly Cousins wrestled in a Tag Team Turmoil match, won by the Acolytes Protection Agency. Wikimedia CommonsPatsy Cline died at the age of 30 on March 5, 1963. Holly's pregnant widow, Mara Elena Holly, heard the news of his death on a . Originally, WWE didn't make any mention of Test's death, it did add him to its alumni section on WWE.com in 2013. Some of them included Johnny Pearson and Erin OGrady The Leprechaun. After nearly 9 years in small organizations, he had the chance to audition for the WWF. In 1997, Dude Love and Pillman were scheduled to wrestle when the news came that Pillman was found dead at his hotel. The stage name Patsy Cline came from her first marriage to a man named Gerald Cline and her middle name, Patterson. He is best known for ending Tatanka's undefeated streak in the early 90s and scoring a win over Marty Jannetty at SummerSlam, but his wrestling career ended abruptly after he suffered an ankle injury in a match against Rick Steiner in 1994. [8] In May 2001, Holly and Hardcore briefly reunited as a lower card team until December of that year.[17]. He was best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) / World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) from 1999 to 2003 under the ring names Crash Holly or simply Crash. It was determined that the Crash Holly death was caused by suicide with a deliberate overdose of more than one bottle of the muscle relaxant Carisoprodol and alcohol. It's well known that O'Haire battled with depression and alcoholism following his release. It took time and a new manager named Randy Hughes but Cline began to make a name for herself. At this time, he was nearly 600 lbs. It's the day the music died. He apparently fell out of favor during his time with the WWE because of his heavy drinking and gambling debts and was let go in 1995. By the time Patsy Cline died in 1963, she had made a name for herself as a country music staple. Flickr/Kent KanouseBuddy Holly was buried in the Lubbock Cemetery in Texas in February 1959. It's a case-by-case basis in regard to who the WWE is going to honor through death. American professional wrestler. [12] Following his stint in ECW, Lockwood returned to APW where he performed until October 1998. In March 2005, the New Breed Wrestling Association held the "Mike Lockwood Memorial Tournament", which was won by Michael Modest. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); No spam. And he left the band in December of that year. [2] This meant that the title was permanently contested, not just in sanctioned matches, and could change hands anywhere, anytime anyone pinned the champion, so long as a WWF referee counted the fall. The Tragic Story Of Christa McAuliffe, The Teacher Killed In The Challenger Disaster, A Couple In New Jersey Unearthed Depression-Era Cash While Landscaping Their Yard, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. Your login session has expired. His date of death was November 6, 2003. It was Feb. 2, 1959. Lockwood joined the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based Extreme Championship Wrestling promotion in November 1997 after ECW wrestler Taz viewed a tape of a match between O'Grady and Michael Modest and referred him to ECW owner Paul Heyman. While many hoped that he would have a comeback, the eventual Crash Holly death came not long after his final WWF appearance. Police were called, and he was pronounced dead atthe scene. The Hart Foundation and Pillman also defeated the American team of Ken Shamrock, The Legion of Doom, Goldust, and Austin in a tag team match. Holly's Death Certificate The Day the Music Died February 3, 1959 Buddy Holly's Death Certificate From the Coroner's Report dated Feb. 4, 1959 The body of Charles H. Holley was clothed in an outer jacket of yellow leather-like material in which 4 seams in the back were split almost full length. In 1993, going deeper into depression due to a number of factors, he committed suicide at the age of 33. Both physically and mentally, everyone involved in sports entertainment should prepare to endure a career of pain and constant tiring hard work. Sytch has lashed out in regard to a Candido documentary produced by his brother Johnny, while the WWE has steered clear of remembering the talented athlete. Others, only God knows why they have left us so soon. The Buddy Holly crash site memorial near Clear Lake, Iowa. photo: wwe.com. Crash Holly (aged 32) Beginning his wrestling career with World Wrestling Federation and later World Wrestling Entertainment, Crash Holly was a well-known name. [21] This turned him into a crowd favorite and earned him the nickname "The Houdini of Hardcore". Michael Lockwood debuted as Crash Holly in the WWF in 1999 as the supposed cousin of Bob Hardcore Holly. His death, caused by choking on his own vomit, was officially ruled a suicide. Crash Holly's grave at West Lawn Memorial Park in China Grove, NC. The next year, at the age of 19, Buddy Holly and The Crickets signed with Decca Records. She was gifted thats all.. The presence of drugs and alcohol were found in his bloodstream, but his death certificate noted morbid obesity was a main cause of death, as well as type 2 diabetes heart damage. This video details the death of professional wrestler Crash Holly! West suggested Cline join her and her husband on the 16-hour drive home. He formed a tag team with his kayfabe cousin Hardcore Holly, with whom he won the WWF World Tag Team Championship. Other times, WWE has acknowledged deaths but did so in quite poor taste that perhaps the company adopted the less is more strategy; or better yet, nothing is more. Well be [back in Nashville] before you know it.. Ultimately, both received contracts and were admitted to the Power Pro Wrestling training program to prepare for entry into the WWF. Holly's bassist, Waylon Jennings, would be haunted by that night for decades, as he had casually given up his seat for a flu-ridden Richardson moments earlier. The WWE made no mention of his death, though he was part of a video tribute during ECW One Night Stand in 2005. Their greatest success in the WWE was capturing the WWE Tag Team Championship in a tournament finals match against the Godwinns. In May of 1984 at the David Von Erich Memorial Parade of Champions event, he defeated Ric Flair to become NWA World Heavyweight Champion. [3] He was buried in China Grove in Rowan County, North Carolina. [31] On June 30, 2003, Lockwood was released from WWE.[2]. TNA, meanwhile, honored him with the Chris Candido Memorial Tag Team Tournament in August of 2005. Up until that point, the tour schedule saw Holly and his peers drive more than 300 miles on more nights than not. In 1992, Yokozuna debuted in the WWE, and attained a meteoric rise due to his combination of size and agility. Buddy Hollys death on February 3, 1959, became the day the music died. It's the day the music died. In 1993, he won the Royal Rumble match to compete at Wrestlemania. In 1994, he became the NWA World Heavyweight Champion at only 21 years old. Ive already come this far, Hughes said. stature. During his WWE career, he gained further popularity by being in a heated feud against the Undertaker, defeating him in a Casket Match at the 1994 Royal Rumble, and also becoming tag team champions with Owen Hart in 1995. On the February 24 episode of SmackDown!, he defeated Test to begin his first of 22 Hardcore Championship reigns. Throughout the remainder of 2001 and early 2002, Holly continued to wrestle primarily on house shows and the WWF's secondary television shows. But although she died young, Cline definitely left her mark on country music. [30] He soon joined Matt Hardy and Shannon Moore in the Mattitude Followers (abbreviated "MF'er") stable.