Illuminati-R-Us

Back when the world was young and I was putting myself through university by working back shift security I worked with a bunch of guys who were big WWF fans. No really, the type of guys who worked back and night shift security were also the type of guys who believed the kayfabe and used to mark out over the rasslin'. I became a fellow traveller and spent many a happy hour watching steroid warriors preening and slamming one another into things. One of the big stars of the time was Joan Laurer, known professionally as Chyna, who was a large woman buoyed by steroids and painkillers who fought the men. It was a freakshow and she always struck me as troubled but no more so than many others. After retirement she battled various addictions with various degrees of success. It seems either her past injuries and addictions or her demons have caught up with her as she is dead at 45.

She joins the long, long list of pro wrestlers who died young, either of screwed up bodies, 'roid rage or suicide. This saddens me far more than I thought it would have.

Never heard of her

My wife used to watch this odd reality show called Surreal Life, and Chyna was a contestant/member/whatever on that one season. SO I saw more of here there than anywhere else.

I think it bothers me that so many professional wrestlers are dead, crippled or damaged from what I used to think of as harmless fun. I feel the same way about the NFL and rugby to a lesser extent.

Edit to add: This sums it up.

Rather than start a new thread and repeat what I've said above, add Jim Neidhart to the list of dead wrestlers at the age of 63, joining his brothers-in-law Owen hart killed in the ring by faulty equipment at 34 and Davey Boy Smith dead at 39 of a heart attack brought on by steroids.

King Kong Bundy dead at 61.

An incomplete list of wrestlers who died in 2018:

Mountain Fiji (Died: January 2)
Johnny Valiant (Died: April 4)
Bruno Sammartino (Died: April 18)
Paul Jones (Died: April 18)
Nick “Big Bully” Busick (Died: May 8 )
Charles “Rockin’ Rebel” Williams (Died: June 1)
Big Van Vader (Died: June 18)
Matt Cappotelli (Died: June 29)
Mr. Saito (Died: July 14)
Nikolai Volkoff (Died: July 29)
Brian Christopher (Died: July 29)
Brickhouse Brown (Died: July 29)
Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart (Died: August 13)
Ian “Doc” Dean (Died: August 13)