While there was a long debate over how real wrestling is, the dangers are very much real. And you could say this has been proven by the tragedies that have struck over the years, with some wrestlers losing their life in the ring.
Before we get to the wrestlers who unfortunately lost their lives in the ring, it’s worth pointing out just how great the WWE is. It’s sports entertainment like no other, and it’s gone on to inspire video games, and many quality wrestling-inspired online slots are released on a regular basis, which shows how big the WWE has become.
Owen Hart
Owen Hart was famously a part of the Hart wrestling family, arguably the most prominent wrestling family of all time. But unfortunately, Hart lost his like back when the WWE was the WWF, and he did so during the Over the Edge PPV of 1999. At the time of his death, competing as Blue Blazer for the Intercontinental title, the plan was for Hart to make a huge entrance from the rafters. However, Hart triggered the early release mechanism on his descent and fell chest first from nearly 80ft above the ring. Efforts to revive Hart failed, and he subsequently died in the hospital.
PHOTOS: WWE Superstar Gets A New Look!
King Kong Kirk
King Kong Kirk was a wrestler who put the sport on the map in the United Kingdom. But it’s fair to say that his untimely death prevented wrestling from being as big as it is in the US in the UK. Now, to get an idea of how respected King Kong Kirk was in the sport, he fought against the likes of Andre The Giant and Bret Hart. What’s interesting is that Kirk had fallen out of love with wrestling and had already mapped out the rest of his life, but decided to team up with King Kendo to battle it out against Big Daddy, his rival, and Greg Valentine. Big Daddy unleashed a splash kick on King Kong Kirk, bringing his death in the ring.
Brian Ong
Brian Ong headed into a training session with who many will know as The Great Khali, already plagued by injuries. Ong was fighting under the APW banner at the time and was cleared to continue training and competing at this stage. During the training session which happened in the ring, The Great Khali executed a move known as the flapjack. During the move, both parties need to be in their A game, which wasn’t the case for Ong, who crashed hard into the mat, dying several days later. The APW paid out over $1 million in compensation to Ong’s family as a result.
There is no doubt that the WWE and all types of wrestling are incredibly safe. But at times, things can go wrong unintentionally. The great news is that these occurrences are incredibly rare, as strict steps are taken to ensure the health and safety of everyone taking part in the sport.
RELATED: WWE SmackDown Spoilers For Next Week!
