WWE world mourns deaths of three stars on the same day

  • 30/07/2018
Brian Lawler.
Brian Lawler. Photo credit: WWE.com

Warning: This article discusses suicide.

The professional wrestling world has been rocked by the deaths of three former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) superstars on the same day.

WWE Hall of Famer Nikolai Volkoff, Brian Lawler and Brickhouse Brown all passed away on Monday (NZ time).

Volkoff, real name Josip Nikolai Peruzovic, was one of the most despised heel personas of the 1970s and 1980s. Portraying a Russian, the Croatian was famous for singing the Soviet national anthem before his matches.

Nikolai Volkoff.
Nikolai Volkoff. Photo credit: WWE.com

Volkoff was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005. He was 70 years of age and died shortly after being released from hospital, where he had been treated for dehydration.

Lawler, better known to wrestling fans as Grand Master Sexay or Brian Christopher, passed away at the age of just 46 after an apparent suicide.

The son of famed WWE announcer and Hall of Famer Jerry 'The King' Lawler was found by prison guards in his cell in a Memphis prison, where he been held for the past few weeks, after his arrest in Tennessee earlier this month on a DUI charge.

Lawler was one half of 'Too Cool' alongside tag-team partner Scotty 2 Hotty. Together, they formed one of the most popular wrestling acts of the late 1990s and early 2000s, ultimately claiming the tag titles in 2000.

Local Memphis police have opened an investigation into the apparent suicide.

In addition, former territory star Brickhouse Brown passed away at the age of 57, following a battle with prostate cancer. Brown's career peaked as a top heel in various independent American promotions in the 1980s.

Brown made various appearances in the WWE as an enhancement talent in the 1990s.

Several prominent wrestling figures commented on the horrific day for wrestling, noting the passing of all three former personalities.

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