The year 2007 is not yet three months old and the wrestling world has lost four of it's past stars in the past 2 months and 12 days; Two of those in the last seven....
Bad News Brown (Allen J. Coage)
October 22, 1943 - March 6, 2007
Bad News Brown was a WWE superstar in the mid-to-late 80s. His tough no-nonsense attitude made him a tough competitor in the squared-circle for guys like Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, and Roddy Piper. Although he never had much success as far as titles go, he certainly left his mark on the industry. He was one of the more memorable African American wrestlers in the WWE at the time. Bad News passed away last Tuesday morning as a result of a heart attack. He was 63.
"The Big Cat" Ernie Ladd
November 28, 1938 - March 10, 2007
Ernie Ladd played professional football from 1961 till 1968 for such teams as the San Diego Chargers, the Houston Oilers, and the Kansas City Chiefs. Ladd has been honored for his grid-iron accomplishments by being inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, and the San Diego Hall of Champions.
Ladd became "The Big Cat" when he started his journey into the realm of professional wrestling in the early 1960s. In a career that lasted nearly twenty-five years, Ladd faced some of the wrestling world's greatest champions. A list of his opponents would include Lou Thesz, Bruno Sammartino, Gene Kiniski, Andre the Giant, Dusty Rhodes, The Sheik, and Dick the Bruiser. Ladd hung up the boots in 1984 when knee injuries forced him into retirement.
Despite never winning a major World Heavyweight Title, Ernie Ladd held at least 18 championships in various wrestling promotions all over North America. This can be viewed as quite an accomplishment for a man of color in the racial environment of the 1960s and 1970s. Ladd was without a doubt a pioneer for African Americans in the world of professional wrestling.
In 1994 and 1995, "The Big Cat" was honored for his in ring accomplishments when he was inducted into the World Championship Wrestling Hall of Fame and the World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Fame respectively. He was the first person to be inducted into both prestigious Halls.
Since 2004, Ladd had battled cancer-first in his colon, then late in his stomach and bones. On March 10, 2007, Ernie Ladd passed away due to his long bout with cancer. He was 68.
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2 comments:
They're dropping like flies. I think I was most saddened by Mike Awesome's death, just wondering about the desperation he must have been feeling to kill himself.
Also, I remember the Nitro I went to in July 2000. There was a United States title tournament that night and Mike Awesome and Lance Storm wrestled each other. We were on the floor section right by the ramp and Awesome threw Storm right into our guardrail, causing it to shake and causing our chairs to move. It was one of many great moments that night.
They'll all be sorely missed!
That is sort of weird me and Marcy had the same thought about all the wrestlers dying. Good blog, I did not know much about Ladd, but I liked Bad News. You gave me some insight on Ladd.
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