R.I.P WRESTLING DEATHS 2018

[jimsteel]

Nick “Big Bully” Busick has passed away at the age of 63-years-old

[TTX]

Always enjoyed Busick. RIP....you'd have been so fun in Olde Wrestling.

[jimsteel]

In person, at Cauliflower Alley Club reunions, "Buddha Khan" Edward A. Carter III was always friendly and approachable, despite his imposing height and intimidating demeanor. When word circulated that had passed away on May 16, at age 78, following complications from a fall months ago, it seemed hard to believe that anything could have toppled him.

But with a nickname like Buddha, looking back, it's evident he lived a blessed life -- in music, in the movie business, on radio, in roller derby and as a professional wrestler.

As a singer, he was a part of a number of notable groups, including the Medallions, which he joined in 1956 and stayed with until 1962, when he heeded the call to pro wrestling. Gifted with a deep bass voice, he'd been singing since he was a teenager, singing on his first record around 1953.

He also was part of the Shantones, The Jacks, The Cadets and The Olympics, where he was a part of the song "Hully Gully" that charted. It went on to be covered by dozens of acts, including The Beach Boys. Another hit he was on was Charles Wright's "Express Yourself" from 1970, backed by The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band.

The singing side of Carter never left, and even over the past few years, he performed as a part of a group, even alongside Bowser (John Bowman) from Sha Na Na.

"I don't like sitting still," Carter told Eric Chimel, of The Ear, the newsletter for the Cauliflower Alley Club, prior to his Men's Wrestling Award in 2014. (Carter also was on the CAC board of directors for a spell in the 1990s.)

In high school in Los Angeles, Carter was an athlete, competing in track and field. At a nearby prison that had been converted into a gym, he befriended wrestler Billy Darnell, who taught him the ropes -- literally

Darnell stretched him, but Carter kept coming back, and eventually the established star told his trainee, "Hey, you can make some money at this. You've got the mouth, and you've definitely got the look."

The actual wrestling career of Buddha Khan (sometimes just Buddha) consisted mainly of work in southern California, especially Los Angeles, and Hawaii. Later in his career, he was a regular on the AWA TV tapings in Las Vegas at the Showboat Casino. In one of those bouts, he put over a young Shawn Michaels.

[TTX]

That was one of the most entertaining interviews ever.

[jimsteel]

Wild Bull Miller passed away at 56

Miller started wrestling at age 14 in junior high school, and would successfully compete as an amateur until he graduated high school in 1981. He tracked down former WWF star, Flying Fred Curry, before graduating, and Fred, along with his father, Wild Bull Curry, and former wrestler, Bobby Pico, trained Miller to become a professional.[1]

Miller started wrestling professionally in late 1981 as Aaron Lee Star. His first match was in Circleville, Ohio, for the now defunct NAWA. That show actually resulted in a riot as several fans was not happy with the fact many of the star wrestlers advertised was not there.[1]

As Aaron Star, he also had a few matches on Superstation WTBS, losing to the likes of Wildfire Tommy Rich and Brad Armstrong among others.[1]

Upon the death of his trainer, Bull Curry, in 1985, Miller took the name Wild Bull in his honor. Throughout the 80's and 90's, he wrestled for a host of Ohio-based promotions as well as the Indiana-based World Wrestling Association (Dick the Bruiser's promotion) and the Detroit Michigan's NWA affiliate (ran by the Original Sheik).[1]

In 1988 he started the International Wrestling Alliance (IWA) and was based out of Columbus Ohio. The IWA sponsored events mainly through Ohio and stands today as Ohio's longest running pro wrestling organization.[1]

He started running a pro wrestling school in the late 90s and trained close to a hundred wrestlers over a ten-year period. Many of these wrestlers wrestled for the IWA promotion as well as several other federations. He closed down the original school in 1994 but still continues to train aspiring wrestlers on and off.

[jimsteel]

Former ECW Wrestler The Rockin Rebel and wife dead after a murder/suicide

[natureboy]

Wow

[TTX]

always sad.

[jimsteel]

VADER-63

[TTX]

He will be sorely missed.