R.I.P WRESTLING DEATHS 2023

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shame both for the attack and for his death. RIP.

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A LITTLE LATE



link

On July 14, 2023, Robert L. Aebi, who wrestled professionally as Bulldog Drummer and Count Drummer, passed away in Kansas City, Missouri at 74. For many years, wrestling historians knew next to nothing about Drummer and his life before wrestling, as well as after. It turns out there was a very good reason for that.

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Interesting sounding fellow. RIP.

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AND ANOTHER ONE




Former Wrestler Bil Howard/Ratamyus passed away at 78

Billy Howard passed away. Howard worked Central States over the years, as well as ICW, Southwest, Mid-Atlantic, Georgia, Memphis, St. Louis, and the AWA all throughout the 60s, 70s and 80s. Howard also worked under the name Ratamyus

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RIP to one of the more fun gimmicks out there.

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From Slam Wrestling

Ontario’s Randy Johnston dead at 67
Randall “Randy” Johnston, the son of Ontario veteran Bull Johnson and younger brother of the late Bullwhip Danny Johnson, has died. He was 67.

Unlike his father and brother, Randy’s career in the ring did not last as long, but his career, lasting roughly six years, is very entwined with his father and brother.



Ron “Bull” Johnston (though usually credited as Johnson) used a ton of wrestling names through the years, including Bulldog Johnson, Bobo Mongol, Mysterion, Mr. Wrestling, Nicolai Kosloff and Nicolai Petrov. He had five children, and his two sons ended up as pro wrestlers.

“We used to travel with my dad all the time, mostly setting up the wrestling ring, which we also got to meet all the wrestlers and that. So you kind of got an idea, who you kind of liked, the way they wrestled back in the day and you wouldn’t mind actually being him as you grew up,” recalled Randy Johnston in October 2022. “I think we started setting the ring up about 10, 11 years old, for God’s sakes. We were quite young.”

Danny, two years older, dropped out of high school, and pressured Randy to start training too. Randy had aspirations of becoming a gym teacher, a regret he had the rest of his life.

“I thought I’d give that a shot. It didn’t take that much more education or whatever it is, to be a wrestler, compared to being a teacher back then. So I just kind of followed, more or less, in my old man’s footsteps,” said Randy.

At the time, the old Bull owned Bull’s Gym in Hamilton, and there was a ring and weights there where the boys learned their new craft. “We got the groundwork all figured out in that gym there. Then it was more or less getting in front of the people and being able to wrestle in front of people the main thing. You can’t be scared. Things just fell into place. The more you trained, the better it ended up getting for the match,” said Randy.

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CPW Faithful it is with great sadness that we announce that Gino Blanchard known to you the CPW Faithful as “The Honest Reverend” has passed away.

Gino Blanchard was the founder of Classic Pro Wrestling and his vision was to bring old school classic professional wrestling back to the Mid Atlantic region.
As The Honest Reverend, he managed some of the Mid Atlantic’s Best and was in the ring with legends including WWE Hall Of Famer Ricky The Dragon Steamboat. Gino always made you laugh and would have a smile on his face and was a very funny character.

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RIP

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Indy Wrestler Lance "Smitty" Smith passed away at 52

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Indy wrestler Rob Rage/El Craneo passed away after his match last night at 46