Workers who've passed away in 2002

[Guest Youth N Asia]

I stole the list from 1wrestling.com

 

And sadly Yukon Braxton was added to this list today. Yukon was an an excelent worker in the Michigan area.

 

-Bud Adams (died 2/2/2002 at 67) was known as Spoiler #1 not to be confused with Don Jardine

-Ben Alexander (Robert Alexander) (died 5/15/02 at age 51)

-Pee Wee Anderson (died 5/6/2002 at age 42)

-Shouichi Arai (died 5/16/2002 at age 36)

-Big Red/Jerry Reese (died 3/17/2002 at age 51)

-Steve Bolus (died 3/23/2002)

-"Bad Boy" Basil Bozinis (died 2/18/2002, at the age 26)

- Yukon Braxton (Jeff Dingus) (died 12/30/2002)

-Jay Caldwell

-Herb Calvert (died 1/27/2002 at age 45)

-Dino Casanova (David Mark DiMeglio (died 3/1/2002 at age 35)

-Paddy Casey (died 2/15/2002 at age 92)

-Edward "Moose" Cholak (died 10/31/2002 at age 72)

-Darrell Cochran (died 9/13/2002 at age 73)

-Thelma Cornette

-Robbie Dicks (Robert Edward Dicks, Jr) (died 2/18/2002 at age 32)

-"Big Dick Dudley" Alexander Paul Rizzo (died 5/16/2002 at age 34)

-Abe Ford (died 5/13/2002)

-Mary Gagne (died 5/7/2002 at age 75)

-Billy Garrett The Medic

-Billy Goelz (died 11/20/2002 at age 84)

-George Gordienko (died 5/13/2002 at age 75)

-"Dream Machine" aka Troy Graham (Troy Roland Thompson, Jr) (died 3/17/2002 at age 47)

-Gypsy Tanya (Clara Jean Scruggs) (died 9/7/2002 at age 79)

-Robert Fort "Swede" Hanson (died 2/19/2002, at age 68)

-George "Two Ton" Lowell Harris (died 11/29/2002 at age 75)

-Charlie Harville (died 3/1/02 at age 83)

-Virgil "Speedy" Hatfield (died 6/30/2002 at age 93)

-The Mighty Igor (Richard J Garza) (died 1/7/2002 at age 70)

-Norm Kimber (died 03/14/2002)

-Eric "Mass Transit" Kulas (who died in 05/02 at 22)

-Logger Larson (Ray Schilling) (died 3/21/2002, at age 62)

-Little Frankie (Masaoba Okamoto) (died 8/15/2002)

-Pedro "Pete McKay" Gonzales (died 6/2/2002 at age 54)

-Bobby Managoff (died 4/3/2002 at age 84)

-Terry Manton The Executioner (died 6/9/02 at age 54)

-"Mr. America" Bob McCune (died 4/18/2002 at age 80)

-Chief Wahoo McDaniel (died 4/18/2002 at age 63)

-Jimmy McGuire (died 9/15/2002 at age 51)

-The Medic/Atanacio Gonzalez Jr. (died 3/4/2002 at age 72)

-Bobby Nelson (died 2/20/2002 at age 84)

-Patrick "Bubba" Nuckols (died 2/17 at age 34)

-Don Owen (died 8/1/2002 at age 90)

-Mike George Paidousis (died 9/9/2002 at age 78)

-Jeff Peterson (died 11/29/2002 at age 21)

-Theodore James "Ted" Petty (died 9/21/2002 at age 49)

-Jeff "Rattlesnake" Raitz (died 2/9/2002 at age 38)

-Randy Rice (died 7/22/2002 at age 50)

-Vince Risko (died 10/02/2002 at age 90)

-Nick Roberts (died 2/23/2002 at age 72)

-Amy Robinson (died 04/07/2002)

-Nelson Combs Royal (died 2/3/2002 at age 66)

-Davey Boy Smith "British Bulldog" (died 5/17/2002 at age 39)

-Bill Steddum (died 1/07/2002 at age 83)

-Thunder Sugiyama (died 11/22/2002 at age 62)

-Kelly (The Diva) Tabor (died 12/22/2002 at age 28)

-Lou Thesz (died 4/28/2002 at age 86)

-Butch Thornton (Harry Thornton, Jr (died 9/15/2002)

-Billy Travis (William Joseph) (died 11/23/2002 at age 40)

-Randy Tyler (died 7/22/2002 at age 50)

-Stanley Weston (died 4/11/2002 at age 82)

-George Burrell Woodin aka "Mr. Wrestling" Tim Woods (died 11/30/2002 at age 68)

-"The Alaskan" Mike York (Mike Riker) (died 9/29/2002 at age 62)

[Guest AM The Kid]

Such a shame.

[Guest dreamer420]

What a horrible year for Wrestling deaths. I'm still shocked and not believing that Davey Boy is really gone.

[Guest HartFan86]

I haven't heard of about 3/4 of that list before.

[Guest AM The Kid]

What a horrible year for Wrestling deaths. I'm still shocked and not believing that Davey Boy is really gone.

Same, I remember reading about it in my local paper on my way home from a holiday and trying not to break down in the car.

[Guest BAR]

I didn't react the way I thought I would, like when Owen passed but still, I was very upset. My Dad was probably more upset than me. He's not really into wrestling, except for a few exceptions. One of those exceptions is Davey Boy.

 

One of my fondest memories of a live show was seeing DBS make his 'return' at Insurrextion 2000. One of my all time favourite wrestlers, R.I.P.

[Guest Youth N Asia]

Hey, I like this bar guy already.

 

None of the deaths really impacted me this year, maybe Yukon's a little, but that's mostly cause he was local and real young. Jeff Peterson is also a very sad case.

[Guest Lord of The Curry]

I really want to make an effort towards watching more Lou Thesz matches now that he's gone, I feel I owe it to myself to do that much........

[Guest bob_barron]

Davey Boy was my ALL-time favourite so I took his death really hard.

 

That week in public speaking we were doing eulogies so as a tribute to Davey Boy I did my eulogy for him.

 

I miss him a lot and I'm upset I never got to see him live but he always holds a special place in my heart.

[Guest Respect The 'Taker]

Barron likes his British grapplers...

 

Don't blame you either. I started watching WWF right around the Hitman-HBK-Bulldog era and they were the first wrestlers i was introduced to.

 

Sad that two are practically crippled and one is actually gone...because at the time, a situation such as that was unthinkable.

 

Even though Owen's death was in '99, seeing the Owen tribute on RAW this week just minutes before i went out for a new years party, made me cry again. Same happend to me with Bulldog. I sincerely hope neither man ever thought the fans didn't care, 'cause im living proof that is untrue.

 

UYI

[Guest kingkamala]

I saw DBS live twice once at a WCWSN taping and the other at a WWF house show in July of 96. Sadly the match at the WCWSN match was him squashing Kendall Windham and the match at the WWF house show was him getting beat by Sid in under a minute. So I never got to see him in a non-squash match.

[Guest bob_barron]

I thought the WWE's tribute to Bulldog was very well done. Some people gave them flack for not doing it at Judgement Day but I understand. I enjoyed the Confidental segment greatly as it made me cry watching it but also some of the stories of his ribs made me laugh.

 

I noticed at Judgement Day Regal was wearing an armband which I thought was perfect.

[Guest dreamer420]

Davey was a great man from everything I have heard about him. I couldn't have been happier when he returned to the WWF and I still have the episode on tape where he returns and win the hardcore title. He then gave it to Al Snow and said that since he had held every title he now wanted the WWF title. I thought for sure he was going to get a decent push for the title and at least remain a contender for the title but sadly he never did.

[Guest Respect The 'Taker]

I thought the WWE's tribute to Bulldog was very well done. Some people gave them flack for not doing it at Judgement Day but I understand. I enjoyed the Confidental segment greatly as it made me cry watching it but also some of the stories of his ribs made me laugh.

 

I noticed at Judgement Day Regal was wearing an armband which I thought was perfect.

Yes, i too, noticed that and thought it was very considerate of Regal to honour his fellow countryman in the ring in his own little way.

 

I'm sure Regal was as big a fan of Bulldog as the rest of us.

 

UYI

[Guest Youth N Asia]

Davey was a great man from everything I have heard about him. I couldn't have been happier when he returned to the WWF and I still have the episode on tape where he returns and win the hardcore title. He then gave it to Al Snow and said that since he had held every title he now wanted the WWF title. I thought for sure he was going to get a decent push for the title and at least remain a contender for the title but sadly he never did.

Read Dynamite Kid's book, you might not think DBS is the best guy.

 

Kid tells a funny story though. Davey Boy is asking for some steroids, he had never had them before and knew Kid used. So Dynamite fills up two shots of milk and shoots him in the ass with them.

 

Later in the car ride some of the boys were just shouting out "MOOOOO" durring the ride. Smith didn't know why, he didn't know he got milk till later

[Guest kingkamala]

Ummm.....I don't think that story should really be in a thread about remembering DBS. Hey I don't care, just prepare to feel the wrath of Bob Barron.

[Guest HartFan86]

I suggest anyone who is intrested in the Bulldog should get a copy of the Confidential that they dedicated to him as it is a great piece on his life and his WWE carrer. I have this, so if your intrested, PM me. (This was not a plug, I'm just simply stating that for those who haven't seen it and are intrested, I have it.)

[Guest bob_barron]

I've seen it twice Hartfan and the first time I saw it I cried my eyes out.

 

The fact that they got footage of his last match meant so much to me.

 

BTW- the DBS segment is on the confi dvd