[ Outline ] · Standard · Linear+ Wrestling Deaths...the continuing story, 5/9: Shibuya

[jaderock]

Just when you think the worst was over after Andrew "Test" Martin passed away...now....

As reported by the Wrestling Observer:

Andres Palomeque, better known as Abismo Negro in AAA, was apparently found dead in a river in Mexico. He was 37.

We don't have other news other than a couple of wrestlers in the AAA promotion confirmed the story, but knew no details.

Palomeque was also known as Winners, a masked male dancer, who teamed with Super Calo during the early glory days of the AAA promotin. At the second year's first TripleMania show, Winners formed a trio with Rey Misterio and Rey Misterio Jr., and lost his mask in a feud with Calo in 1995.

He became Abismo Negro in 1997, and was on the 1997 Royal Rumble show in San Antonio that drew 60,000 fans to the Alamo Dome and wrestled on a few episodes of Raw that year.

He also worked as part of Team Mexico in the 2004 World X cup tournament for TNA.

Throughout his career he was plagued by drug problems, and had a reputation for no-showing events.


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Steve Doll, best known as part of the tag team of the Southern Rockers, passed away earlier today at the age of 44.

Little details are available, although he had a major health scare a few years ago, and was taken off life support systems today.

Doll & Scott Peterson were the most popular tag team in the Pacific Northwest promotion of the 80s. Later, Rex King (Mark Smith) replaced Peterson on the team. Doll & Smith were used as a prelim tag team in the WWF in 1993 under the name Well Dunn. Smith wrestled as Timothy Well and Doll s Steven Dunn.

With King, they held the USWA tag team titles five times and the Northwest tag team titles four times.

This post has been edited by jaderock: May 9 2010, 04:06 PM

[jaderock]

Reported on WON:

http://www.f4wonline.com/content/view/9465/

John Tolos, best known for being the heel counterpart of Fred Blassie in one of pro wrestling's all-time greatest feuds, passed away last night at the age of 78.

The death was believed to have been from kidney failure.

Tolos, one of the best promos in wrestling, was chosen by Blassie to be his opponent in a 1971 match at the Los Angeles Coliseum which was one of the biggest events in wrestling of the time.

In the angle, Tolos, the Americas' champion, was jealous that Blassie was awarded the Wrestler of the Year honors, and threw Monsel's powder from the bag of Dr. Bernardt Schwartz, a boxing/wrestling doctor who used it to close cuts when he was doing boxing.

They sold it was if Blassie's career was over due to blindness, an angle repeated with similar results years later by Michael Hayes and Junkyard Dog which still holds the record for attendance in New Orleans.

Blassie actually was taking time off for knee surgery and to tour Japan, and came back for what is the most famous match in California for a generation of fans.

Tolos had a long career, spanning three decades, working regularly into his 50s. He was known in particular for his conditioning, as he was distance running and remained in great shape well into his 60s. He had slowed down in recent years from a near fatal stroke.

He held championships throughout North America, often with brother Chris, although he achieved his greatest fame after the tag team broke up in the late 60s, as a top star in Southern California, where he was the dominant main eventer from 1971-75, both as a babyface and a heel.