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Masanori Saito, a former Olympian as an amateur wrestler and Hall of Famer as a pro, passed away on Saturday after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. Saito was 76. Saito had the most successful long-term career of any Japanese native on the American scene, being a championship-level wrestler in multiple territories from 1968 to 1990. While Giant Baba in the 60s, Great Muta, and now Shinsuke Nakamura were as big or bigger stars, Saito spent the majority of his career in the United States as opposed to a brief version, and was always a headliner as a former Olympian...

Professional wrestling legend Bruno Sammartino has died at 82, WWE announced Wednesday. A sickly, malnourished immigrant boy when he first came to America, Sammartino transformed himself into one of the strongest men in the world, winning the respect and love of legions of immigrants who found hope in his message that hard work brings reward. “You just knew this guy was a nobody,” said Marty Lazzaro, a fan as a kid who became Sammartino's friend and spokesman in adulthood. “But he came here, worked hard, got big and strong and made something of himself. These people weren't just rooting for...

When he first started wrestling in America, the French combatant who had been calling himself “le Géant Ferré” in Montreal needed a new handle. A midwestern promoter explained that running ads for the Giant Fairy wouldn’t fly. Why not, he asked, wrestle under your own name instead? So was born the legend of André the Giant. Growing up in a small town in France, the young André Roussimoff told family members, “I don’t want to live on a farm my whole life. I want to do something different.” His life turned out to be as unusual as his body, which,...

“Luscious” Johnny Valiant, a wrestling star of the 1970s and ’80s and a Hall of Famer, died Wednesday of injuries he suffered when he was struck by a pickup truck as he crossed a busy street in Ross Township, Pa. The 71-year-old, whose real name was Thomas M. Sullivan, was pronounced dead at Allegheny General Hospital on Pittsburgh’s North Side, WWE announced Wednesday night. The accident occurred at about 5:30 a.m., Ross Detective Brian Kohlhepp told Triblive.com.

Trailblazing UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey has agreed to terms with WWE to perform for the company as a full-time professional wrestler. Rousey made a surprise appearance at the WWE's Royal Rumble pay-per-view in Philadelphia on Sunday night. After the conclusion of the first-ever women's Royal Rumble match, Rousey emerged and shocked the crowd. "This is my life now. First priority on my timeline for the next several years. This is not a smash-and-grab; this is not a publicity stunt," Rousey told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne of her decision to join WWE. "When I first met with Triple H, I...

Tom Zenk, known for time teaming with Rick Martel as the Can-Am Connection in the 1980s, died Dec. 9 at 59 years old. Trained by Eddie Sharkey, Zenk was a bodybuilder turned wrestler who earned the title Mr. Twin Cities in May 1981 after coming in at third place in October 1980 for the Mr. North Country championship. In July 1981, Zenk earned the Mr. Minnesota triple crown, securing titles in the overall, heavyweight and most muscular divisions. Road Warrior Animal discovered Zenk at a bodybuilding competition and suggested he make the journey to professional wrestling.

With the death of Stan "The Big K" or "Krusher" Kowalski on October 20, the world lost more than just a father, a World War II veteran, a tireless fundraiser, and a professional wrestler. It also lost a great friend.

A dark cloud hovers over the professional wrestling world today, as one of the most beloved characters in history has checked out way too soon. But the memories of Bobby "The Brain" Heenan still live on, proving that even the darkest clouds have silver linings. Commentator Jim Ross broke the news on his Twitter account today. "Nobody ever did it better than the Weasel," wrote Ross.

Otto Wanz, the most famous wrestler in Germany and Austria during the 70s and 80s, passed away Thursday morning from what was described as a short but heavy illness. He was 74. Wanz, a powerhouse at 6-foot-2 and 380 pounds, would be best known in the United States for his run as AWA Champion in 1982. Wanz had been champion of his own Catch Wrestling Association, but was largely unknown outside of Germany and Austria. He defeated Nick Bockwinkel for the title on August 29th, 1982, in St. Paul in a match that caused lingering hard feelings between Bockwinkel and...

Smith Hart, the oldest of the Hart brothers, and the self-described "black sheep" of the family has died after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 68 years old... [T]he wrestling world knows the stories of the Hart Family and Stampede Wrestling. From their sprawling mansion in Calgary, Stu promoted wrestling across the Canadian west and south into Montana and Idaho, while Helen managed the promotion. As the children aged, they got involved too, from selling programs to entertaining the revolving door of wrestlers at the home, to eventually refereeing and, in some cases, wrestling. Smith Hart started as a...

"Outlaw" Ron Bass, who wrestled from 1971 to 1989, and had a prominent run in the WWF, has died in Florida. He had been hospitalized last week with an apparent burst appendix, and died on Tuesday.

Ivan Koloff, knowing among wrestling fans as “The Russian Bear,” has died. He was 74.

<p>Hall of Fame wrestler George “The Animal” Steele has died, according WWE.</p> <p>Steele, real name Jim Myers, had been battling health problems for years, including kidney failure. He had been moved into hospice care shortly before his death.</p> <p>Portraying a green-tongued, bald-headed wildman, Steele was known for “eating” turnbuckles -- ripping them open with his teeth and throwing the shredded padding at opponents. He enjoyed his greatest fame near the end of his three-decade career as part of the 1980s WWE (then WWF) roster that included stars like Andre the Giant, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Hulk Hogan and “Macho Man” Randy Savage.</p>

Chavo Guerrero Jr. announced today that his father, Chavo Guerrero Sr. -- or Chavo Classic as he was known as in WWE while accompanying his son to the ring -- died from liver cancer on February 11. He was 68. "As believer in Christ Jesus, he is now in Paradise. Today is a Sad day in the Guerrero Family," wrote Guerrero Jr. in an Instagram post. Guerrero Sr. had been diagnosed with liver cancer in early January.

Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka, the high-flying Fijian-born professional wrestler who rose to fame alongside icons Hulk Hogan, "Macho Man" Randy Savage and Andre the Giant in Vince McMahon's WWE (then the WWF), is dead at the age of 73. His death comes less than a month after murder charges were dropped in the 1983 death of his then-girlfriend Nancy Argentino. WWE superstar and Snuka's daughter Tamina Snuka announced her father's death on Instagram.

Jimmy Snuka, the WWE Hall of Famer, has died after losing his battle to stomach cancer. Jimmy wrestled from the 1970s onward ... all the way through 2010. Jimmy came into the WWE as a heel, and became famous for his acrobatic wrestling style. He eventually turned and became a good guy. He had a number of shots at the WWE championship -- both as a villain and hero -- but never won. The Fijian wrestler, also known as Superfly Snuka, would often punish his opponents with his signature move -- the Superfly Splash ... which was an epic body...

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. - WWE living legend Ric Flair is used to having belts placed around his waist, but this week he got another honor, one placed around his neck. In a tweet Friday, the official account for the Nature Boy, @RicFlairNatrBoy, showed a photo of him shaking hands with Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill and a badge around his neck. The caption reads "Honored to be sworn in today as an Honorary Deputy by Sheriff Victor Hill! #DeputyNaitch @WWE."

It was 1925, and pro wrestling was big business. A throng of fans had packed themselves into a Kansas City convention hall, expecting to see champion Ed “Strangler” Lewis easily defeat Wayne “Big” Munn, a noted former NCAA football player. Munn was a newcomer to the wrestling world, and this was his first true test. Surely, fans thought, he would wipe the floor with the novice. What the fans got instead was an outcome so unthinkable it created a buzz that shot around the arena. The air was electric. After less than 40 minutes, Munn had defeated the great champion,...

<p>It amused me to no end when the feud between John Cena and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson got real personal a few years ago. While much of it was obviously scripted, like everything else in the WWE, there was definite tension and real-life animosity there. One of the central sticking points of the feud, which seemed to come directly from Cena's true feelings, was that Johnson had betrayed the WWE and its fans by crossing over into Hollywood and leaving them behind. Cena would constantly say he'd never leave and that the WWE Universe was his life. And yet look at Cena now...The wrestler, and longtime focal point of Vince McMahon's promotion, has been slipping away an awful lot these last few years in order to film other non-wrestling projects.</p>

MIDDLEFIELD, Conn. -- It is nearly 11 p.m. on a late-August evening, and we're up in the sanctuary at Victory Christian Church. The congregation that once filled the church is gone, and just four of us remain: a publicist, the pastor, myself, and the subject of the interview. I prop my camera up with a few books and DVDs that went unsold. We do a check for audio levels, and then it happens. The quiet, humble man I had met only hours earlier unleashed it. He belted out that loud, diabolical laugh that only one man could deliver. It was...