Wednesdaymania - 2020 Was Rough

 

In Which This Year Was Rough As Heck on Wrestling

This year... man, it just clobbered the wrestling industry. Shows were canceled. Shows that weren't canceled would sometimes become Spreader Events for COVID-19. People died. People retired without Retirement Matches. The writing sometimes sucked a lot.

So here's your year of major deaths in review:

• La Parka II
• Died Jan 11 at 54 years old. Complications from a bad dive that left him paralyzed.
• Not The La Parka we all know and love - he was the La Parka AAA used in the first La Parka's place when he moved on from Mexico
• Rocky Johnson
• Died Jan 15 at 76 years old. DVT blood clot became pulmonary embolism.
• One of the first black tag team champs with Tony Atlas
• The Rock's dad
• Black Demon
• Died April 13 at 39 years old. First wrestler to die from COVID-19. If you don't recognize his name, he was a non-mainstream masked luchador from Mexico.
• Howard Finkel
• Died April 16 at 69 years old.
• Complications from a stroke he suffered in 2019
• This one hurt a lot, I'll be honest. I loved Finkel so much and it sucks that he's gone now.
• Shad Gaspard
• Died May 17 at 39 years old
• Drowned after insisting his son's life be saved first. His son survived.
• This one sucked too because it really seemed like his acting, stunt, and mocap careers were taking off and it would have been incredible to see where he was headed!
• Hana Kimura
• Died May 23 at 22 years old
• Committed suicide
• Stop cyber-bullying people. That's all I can say. Just freaking stop it. She was barely more than a kid, and she had a brilliant career ahead of her, but people are shallow and vicious. They crushed this blossom.
• Danny Havoc
• Died May 31 at 34 years old
• There is no news on how Danny Havoc passed. He died just two months after his wife tragically passed from heart failure.
• Kamala
• Died August 9 at 70 years old
• Tested positive for COVID-19 before passing after a heart attack
• He lived a hard life, man.
• "Bullet" Bob Armstrong
• Died August 27 at 80 years old
• Road Dogg's dad and patriarch of the Armstrong family in wrestling
• Animal from The Road Warriors
• Died September 22 at 60 years old
• Natural causes while on vacation at a resort
• Tracy Smothers
• Died October 28 at 58 years old
• Lymphoma
• If you've ever wondered what "a full career" looks like, look up Tracy Smothers. The man went everywhere and did everything. Incredible.
• RJ Meyers
• Died November 16 at 44 years old
• Leukemia
• If you don't know the man's name, you probably know the people he trained, like Lio Rush. A great trainer, if Lio's any indication. Cancer sucks.
• Pat Patterson
• Died December 2 at 79 years
• Liver Failure
• Do you like the WWE Intercontinental Championship? He was the first. He was also an openly gay man throughout basically his whole career. His long-term partner (I'd consider him a husband with how long they were together, let's be real) was a part of the WWE family by all accounts. It sucks that we've lost this crazy dude. He was pretty dang cool.
• Danny Hodge
• Died December 26 at 88 years old
• Natural causes
• Danny Hodge probably single-handedly (no pun intended) maintained Kayfabe in every territory he was in. He could, and would at the drop of a hat, crush apples into pulp with one hand. If you look him up on Wikipedia there's a picture of him doing just that at the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 2013. That's right, he could still do it at 80. Holy cow.
• Brodie Lee
• Died December 26 at 41 years old
• Non-COVID-related lung issues
• This one still has me reeling four days later and totally overshadowed the loss of Danny Hodge, who, let's be real, most of us didn't realize he was still alive. Brodie Lee (real name Jon Huber) was starting the climb to the pinnacle of his career. He was apparently deeply beloved by the entire wrestling community, which is not a claim most can make. Thankfully, the wrestling world at large seems to have come together in support of his wife and young children, and AEW even "signed" his 8-year-old son Brodie (yes, he named himself after his son) to a contract with a commitment to hiring him when he's 18 (if he still wants to wrestle). They even gave him a Dark Order mask and had him come out and "beat" people with a kendo stick. I'm not crying. You're crying.

In short, this year has sucked a lot, but I'd like to end this blog on a positive note, so here's 5 good things that happened in wrestling this year in no particular order:

1. Sting on AEW with Schiavone howling that IT'S STIIIIIINNNNNGGGGGG!
2. Talkin Shop A Mania 1 and 2 were both so hilarious that I ended up with sore abs and ribs the next morning after watching them
3. Retrosexual is now signed to a WWE contract that will hopefully get him where he wants to be, both financially and career-wise! I'm very excited for him, though I miss his old gimmick and am not entirely down with his new name of "August Grey". He's got the talent to overcome any stupid crap the WWE shoves on him, I think.
4. Purowave's ode to Alundra Blayze vs Bull Nakano is incredible, so listen to that here.
5. So many wrestling babies! Mox & Renee, Becky & Rollins, the Bellas, Jason Jordan, Roman Reigns (twins!), and now... Cody & Brandi! I don't want kids, but I'm so thrilled that so many of these folks who have wanted babies are getting babies. Good for them!

So that's my wrestling news for 2020. I'm gonna go chill out and listen to more Purowave :)

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