Professional Wrestling is one of the most dangerous professions in the world, with a huge amount of wrestlers dying early from injuries sustained in the ring.
The lifestyle of constant travel and drug abuse also puts a limit on a wrestlers’ lifespan, with an incredible amount of wrestlers passing away before the age of 40.
2023 has seen some of the most beloved legends of all time dying, some years before their time. Stars of AEW, WWE and Hall of Fame legends all said goodbye in 2023, passing away in a variety of ways.
In this article, we’ll reveal every wrestler who died in 2023, explaining how they died and how old they were when they died.
“Superstar” Billy Graham (79 Years Old)
At the man who inspired the birth of Hulkamania, losing Billy Graham was a huge loss to the sport of pro-wrestling.
“Superstar” Billy Graham was an early star of the WWE, and was the prototypical “superstar” that every current wrestler aspires to be.
He died on May 17, 2023. Graham died of sepsis and multiple organ failure on May 17, 2023, three weeks short of his 80th birthday, after having been placed on life support earlier that week
Lanny Poffo (68 Years Old)
The brother of “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Lanny Poffo, died due to heart failure (As revealed by “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan).
“The Genius” died on February 2, 2023, and tributes soon poured in former WWE Superstar.
Jerry Jarrett (80 Years Old)
On February 14th 2023, legendary promoter Jerry Jarrett died of a heart attack while undergoing treatment for esophageal cancer.
Jarrett was the father of TNA founder Jeff Jarrett, and was known as an iconic promoter from the golden age of wrestling.
He was one of the main promoters in Memphis, being one of the biggest legends in the area, alongside Jerry Lawler.
Just one day after his father’s death, Jeff Jarrett paid tribute to the late Jerry Jarrett by wrestling a match on AEW Dynamite
Jay Briscoe (38 Years Old)
On January 17th, 2023, Jay Briscoe was killed in a car crash while picking up his children.
He was one half of the ROH Tag Team Champions, having defeated FTR to win the belts just weeks earlier, in an incredible match.
Tributes poured in for the 38-year-old, who was beloved by fans and wrestlers from all across the wider wrestling world.
AEW paid tribute to Briscoe with an episode of Dynamite dedicated to his memory.
Iron Shiek (81 Years Old)
WWE Hall of Famer Iron Sheik died on June 7, 2023. He was 81.
The Iranian pro-wrestler was most famous for his feud with Hulk Hogan in the 1980s. He dropped the WWE Championship to Hulk Hogan, helping usher the era of Hulkamania in the WWE.
The Iron Sheik’s cause of death was cardiac arrest with congestive heart failure and hypertension as contributing factors.
Mantaur (55)
Mantaur passed away, aged 55, on July 11th, 2023. The former WWE wrestler died after falling and hurting his back, passing away in his sleep.
He also suffered from type 2 diabetes, which may contributed to his early death.
Mantaur was his most controversial character, coming to the ring with a giant bull’s head, before removing it and wrestling with a “wild man” gimmick.
“Bushwhacker” Butch Miller (78 Years Old)/i
On April 2nd, 2023, one half of the Bushwhackers, Butch Miller, passed away in hospital in Los Angeles, California on 2 April 2023, at the age of 78.
He had travelled to the area to appear at WWE’s WrestleMania 39, although due oto his condition did not appear.
Alongside his tag team partner Bushwhacker Luke, Butch was among one of the greatest Kiwi wrestlers of all time, helping put New Zealand on the map.
The Bushwhacker’s were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on 2015.
Terry Funk (79 Years Old)
Former NWA World’s Heavyweight and ECW Champion Terry Funk passed away on August 23rd, 2023, age 79.
The wrestling legend was living in an assisted-living home for the past few years, suffering from the affects of dementia.
Ric Flair announced his death on Threads, posting a touching tribute to him with a series of photos depicting the two men together in their primes.
Funk was one of the all-time great wrestlers, competing from the 1960s, all the way through to his last match in 2017.
Bray Wyatt (36 Years Old)
Bray Wyatt passed away on the evening of August 24th, 2023. The news was announced by Triple H on Twitter, after being informed by Bray’s father, Mike Rotunda.
The former WWE Champion hadn’t wrestled since the Royal Rumble this year, and was removed from WrestleMania due to illness.
Bray Wyatt died of a heart attack, caused by complications from the COVID virus, as reported by Sean Ross Sapp.
I was given permission to reveal that earlier this year Windham Rotunda (Bray Wyatt) got COVID that exacerbated a heart issues.
There was a lot of positive progress towards a return and his recovery. Unfortunately today he suffered a heart attack and passed away.— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) August 25, 2023
Bray Wyatt had been in WWE for the past decade, wrestling under a variety of gimmicks. These included Bray Wyatt, The Fiend, and Husky Harris.