Your Wrestlers RIP Thread

[Nice Guy Eddie 18,870]

2 hours ago, A Guy Named Tracy said:

Tom Zenk passed away over a week ago. It wasn’t well known until his obit was published in a Minneapolis newspaper. 

http://m.startribune.com/obituaries/detail/233177/?fullname=thomas-erwin-zenk

I just found out about Zenk's death a few minutes ago.

[BurningBeard 3,753]

I thought Zenk running that blog in the 2000s was dismissed as Zenk didn't know anything about it?

Anyone know what he'd been up to all these years? Damn shame he was his own worst enemy

[J.T. 8,393]

Just found out about Z-Man's passing this morning.

RIP.

[colonial 112]

I seem to recall a few people mentioning that Zenk ...

--- knew nothing about his namesake blog/website

-- was told by a third-party what to say in his interviews (or may not have been the one being interviewed -- that it was someone pretending to be him)

I recall Tom Zenk (if it were him) mentioning that he was "working in middle management" whenever he was interviewed. I had heard he may have worked in financial services (possibly a hedge fund). While checking a YT shoot interview of someone talking about Zenk, a responder alleged he met Tom not too long ago, and said he was working in "loss prevention for a major retailer". IOW, a lot of stories with the truth possibly in there somewhere.

I agree with most of you that Zenk was a fun, 80s-style babyface who worked great in a tag team environment. Loved the Can-Am Connection and was hoping to see them beat the Hart Foundation for the tag belts in 1987 when Zenk suddenly bolted. It was the first time I really saw and heard a wrestler getting buried on TV after Zenk left, with Rick Martel ripping him (never by name, but as "my partner") for walking away while they were in the middle of a feud with The Islanders. Even the announcers took their shots at Zenk before Martel and Tito Santana teamed up as Strike Force. Also enjoyed his pairing with Pillman in WCW.

I just have a feeling Zenk was so frustrated with the wrestling world that he simply tuned out -- no contact with his peers, no appearances at conventions, etc. -- and moved on with his life. Seeing some of his wrestling colleagues he grew up with (Curt Hennig, Rick Rude, Brady Boone) passing at such young ages probably took a toll on him as well.

[Technico Support 6,874]

There's something to be said for a guy who didn't take any shit when promoters messed with his money or reneged on deals.  Then again, in a business where the promoters expect wrestlers to be marks, paid with a hot dog and just happy to be there, that makes for a lot of burned bridges and a short career.  RIP, Z-Man.

[Pete 13,471]

On 12/17/2017 at 1:36 PM, A Guy Named Tracy said:

Tom Zenk passed away over a week ago. It wasn’t well known until his obit was published in a Minneapolis newspaper. 

http://m.startribune.com/obituaries/detail/233177/?fullname=thomas-erwin-zenk

Reading the obit and saw both his parents were/are still alive. How horrible to bury one of your children...

[Victator 4,635]

On 12/18/2017 at 10:24 AM, colonial said:

--- knew nothing about his namesake blog/website

-- was told by a third-party what to say in his interviews (or may not have been the one being interviewed -- that it was someone pretending to be him)

He did an interview on the Meltzer radio show and a fan asked him about burying Flair on his blog and Zenk sounded shocked he would ever bury Flair. So I don't really think he was ever writing on the website. Sad to hear of his passing, he was always a main stay in my WCW viewing as a kid. With Lex, Sting and Pillman. 

Also just being in the opening match of Wrestlemania 3. I must have watched that show fifty times. As a team him and Martel were something special. They had a chemistry that even someone as talented as Tito Santana could not replicate. 

[Pete 13,471]

Reports are filtering out that Emily "Mount Fiji" Dole passed away this morning. RIP...

[RIPPA 28,755]

 

[Curt McGirt 7,730]

She was in rough shape on that GLOW doc. RIP

[Rev Ray 4,423]

Mt Fiji picking up Bob Eubanks for a body slam on Card Sharks:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yE8ArbWPDw

[J.T. 8,393]

On ‎1‎/‎3‎/‎2018 at 7:37 PM, Curt McGirt said:

She was in rough shape on that GLOW doc. RIP

Yeah, I remember that.  That GLOW doc was a tough watch.

I still remember when Mt. Fiji and Dee "Queen Kong" Booher appeared on an episode of Mama's Family as the Masked Mabels. 

It was at that time I began to suspect that wrestling was a work.  It is still real to me, dammit.

[RIPPA 28,755]

 

[J.T. 8,393]

6 minutes ago, RIPPA said:

 

RIP, El Grillo.

[RIPPA 28,755]

 

[J.T. 8,393]

6 hours ago, RIPPA said:

The Love Brothers were the featured workers in many of the videos posted in the TAFKA Wrestling Not In The Now thread.

RIP Reggie Love.

[GetDown 727]

R.I.P. to Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka (May 18, 1943 - January 15, 2017)

 

[RIPPA 28,755]

Luchadora Sahori (who also worked as Lady Ludxor) passed away after a long battle with cancer

She was also the mother of Octagon's twin sons

[RIPPA 28,755]

 

[RIPPA 28,755]

 

[Ace 4,537]

Zenk's cause of death was announced. Arteriosclerosis with an enlarged heart.

 

[RIPPA 28,755]

 

[Brian Fowler 12,989]

That really sucks. Damn.

[PetrolCB 7,601]

Man, the way he went was pretty odd. Dunno how you can plow into someone who is on foot and that age. I doubt he was very spry. The dent on that truck too. The driver must’ve been going pretty fast, no?

[J.T. 8,393]

I just saw Yahoo! News post a story about Valiant's death.  I am sad.