Disturbing numbers about deaths in pro wrestling

The Wrestling Observer had an interesting piece on premature deaths in the wrestling business following the death of “Macho Man” Randy Savage on Friday.

Of the 51 stars who appeared at Wrestlemania VII in 1991, 14 have died prematurely for one reason or another:

The Texas Tornado (Kerry Von Erich): 33, suicide

Dino Bravo: 44, murdered 

Andre the Giant: 46, heart failure 

Joey Marella: 31, car accident 

"The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith: 39, heart attack

Mr. Perfect: 44, drug overdose 

Miss Elizabeth: 42, drug overdose

Hawk: 46, heart attack

Hercules: 47, heart disease 

Big Boss Man: 41, heart attack 

Earthquake: 42, bladder cancer

Sensational Sherri: 49, drug overdose

Crush: 44, unknown causes 

Savage: 58, car accident

To put this in perspective, wrestlinginc.com, has compared the deaths in wrestling to other harsh lifestyles in sports. Out of the 44 football players who played in Super Bowl XXV between the Buffalo Bills and the New York Giants, all are still alive.

For professional boxing, of the 44 boxers to hold a major world championship in 1991 (WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO), two are dead, according to the site.

Savaged died at the age of 58 after he crashed his Jeep into a tree in Florida. His brother told TMZ that he suffered a heart attack right before crashing. An autopsy has been performed but has not indicated the exact cause of death, according to Tampa Bay Online. It will be a few more weeks before toxicology reports come back.