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By Thomas M. Gallipoli, PWTorch.com Obituary Specialist

Deceased Wrestlers for 1998
PWTorch.com Exclusive
By Thomas M. Gallipoli, PWTorch.com Obituary Specialist

"Welcome to my funeral parlor."
-Paul Bearer

I’m back with the 1998 Obituary List. As with the 1999 edition, I will list the information by Wrestler's Name, Real Name, Date of Death, Cause, Age and a brief snapshot of his/her career. I will also provide any Mainstream Media links to the wrestlers if applicable. To no one's surprise, 1998 had virtually no links in it. Again, please note that much of, if not most, of this information may be culled from "non-official sources" like blogs and websites, but I have tried to insure the information was accurate. It is still my goal to make this section as up-to-date and accurate as possible for Wade and visitors so please feel free to email me at tomphoenix@optonline.net with any questions, comments, updates, links, corrections, additional info, or anything else you like. I’ll give you a shout-out and thanks for any updates or corrections. You can read other Obit Lists from more recent years by scanning to the listing at the very bottom of this article, or select Obits from the category drop menu.

I'd also like to thank MattheWWFanatic, Genghis, Dusty Giebink, Super Jerk, and Steve MHW for posting on the Obit thread I started on at PWTorch.com. Post on the thread and get a mention!

I hope to update this section at least once per week with one entire year per update so the next one will cover 1997.

I'd like to thank my mom, dad, sister, and lovely wife for their as-yet-inexhaustible love and patience. Onto the list:

Bobo Brazil, Houston Harris, January 20, 1998, Heart Problems, age 74
-Longtime African-American wrestler, one of the African-American pioneers in wrestling, stood very tall at 6'6", famous for "coco-butt" head butt, trained by Jumping Joe Savoldi, feuded with many legendary wrestlers like Gorilla Monsoon, the Original Sheik, Classy Freddie Blassie, WWE Hall of Famer, wrestled for amazing 40 year career, WWA (two-time Heavyweight Champion, Tag Team Champion), NWA (two-time Detroit-United States Champion, nine-time International Heavyweight Champion, Toronto-United States Champion, San Francisco-United States Champion, Americas Heavyweight Champion, two-time World Tag Team Champion, six-time Detroit) Tag Team Champion, Florida Tag Team Champion, Beat the Champ Television Champion, two-time Los Angeles-International Television Tag Team Champion), MCW MAP North American Heavyweight Champion, SOW Television Champion, Ohio Heavyweight Champion, Toronto-Canadian Open Tag Team Champion, WWWF United States Champion
MSM Link:
Bobo Brazil article

Pedro Martinez, Pedro Martinez, February 4, 1998, Parkinson's Disease, age 82
-I could find out nothing else about this longtime wrestler

Buddy Lee, Buddy Lee, February 13, 1998, Cancer, age 65
-I could find out nothing else on this wrestler

Louie Spicolli, Louis Mucciolo, February 15, 1998, Carisopridol Overdose, age 27 .
-Former WWE, WCW, ECW, AAA wrestler, trained by Bill Anderson, used the Death Valley Driver as finisher (briefly renamed Spicolli Driver by original ECW), had gimmick of being overweight but a good athlete, wrestled mostly indies for beginning of career, was on very first AAA pay-per-view "When Worlds Collide" as part of six man tag with gimmick "Madonna's (The Singer) Boyfriend", went to WWE as "Rad Radford"-a Generation-X gimmick, left to go to ECW and then jumped to WCW as "gopher" for NWO's Scott Hall, died shortly after getting a small push, two-time WWA Trios Champion, AWF Heavyweight Champion, IWF Heavyweight Champion

Stan Mayslack, Stanley Mayslack, February 28, 1998, Unknown, age 83
-I could find out nothing else on this longtime wrestler

Johnnie James, Frank James, March 4, 1998, Lung Cancer, age 75
-I could find out nothing else on this longtime wrestler,

Roy McClarity, Roy McClarity, March 27, 1998, Unknown, age 79
-Longtime Canadian wrestler, feuded with Verne Gagne, married to Lady wrestler Shirley Strimple, used finisher Cobra Clutch, WWWF Tag Team Champion

Chief Lone Wolf, Ernest Tenario, April 2, 1998, Heart Attack, age 83
-I could find out nothing else on this longtime wrestler

Randy Mansfield, April ?, 1998, Unknown, age 23
-I could find out nothing else on this young wrestler

Timothy Geohagen, April 29, 1998, Unknown, age 75
-I could find out nothing else in this longtime wrestler

Junkyard Dog, Sylvester Ritter, June 1, 1998, Auto Accident, age 45
-Very popular African American wrestler, had college degree in political science, two-time football All-American in college, played for Green Bay Packers, trained by legendary Stu Hart, received big push in Bill Watts's Oklahoma-based promotion as superman babyface, named after Jim Croce song "Bad Bad Leroy Brown", jumped to WWE and was part of huge 80's business run, feuded memorably with King Harley Race, won the main event of the very first WWE wrestling Pay-Per-View The Wrestling Classic by defeating Macho Man Randy Savage, jumped to WCW but fizzled, retired from wrestling and became security guard, died on the way home to see his family in car crash, WWE Hall of Famer, NWA (four-time Mid-South North American Heavyweight Champion, three-time Louisiana Heavyweight Champion, eight-time Mid South Tag Team Champion), two-time Stampede North American Champion
MSM Link:
JYD article

The Spoiler, Vince Bagala, June 20, 1998, Congestive Heart Failure, age 56
-This is not the famous Spoiler, beyond that, I could find out nothing else

"Lucha" Larry Doyle, June 21, 1998, Unknown, age 37
-I could find out nothing else on this wrestler

Steve King, Jose Rivera, June 21, 1998, Unknown, age 49
- I could find out nothing else on this wrestler

Bull Bullinski, Frank Shields, July ?, 1998, Unknown , age?
-Indie wrestler, NWA Tri State-United States Tag Team Champion, I could find out nothing else

Gregory Jarque, Gregory Jarque, July 1, 1998, Liver Failure, age 75
- I could find out nothing else on this longtime wrestler

Toyonobori, Michiharu Teino, July 1, 1998, Unknown, age ?
- I could find out nothing else on this Japanese wrestler

Billy The Kid, William Reid, July 5, 1998, Unknown, age 48
-Little person wrestler, I could find out nothing else.

Walter Palmer, Walter Palmer, July 10, 1998, Unknown, age 86
- I could find out nothing else on this longtime wrestler

"Tiger" Jack Brown, July 13, 1998, Unknown, age 68
- I could find out nothing else on this longtime wrestler

June Byers, DeAlva Sibly, July 20, 1998, Natural Causes, age 76
-Longtime lady wrestler, trained by Mae Young, married to promoter Sam Menacker, defeated legendary Mildred Burke for NWA Women's title, NWA (Women's Champion, two-time Women's Tag Team Champion, Florida Women's Champion), World-World Women's Champion

Frank Noceti, Frank Noceti, July 30, 1998, Heart attack, age 70
- I could find out nothing else on this longtime wrestler

Jack Brickhouse (Announcer), August 15, 1998, Natural Causes, age 82
- I could find out nothing else on this longtime announcer

Shane Shamrock, Brian Stephen Howser, August 17, 1998, Shot by Police, age 23
-Indie wrestler, trained by ECW wrestler Axl Rotten, MCW Light Heayweight Champion

Terry Garvin, August 18, 1998, Cancer, age 60
-WWE executive and assistant to Pat Patterson


- I could find out nothing else on this longtime wrestler.

Steven Little Bear, Vincent Bryany, September 29, 1998, Unknown, age ?
-Canadian wrestler who used stereotypical American Indian gimmick, feuded with Stan Stasiak, NWA (six-time Vancouver-Canadian Tag Team Champion, Hawaii Tag Team Champion, two-time Vancouver-Pacific Coast Heavyweight Champion, Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Champion, Louisiana Tag Team Champion, two-time Tri State-United States Tag Team Champion)

Billy Rolling Thunder, Dale Patrick, October 4, 1998, Heart failure, age 74
- I could find out nothing else on this longtime wrestler

Bull Brummel, November 5, 1998, Unknown, age 65
- I could find out nothing else on this longtime wrestler

Sky Low Low, Marcel Gauthier, November 6, 1998, Heart Attack, age 70
-Longtime little-person Canadian wrestler, feuded with Lord Littlebrook and Little Beaver, World War II Veteran who repaired airplanes, NWA World Midget Champion

Chris Dundee (Promoter), November 17, 1998, Natural Causes, age 91
- I could find out nothing else on this longtime promoter

"Giant Haystacks" Martin Ruane, Martin Ruane, November 30, 1998, Stomach Cancer, age 52
-British wrestler, renowned for massive size and limited mobility, finisher was Big Splash, appeared in Paul McCartney movie, claim to fame was coming to America to feud with Hulk Hogan in WCW under moniker "Loch Ness", Europe-European Heavyweight Champion, Britain-British Heavyweight Champion

Christine Jarrett, Christine Jarrett, November 19, 1998, Heart Attack, age 75
-Grandmother of TNA wrestler, Jeff Jarrett, and longtime ticket-collector for Memphis wrestling events

Tex Porter, Franklin Porter, December 6, 1998, Natural Causes, age 91
- I could find out nothing else on this longtime wrestler

Brady Boone, Dean R. Peters, December 15, 1998, Auto Accident, age 40
-Talented gymnastic wrestler but due to small height and relative size, was mostly used as jobber, one-tag-team partner of Billy Jack Haynes, also known as Battle Kat, The Masked Firecat, Fire Cat, Battlecat, jumped to WCW and became referee, two-time NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Champion, SPW Tag Team Champion

Dan Curtis (Promoter), December 29, 1998, Unknown, age 37
- I could find out nothing else on this indie promoter

Frank Valois, Frank Valois, December 31, 1998, Heart Attack, age 77
- I could find out nothing else on this longtime wrestler

Tank Patton, Douglas McMichen, December 31, 1998, Fluid in Lungs, age 52
- I could find out nothing else on this wrestler