Dennis Condrey, founding member of The Midnight Express, dead at 74

Dennis Condrey has died at the age of 74.

The cause of death is unknown at this time. Condrey died on March 20 in the evening according to a report from Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com.

Condrey was a founding member of The Midnight Express, which many people consider to be the greatest tag team of all time. The Midnight Express debuted in 1980 with Condrey, Randy Rose, and Norvell Austin being in the original group. Condrey eventually went to Mid-South Wrestling and formed a new version of the stable with Bobby Eaton and Jim Cornette.

The team of Eaton & Condrey with Cornette as their manager was the most famous version of The Midnight Express. They feuded with their biggest rivals The Rock ‘N’ Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) before leaving for  WCCW in 1984.  Eaton, Condrey, and Cornette went to Jim Crockett Promotions in 1985 and they eventually continued their feud with The Rock ‘N’ Roll Express there. Condrey left JCP in 1987 for AWA and Stan Lane was brought in to replace him in the group.

Condrey and Rose reunited in AWA with manager Paul E. Dangerously (Paul Heyman) and called themselves “The Original Midnight Express.” They left AWA in 1988 and attacked Eaton, Lane, and Cornette to start a feud between the two different version of The Midnight Express in JCP.

Another one of the greatest rivals of The Midnight Express was The Road Warriors (Road Warrior Hawk & Road Warrior Animal). Their most memorable match took place in JCP at Starrcade 1986 when the two teams faced off in a Scaffold match. That match saw Eaton & Condrey lose the match after The Road Warriors knocked them off the scaffold.

The Road Warriors manager, Paul Ellering, chased Cornette up the scaffold after the match and he fell off it and legitimately injured his knees. Big Bubba Rogers, who was in the corner of The Midnight Express, was supposed to catch Cornette, but he moved out of the way causing Cornette to land badly.  Condrey retired in 1990, but stayed active on the indies. He did not have his final match until 2011.

Dax Harwood of AEW’s FTR tag team announced Condrey’s passing on his IG page. He also announced he was launching a Go Fund Me to help pay for Condrey’s funeral expenses.

Harwood wrote the following on Condrey’s Go Fund Me Page:

Dennis Condrey is one half of the greatest tag team of all time, The Midnight Express. For years they brought excitement and entertainment to millions of people. However, as great as he was in the ring, it doesn’t hold a candle to the human being he was.

A sweet, God-fearing man who LOVED his wife Theresa. With her permission, I’ve opened this Go Fund me to help with funeral expenses and bills that she now has to take on her own. She didn’t ask for this. I asked, in his honor, could I do this for him. She allowed me to do this for Dennis & her, but is expecting absolutely nothing but love in return. If Dennis Condrey and the Midnight Express ever brought any amount of joy to your life, and you’re able to help, please do. If not, it’s absolutely ok! Please send all your thoughts and prayers to Theresa Condrey in her time of need.

God speed, “Loverboy” Dennis Condrey.

Condrey appeared in AEW in 2023 with C.M. Punk and FTR paying tribute to him.