4 WWE Superstars who died before the age of 30
Pro wrestling is an unsympathetic profession as the tenebrous side of the physically demanding career is often dimmed by the bright lights and the flashy personas of the performers.
Pro wrestlers experience an irreplaceable high that comes from the reverberating cheers and jeers of 1000+ fans in an arena. Success and adulation are great but they come at a cost, and for WWE Superstars, it's a mountainous task.
Grueling schedules, extensive traveling, and wrestling; lots of wrestling, would either make you rich and famous or a burnt out individual. Nobody said being a WWE Superstar was easy, as the physical, emotional and mental pressures are sometimes too overwhelming to fathom. And then you have the non-wrestling factors in life that are sometimes beyond our control.
Life is just as unpredictable as the storylines from the Attitude Era as you may never know when Thanatos (god of death) may come knocking on your door. The handful of superstars on this list, unfortunately for varied reasons, passed away even before they reached their peaks.
#1 Russ Hass - 27 at the time of death
That last name has to ring a bell. The WWE Universe may surely be familiar with Charlie Hass, one-half of the World's Greatest Tag Team, but not many know of his younger brother.
The Hass brothers began wrestling together on the independent circuit in the late 1990s. Their success in many small-time promotions attracted WWE's attention, who signed them up to a developmental contract in 2000. They even had three reigns as the tag team champs in Memphis Champion Wrestling (WWE's earlier developmental system) before being promoted to working dark and house matches on the main roster.
The gifted brothers were primed to make their main roster TV debuts together before Russ' untimely death on the night of December 15, 2001. The autopsy reports stated that he died after suffering a heart attack in his sleep.
Condolences poured in from all corners following Russ' death with East Coast Wrestling Association (ECWA) and Jersey All Pro Wrestling (JAPW) posthumously inducting him into the Hall of Fame.
Many of his colleagues from the wrestling industry paid their tributes including Charlie, who had the words 'RUSS' printed on the wrist tape all throughout his career.