In Memoriam : In 2000, 2-time AJPW Unified Tag Team Champion Gary Albright died aged just 36. Albright had an impressive amateur career, going 55-2 in high school and later set the Nebraska State record for most falls in an NCAA season. His first professional appearances came in the final days of the (original) Stampede Wrestling promotion, where he competed against such names as The British Bulldogs & Chris Benoit. The closure of Stampede led him to find work in Japan, competing first for Nobuhiko Takada’s UWFi and later for All Japan. Sadly, Albright died whilst competing in a match; after being hit with a three-quarter facelock bulldog, Albright collapsed motionless to the canvas. His opponent (Lucifer Grimm) rolled Albright on top of him to finish the match before resuscitation was attempted, though he was declared dead on arrival at the hospital. The official cause of death is a heart attack, though his autopsy later found that he suffered from diabetes, blocked arteries & an enlarged heart, all of which could have contributed to his death. Albright was a member of the famed Anoa’i family by marriage, having wed the youngest daughter of Afa The Wild Samoan.
Posted on: Wed, 07 Jan 2015 19:03:43 +0000
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