Two Wrestlers Passed Away

WWE Hall of Famer "Big Cat" Ernie Ladd passed away. Ladd had been battling colon cancer, which spread to his stomach & bones for the past 3+ years. Due to knee problems, he'd largely been confined to a wheelchair. He was selected 15th in the American Football League draft by San Diego out of Grambling College. Today, he's the only person in both the American Football League & World Wrestling Federation halls of fame. Ladd is also a 1994 inductee into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, & joined the San Diego Hall of Champions in 2004.



Also, "Golden Boy" Arnold Skaaland, a WWE Hall of Famer & member of the WWE family for more than a half-century, passed away at age 82.

As a wrestler, Skaaland was fearless, taking on much larger men & always giving them a fight. In 1967, he & Spiros Arion won the now-defunct WWE United States Tag Team Championship. He also served as the referee for the famous 1962 match in Japan between “Classy” Freddie Blassie & Rikidozan.

Skaaland was also a manager. He regularly accompanied Bruno Sammartino to the ring during his reigns as WWWF Champion, & later led Bob Backlund to the same title. Perhaps Skaaland’s most controversial moment occurred while managing Backlund; on Dec. 23rd, 1983, he threw in the towel for Backlund after the Iron Sheik trapped the titlist in the camel clutch – ending the clean-living kingpin’s long reign as WWE Champion. Skaaland was a member of the first full class inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.