Wrestling Deja Vu: Another Autopsy, By: David Schoetz
Brian 'Crush' Adams the Latest Pro Wrestler to Die at Early Age
August 14, 2007
An autopsy is being conducted on yet another professional wrestler after he was discovered dead in his Florida home Monday.
Brian "Crush" Adams, 43, who formally retired from wrestling in 2003, was found unconscious and not breathing in his Tampa, Fla., home by his wife around Monday.
Adams' wife, who was not identified by police, called 911. Tampa Fire Rescue responded, but was unable to revive the wrestler.
There were no visible signs of foul play, according to a police spokesman in Tampa. Authorities will await the results of an autopsy, which could take up to a week, before proceeding with their investigation.
Adams' mysterious death comes less than two months after professional wrestler Chris Benoit killed his wife and son before hanging himself in the basement of the family's Georgia home. Prescription anabolic steroid was found in Benoit's home and elevated levels of testosterone were found in his body.
Less than a month ago, 38-year-old George Caiazzo, better known as former professional wrestler John Kronus, was found dead in his girlfriend's New Hampshire apartment. His family released a statement three days later tying the untimely death to an enlarged heart.
Benoit's death put a spotlight on a disproportionate number of wrestlers who have died at an early age in the last 20 years and prompted one U.S. congressman to call for an investigation into steroid allegations in professional wrestling.
"Between 1985 and 2006, 89 wrestlers have died before the age of 50," U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., told the Baltimore Sun. "Of course, not all of these deaths can be attributed to steroid use. However, this abnormally high number of deaths of young, fit athletes should raise congressional alarms."
Adams was arrested in the mid-1990s and briefly jailed for alleged steroid possession and having an illegal stun gun. He was later acquitted of the steroid charges.
Adams, who stood 6 feet 6 inches tall, rose to wrestling stardom as part of the tag team Demolition, according to a statement posted on the World Wrestling Entertainment Web site Monday. He also wrestled independently, moving from league to league and squaring off in WWF rivalries with Doink the Clown and "Macho Man" Randy Savage.
A Hawaiian native, Adams attempted a boxing career in 2001. He suffered a shoulder injury while training for his first professional fight and that prompted his move to wrestling. Adams wrestled until January 2003 before suffering a spinal injury that forced him into retirement.
