WWE: Randy Savage and the 10 Best Wrestlers of His Era Who Died Too Soon

With the recent death of former pro wrestling star "Macho Man" Randy Savage last Friday, it got me thinking about all of the wrestling greats that we have suddenly lost over the years.

I started watching wrestling when I was a young kid, and it pains me to say that many of the same wrestlers who I grew up watching have already passed away.

"The Macho Man" was one of the greatest that I ever got to see, and here is a list that I have compiled of other wrestling legends that left this earth before their time.

Enjoy.

10. Brian Pillman

"Flyin" Brian Pillman was one of the best athletes to ever stop foot in a wrestling ring.

He was a former NFL player, and he used his athletic ability to win many matches during his career in the WWF, ECW and WCW.

In 1997, this all changed when Pillman died in a Minnesota hotel room from a heart condition, shortly before a scheduled WWF Pay-Per-View event was about to take place.

At just 35 years old, Pillman left a stunned wrestling fanbase wondering what could have been with this young wrestling star.

9. Kerry Von Erich

Kerry was a part of the legendary Von Erich family, and had several brothers who were also in the wrestling business.

Nicknamed the Texas Tornado due to his speed and Texas roots, Von Erich climbed his way through the wrestling ranks for some 15 years.

His career began to spiral down after he was badly injured in a motorcycle crash in 1986, and started to turn to drugs as well.

Sadly, Von Erich never was able to get over these two issues, as he committed suicide in early 1993 at just 33-years-old.

8. Yokozuna

One of the heaviest wrestlers ever, Yokozuna stood his ground as one of the best Samoan-born wrestlers of all-time.

Yokozuna, aka Rodney Anao'i was a two-time WWF champion during his 16-year wrestling career.

He died in 2000 from excessive fluid in his lungs, shortly after he retired from the sport.

7. Davey Boy Smith

Another member of the Hart family, Smith gained became an established wrestler under the name "The British Bulldog".

He went on to wrestler for 25 years, and won many different championships through his wrestling career.

Smith died in 2002 from a heart attack, which likely occurred from his extensive steroid use while he was in the pro wrestling business.

6. Curt Hennig

Dubbed as "Mr. Perfect," Hennig wowed crowds with his good looks and dominance in the ring.

He won several world titles during his 23-year stay as a wrestler and was also one of the best wrestling personalities of his time.

Hennig died in 2003 from drug use and was later inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007 for his many accomplishments as a pro wrestler.

5. Eddie Guerrero

Eddie Guerrero was arguably the best and most famous Mexican professional wrestler of all-time.

Guerrero was one of the first wrestlers that I ever watched in the ring and he was easily one of my favorites as well.

I remember trying to to emulate his frog splash maneuver when I would go to the pool as a child.

When he died in 2005, it sent shock-waves through the wrestling world, as the 23-time title holder left behind a legacy and so many great wrestling memories in just 38 years on earth.

4. Owen Hart

Owen came from the legendary Hart family and was a budding star before tragedy struck him at the "Over the Edge" Pay Per View in May 1999.

Hart was supposed to be lowered down the ring, much like then-WCW wrestler Sting, but instead, he fell 78 feet to his untimely death at the young age of 34-years-old.

His death was felt by many in the wrestling community, as his brother Brett didn't return to the wrestling business until years after Owen's death.

He is still remembered today as one of the best wrestlers to ever came from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and his legend lives on in the hearts of many around the world.

For more on Owen, check out these two other B/R pieces that I did on him in the past.

3. Chris Benoit

First off, I just wanted to say that I don't agree at all with the actions that Chris Benoit took to end his life and his family's lives, but he is on this list because of the caliber of wrestler that he was and also his tragic death.

Benoit was one of the best technical wrestlers to ever step foot in the WCW and WWE.

He won a total of 32 wrestling titles during his 23-year pro wrestling reign and his signature "Crippler Crossface" submission hold was one of the greatest finishing maneuvers in the modern pro wrestling era.

Benoit likely had many more years of wrestling ahead of him when he made the unfortunate decision to kill his wife and son before he committed suicide at his house in June 2007.

2. Randy Savage

Savage was one of the most entertaining wrestlers that the sport has ever had.

He not only gained fame from his success in the ring, but also from his Slim Jim commercials where he would yell "Ohhh Yeaaaa" every time.

He wrestled for an amazing 33 years, and won 10 World titles during that time.

"The Macho Man" passed away last Friday when he crashed his car after suffering an apparent heart attack in Florida.

Needless to say, he will be missed.

1. Andre the Giant

The biggest man of his sport, Andre the Giant towered over his opponents while intimidating them with his immense size.

At 6'11" and weighing in at over 500 lbs, he was quite a fixture in the ring.

He won two wrestling titles during his career, including the WWF title at one point.

Andre died in early 1993 after heart failure and was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame the next year, going down as the greatest 7' wrestler that the sport has ever seen.