He was the victim of one of the darkest moments in WWE history – 24 years later Darren Drozdov aka Droz is dead.
The former NFL player and wrestler, who was paraplegic since a tragic ring accident in 1999, died “of natural causes” at the age of 54, his family said in a statement. (NEWS: All the latest WWE news)
WWE paid tribute to Droz with a commemorative graphic ahead of the latest episode of the Friday Night SmackDown TV show, taped in London that night.
Darren Drozdov was teammate John Elways in the NFL
Born in New Jersey, Drozdov had played as a tackle for the Denver Broncos of the NFL between 1993 and 1995, as a teammate to quarterback legend John Elway.
Drozdov rose to national fame when he threw up on the field in front of an audience of millions in a Monday Night Game – he had a chronic, apparently psychosomatic problem that would later weave into his WWE career.
After retiring from football, he signed with the then WWF and made his television debut in 1998. Initially known as “Puke”, Drozdov became the third member of the famous Legion of Doom, once the most popular duo in wrestling history. The two original members Road Warrior Animal and Hawks also passed away prematurely.
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WWE career ended tragically in 1999
Droz’ career was ended on October 5, 1999 by a fatal accident: in a match against D’Lo Brown on a SmackDown taping, the two failed a Powerbomb Browns, a throw to the back.
Brown didn’t get a hold of Droz like he was supposed to – Droz explained that his loose-fitting shirt played a part in that – Droz crashed onto his neck with his full bodyweight, fractured two vertebrae in his neck. The tragedy came just five months after Owen Hart fell dead from a negligent rappelling stunt gone awry.
Droz was initially paralyzed from the neck down, but in rehab managed to regain some mobility in his upper body and arms. He remained employed by WWE for years, including writing regular columns for the league’s website. He repeatedly emphasized that he did not blame Brown – who struggled with himself after the accident – for his fate, accidents were his occupational hazard.
The early end of Drozdov’s life brings back memories of Japanese legend Hayabusa, who ended up in a wheelchair two years after Droz due to a ring accident and passed away in 2016 at the age of 47. Ex-WWE Champion Big E’s ring accident in 2022, in which he narrowly avoided paralysis but has not returned to the ring to this day, also brought to mind the Droz case.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is also in mourning
Hollywood megastar Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, one of his colleagues at WWE at the time, is now mourning Droz: “I’m so sorry to hear that one of our ring brothers passed away,” wrote the 51-year-old.
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And further: “Darren Drozdov aka Droz. We’ve done a lot of fights together. Great personality and great wrestling talent. We always talked about football and fishing. I send love, strength and light to his family. RIP brother.”
In a lengthy obituary, Drozdov’s family recognized him as an inspirational person who lived life to the fullest after becoming paralyzed and impressed everyone around him with the way he dealt with the aftermath of his wrestling accident.
“He wouldn’t want anyone to be sad right now,” the statement concludes, “He would want his life to be celebrated and remembered for everything he’s accomplished, the fun he’s had and the great memories that he shared with everyone.”
2023-06-30 22:58:34
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