The death of the Ultimate Warrior was just the latest grim reminder that professional wrestlers continue to drop dead from something other than old age at an alarming rate.
The pinnacle of the Warrior's career was WrestleMania VI on April 1, 1990, at SkyDome in Toronto. Warrior defeated Hulk Hogan in the main event to win the championship. Warrior is the 12th wrestler who competed at WrestleMania VI to have died -- one-third of the card's working roster. The oldest was just 63.
As a point of reference, of the 44 starting players from that year's Super Bowl between the 49ers and Broncos, only one has died: Denver defensive end Ron Holmes, who was 48 when he passed away in 2011 from diabetes and coronary issues.
Reasons for wrestlers' dying early -- grueling travel schedules, painkiller abuse, steroid use -- have been well-documented. The passing of the Warrior at age 54 from what is suspected to be a heart attack just days after his induction to WWE's Hall of Fame only underscores the issue.
