Darren Drozdov, the WWE star who was paralyzed after an accident in the ring, dies age 54
Darren Drozdov, the WWE star paralyzed after an in-ring accident, dies at 54 as Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson leads tributes
- Darren Drozdov was paralyzed during a WWE taping in October 1999
- He signed with WWE in 1998 after NFL stints with the Broncos, Jets and Eagles
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Darren Drozdov, an NFL player turned wrestler who was paralyzed after an in-ring accident, has died at the age of 54.
His family released a statement confirming the news.
“We are sad to share that our beloved Darren passed away this morning of natural causes. There are no words to convey the deep sense of loss and grief we feel right now,” it said.
Drozdov, or “Droz” as he was known to his fans, became a notable figure in wrestling after signing with WWE and making his debut in 1998.
Dorz was paralyzed during an October 1999 taping of SmackDown TV after suffering a serious neck injury after D-Lo Brown attempted to perform a running power bomb and accidentally landed on his neck.
Darren Drozdov, an NFL player turned wrestler, has passed away at the age of 54
Drozdov was rushed to hospital and had surgery, but despite regaining feeling in his upper body, he never regained control of his lower body and was confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
He said he never blamed Brown for the incident, telling Jim Ross in 2014, “I don’t hold a grudge against D’Lo because nothing is happening and everyone who gets involved in athletics, including WWE, knows the risks involved . It was an accident.’
He was briefly part of the new Legion of Doom in 1998 as a potential permanent replacement for Road Warrior Hawk before returning to work as a singles star for a while, eventually teaming up with Matt Bloom.
He earned his second ring name, “Puke,” from his performance in the “Beyond The Mat” scene, where he was shown throwing up on command in Vince McMahon’s office.
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson has paid tribute to him on social media, saying, ‘Man, I’m so sorry to hear that one of our stake brothers passed away.
Darren Drozdov aka Droz. We wrestled with many cards together. Such a great guy. Great personality and great wrestling talent. We always talked about football and fishing. I send love, strength, mana and light to his family. RIP brother.’
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and WWE paid tribute to him on social media
The WWE also released a statement in honor of its former star, tweeting, “WWE is saddened to learn that Darren Drozdov passed away on Friday, June 30 at the age of 54. WWE extends its condolences to the family, friends and fans of Darren Drozdov.”
Before becoming an imposing force in the ring with WWE, Drozdov had a successful football career.
The New Jersey native played as a defensive tackle at the University of Maryland before signing with the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent.
He played in six games during the 1993 season before spending stints on the rosters of the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets.