Former WWE wrestler Drozdov dead at 54
Published
World Wrestling Entertainment announced the death of Darren "Droz" Drozdov at Friday's SmackDown taping in London.
He was 54.
A former NFL and CFL player, Drozdov was paralyzed following an in-ring injury in 1999 that ended his career.
A native of Mays Landing, NJ, Drozdov attended Maryland and signed as an undrafted free agent with the Denver Broncos. A nose tackle, Drozdov appeared in six games during the 1993 season. After spending time on the rosters of the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets, Drozdov appeared in one game during the 1996 season for the Montreal Alouettes. His ability to vomit on command during his football career earned him the nickname "Puke."
Drozdov entered pro wrestling and signed with the WWE, making his debut in 1998. He became aligned with the Road Warriors (Mike "Hawk" Hegstrand and Joe "Animal" Laurinaitis) and was involved with a notorious angle in which Hegstrand's real-life alcoholism was central that culminated with Hegstrand "attempting suicide" by jumping off the Titantron video screen in what was widely considered one of the most tasteless wrestling angles of the last 1990s.
In 1999, Drozdov incurred a serious neck injury during a match against D-Lo Brown when Brown lost his grip on Drozdov as he attempted to execute a running power bomb and he landed on his neck. He was immediately rushed to hospital and underwent an operation to relieve the swelling. While Drozdov would eventually gain feeling in his upper body, he never regained the use of his lower body.
Drozdov said he never harboured any ill will towards Brown for the injury.
"I have no hard feelings toward D'Lo because s--- happens and everyone who gets involved in athletics, including WWE, knows the risks that exist," Drozdov told Jim Ross in 2014. "It was an accident."