Former WWE Wrestler Darren Drozdov, Who Was Paralyzed After A 1999 Ring Injury, Dead At 54

etcanada.com:

Former WWE star, Darren Drozdov, has died at the age of 54. He was left paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair following an in-ring accident that occurred back in 1999.

On Friday afternoon, WWE announced his death. “An imposing force in the ring, Darren Drozdov became a notable figure in WWE, known to fans as both Puke and Droz during his time as an in-ring competitor,” the pro wrestling company said in a statement. READ MORE: Alan Arkin, Oscar-Winning Actor And ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ Star, Dead At 89 Drozdov’s family also released a statement, revealing that he died Friday morning of natural causes. “There are no words to convey the deep sense of loss and sadness we are feeling right now,” the family said. “Darren, affectionately known as ‘Droz,’ was involved in a tragic ring accident while wrestling for the WWE in 1999 that rendered him a quadriplegic.

Nevertheless, Droz maintained a championship mindset and lived every day to the fullest even though he was unable to move from the neck down for the past 24 years.” READ MORE: Billy Graham, WWE Hall of Fame Legend ‘Superstar,’ Dead At 79 In October 1999, Drozdov was mid-match against fellow wrestler D’Lo Brown for a taping of “WWE SmackDown” when he slipped from Brown’s grasp and fell on his neck.

The accident led to two fractured vertebrae in his neck, as per a previous New York Times report. Following news of his death, tributes from the pro wrestling community came flooding in, including a heartfelt tweet from Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson who recalled wrestling with Drozdov.