10 Wrestling Storylines That Killed A Character

Nothing adds drama to a story like death.

Though the subject matter is a little grim, one can't deny the emotional impact of seeing a beloved or despised character killed off during a story. It works great in movies, TV, and theatre. But wrestling?

Professional wrestling is of course a work of fiction. The WWE features stories of conflict between good and evil characters that can only be resolved in the ring. That's where the fiction ends, though.

What separates wrestling from other forms of entertainment, is that it portrays itself as a competitive sport, rather than a scripted television programme. You would think that since wrestlers are portrayed as real people in the real world, that death would be exempt from the storylines. 

After all, these people can't just disappear from the world without consequences. And what with the real life deaths of beloved wrestlers like Owen Heart, Eddie Guerrero and the Ultimate Warrior, surely death would be a touchy subject for the fans. And yet, not only have many wrestlers died in the storylines, some have even been murdered! 

Yes, apparently this real sport with real people has seen people killed on-screen, and we the fans have been expected to believe it is real. So join us as we look back on ten instances where "Sports Entertainment" strayed too far into entertainment , and killed people for dramatic effect.

Where better to start than with the Deadman?

The Undertaker is about as theatrical as a wrestling character can get - what with being undead and all. He has claimed to be immortal and that the gates of Hell itself cannot contain his eternal soul. And to back up that impressive claim, WWE has had to kill him several times.

The Buried Alive match is exactly what it sounds like: to win the match you must throw your opponent in the grave and bury him alive - sometimes with the aid of a JCB. Not only does such a ritual sound like something out of a horror film, but being buried alive is not something people tend to survive. Essentially you defeat your opponent by killing them.

Taker has competed in all five Buried Alive matches to date. He has lost four of them, meaning that he has been buried alive under a mountain of dirt four times. Twice it was even implied that he was really dead. His brother (and murderer), Kane, gave the eulogy. 

Does that sound strange? What about the fact that The Undertaker has come back from the dead four times? Still think you're watching a real sport?