16 Wrestlers Who Died In 2017

16. Timothy Well (9 January)

Timothy Smith died in January in his home of Greencup, Kentucky, as a result of kidney failure. He was 55.

Smith, under his alias Timothy Well, is probably best remembered by wrestling fans alongside Steve 'Steven Dunn' Doll as one half of mid-'90s WWE tandem Well Dunn. The pair debuted in Stamford in 1993, with an arcane gimmick which could best be described as Chippendales. Both men wore tights with prominent pink lips displaying the team's supposedly humorous name, as well as little bow-ties. It was a strange look.

Smith and Doll had previously competed in the NWA Pacific Northwest as the Southern Rockers. Smith, working as 'Rex King', replaced Scott Peterson in the team, and the freshly rejigged tandem went on to lift the company's tag belts four times. The pair departed for the USWA, where they repeated the feat with the Memphis outfit's equivalent straps.

Well Dunn stuggled to make an impact during their two years in WWE - their most notable feud came in opposition to the abysmal Bushwhackers - and the duo were eventually dismissed from the company in 1995. Smith continued working on the independent scene, particular for Puerto Rico's WWC, until an injury forced his retirement in 2004. Eight years later, his ex-employer reported Smith had died on their website, only for the man himself to refute the claims.

In the wake of Smith's real death earlier this year, a GoFundMe was setup to help cover funeral costs - the goal reached largely thanks to a huge donation from Chris Jericho.