Former ROH & TNA Star Jimmy Rave Passes Away At 39
Rave had undergone a hellish few years, including three amputations. May he rest in peace.
The wrestling world today mourns the loss of former ROH and TNA wrestler Jimmy Rave, who has passed away at just 39 years old.
Wrestling agent Bill Behrens broke the tragic news via Twitter on Monday evening. A statement prepared with Rave's daughter, Kailah, noted that on top of the three amputations he had undergone in recent years, Jimmy had been struggling with drug addiction.
Here's the statement in full:-
Ok this sucksKailah helped write it pic.twitter.com/WfY7v8uQ6g
— Bill Behrens (@WilliamBehrens) December 13, 2021
The cause of death has not been specified.
Rave (real name James Michael Huffey) is survived by his children, Kailah and James II, his ex-wife Felicia, and partners Jim and Toni.
November 2020 saw Rave announce his retirement from professional wrestling after he was forced to have his left arm amputated due to an infection. Sadly, he then underwent the same procedure for both legs in October 2021, as his doctors had found a MRSA infection in each of them. Behrens' statement notes that said infections were a result of his drug issues.
Rave first shot to wrestling prominence between 2003 and 2007, where he rose through the ranks as part of ROH's Embassy stable. In character, he was a reviled heel who drew as much heat as anyone in the company for a while, feuding with the likes of CM Punk and Nigel McGuinness, against whom he delivered acclaimed matches.
Jimmy's original TNA run lasted between 2007 and 2009 and saw him work with the likes of Lance Archer, LAX, and more.
Kailah Guffey has set up a GoFundMe to raise funds for her father's memorial.
We at WhatCulture wish to express our deepest thoughts and condolences to Rave's family, friends, and everyone else who knew him.