10 WCW Stars Who Died Too Young

The time bell rang too soon.

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WWE.com

It's a sad fact that wrestling and premature death are almost indelibly linked. Punishing years on the road combined with an undeniable drug culture have meant that for the past three decades, waking up to news of another wrestler dead before their time has become depressingly common.

During its heydey, Jim Crockett Promotions and its successor WCW provided wrestling fans with a bevy of stars who made their names primarily in Atlanta. Unfortunately, many of these have departed us early.

Here's just ten WCW wrestlers who died too young...

10. Woman (1964 - 2007)

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WWE.com

In the wake of the Chris Benoit murder-suicide tragedy, WWE understandably moved to distance themselves from their former star completely. Part of this process was to attempt to airbursh Benoit from history entirely, whilst refusing to publicly acknowledge the full details of the situation.

As a result, the death of Nancy Benoit went largely unacknowledged, as the company tried to brush the whole affair under the carpet. 

Nancy was a significant part of the wrestling industry in her own right. The ex-wife of WCW booker Kevin Sullivan, Nancy - under the guise of 'Woman' - first appeared in WCW as an obsessed Rick Steiner fan, before eventually associating herself with her husband and latterly The Four Horsemen.

After a successful three year stint in ECW, Nancy and Kevin resurfaced in Atlanta, where she became the on-screen lover of newest Horseman, Chris Benoit. As is so often the case with wrestling relationships, love blossomed between the pair outside the ring, and by the end of the year, Nancy and Sullivan were through. Having directed the angle, it was often joked that Kevin Sullivan had booked his own divorce.

It was Woman's last act in her prominent wrestling career, and her name became all but forgotten. Circumstances meant that even her untimely death prevented her receiving a fitting tribute.

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Benjamin was born in 1987, and is still not dead. He variously enjoys classical music, old-school adventure games (they're not dead), and walks on the beach (albeit short - asthma, you know). He's currently trying to compile a comprehensive history of video game music, yet denies accusations that he purposefully targets niche audiences. He's often wrong about these things.