10 WCW Stars Who Died Too Young

Referees in wrestling are best when they remain in the background, with the focus instead being squarely on the competitors. Yet this isn't always possible when the man in the stripes puts an invading fan in a chokehold.

During a match between Dean Malenko and Psychosis on a 1997 edition of Nitro, a would-be intruder stormed the ring only to be immediately kneed in the face and locked in a guillotine choke by 145lb officiator Brian Hildebrand. From then on, he was affectionately referred to as 'the Shooter'.

Hildebrand was no stranger to getting physical in the ring. Though he is best remembered as one of WCW's most prominent referees during the late '90s, Hildebrand had previously enjoyed a long tenure working as a manager in SMW and USWA, notably assisting Cactus Jack as the nefarious Hymie B. Weiss.

When Smoky Mountain Wrestling shut its doors, Hildebrand switched to refereeing in ECW before turning up in Atlanta under the name Mark Curtis. In October 1997, he was diagnosed with stomach and bowel cancer, and despite undergoing major surgery to combat the disease, he continued to officiate throughout his illness.

In the months prior to his death, a benefit event titled Curtis Goes Home was laid on in honour of the popular referee. Even at the height of the Monday Night Wars, stars from all three major national promotions came together in one of the largest independent supercards ever held in the United States.

Hildebrand lost his fight with cancer in September of 1999 at the age of 37, and the entire wrestling fraternity came together to mourn his passing.