12 Wrestling Stars Who Profited From Controversy

9. Ox Baker

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ox+baker+wrestler When Douglas "Ox" Baker passed away last year, wrestling lost a part of its old-school past. A longtime territory heel, Baker was famous for his hulking physique, his demonic eyebrows and mustache, and of course, his devastating Heart Punch. In fact, a little research into his signature move proves that the wrestling of yesterday could be just as controversial as that of today. Days after a 1971 match with Baker, opponent Alberto Torres died of a ruptured appendix; though it had nothing to do with Torres's death, the blame was put on Baker's Heart Punch and the move became a terrifying finisher. The following year, Baker lost to Ray Gunkel, but managed to hit the Heart Punch during the match. Gunkel died the same day, and this time, the details were more damning - an autopsy showed that while Gunkel was suffering from arteriosclerosis, he died of a hematoma caused by heart trauma. Fact and fiction came together and Baker was feared among fans for having killed two men. The Heart Punch mania reached a frenzy in 1974, when Baker came to the Cleveland territory. He interrupted a match between Ernie Ladd and Johnny Powers and attacked Ladd, hitting him with the Heart Punch repeatedly. At that point, a riot broke out - fans threw chairs into the ring and rushed Baker, some allegedly brandishing knives. Baker managed to escape the fracas, and his legend grew.