16 Wrestlers Who Died In 2017

'Pretty Boy' Doug Somers, best remembered for his pairing with 'Playboy' Buddy Rose in the AWA, died in May at the age of 65.

Somers, born Douglas Duane Somerson in Minneapolis, Minnesota, began his career in the wrestling industry driving the ring truck for Verne Gagne's AWA, based out of the state. It was whilst paying his dues that he met up with the company's security guard John Sutton - later known in the business as Sir Oliver Humperdink.

It was some years before Somers stepped between the ropes, but in 1986 - after a period spent refereeing - he got his big break in the AWA alongside Buddy Rose. Escorted to ringside by Sherri Martel, the two became a prominent team in the territory, usurping future stars Scott Hall and Curt Hennig for the tag titles in May of that year. They followed that up with a feud opposite high-flying upstarts the Midnight Rockers, eventually relinquishing the straps to the fiery youngsters in January 1987. The matches, including a thrilling bloodbath generally considered one of the best of the decade, proved to be the making of Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty.

After he and Rose split, Somers continued to potter about on AWA's tag team scene, regaining the belts with Soldat Ustinov as a last-minute replacement for the outgoing Boris Zukhov. When Gagne's group folded, Somers turned up in WWF and WCW, but as nothing more than enhancement talent. However, he did enjoy his first and only PPV match whilst down in Georgia, a Halloween Havoc '91 defeat to Van Hammer.

Somers was taking wrestling bookings as recently as 2011, at the age of 59. That same year, he filed a lawsuit against WWE for their use of his likeness in footage of matches against The Rockers. He lost the case.