5. Chris Candido (March 21, 1972 - April 28, 2005)
No Gimmicks Needed Chris Candido was one of the most talented young wrestlers in the world during the 1990s. Most people dont realize that Candido was only 24 years old during his first run in the World Wrestling Federation as a member of the Bodydonnas alongside his girlfriend Tammy Sytch. Unfortunately, he never reached his full potential thanks to a tragic medical mishap. Candido first achieved success in Jim Cornettes Smoky Mountain Wrestling, winning the NWA World Heavyweight title in a 10-man tournament after Shane Douglas had infamously vacated the belt in ECW. He soon jumped to the WWFi but saw his manager, Sunny, becoming more of a star than he ever was. Chris left the WWF after running into problems with the HBK-Kevin Nash-Scott Hall power group and went to Paul Heymans land of extreme. Finding success as a member of Shane Douglass Triple Threat stable, Candido had a lengthy run towards the top of the card and as a tag team with Lance Storm. Following a disappointing WCW run, Candido jumped around the independent scene until landing in TNA in 2005. Candido was clean of drugs and alcohol for the first time in forever and experienced somewhat of a career renaissance. Unfortunately, Candido suffered a broken leg and a dislocated ankle during a cage match which required surgery. Chris shouldn't have been flying so soon after surgery but still he flew to the TNA tapings only a few days later. He collapsed and was brought to a nearby hospital, where he was diagnosed with pneumonia. Doctors drained his lungs but Candido still tragically died at the age of 33. Later, his brother would state that Chris died of a blood clot that formed following his leg surgery. The death of Chris Candido severely impacted wrestlers and fans. It seemed like Candido was finally cleaning his personal life up and he died before he could reap the rewards of his efforts.
