21 Wrestlers Who Died In 2018
10. Brian Christopher (29 July)
Former WWE Tag Team Champion Brian 'Grandmaster Sexay' Christopher died in police custody on 29 July after reportedly hanging himself in his cell. He was just 46 years old.
The son of Memphis wrestling legend Jerry Lawler, Brian Christopher was born Brian Lawler in 1972. Following in his father's footsteps, he spent a decade working in Memphis' USWA under the name 'Too Sexay', feuding with many of the territory's top stars - including 'The King' himself - before making the switch to WWE in 1997. At first drafted in to bolster the fledgling Light Heavyweight Division, Christopher eventually found his feet pairing with Scott "Too Hot" Taylor as 'Too Much'.
The relationship between Christopher and commentator Jerry Lawler was a running inside gag, with the team mostly making up the numbers before a 1999 transformation thrust them unexpectedly into the spotlight. Adopting the names of Grandmaster Sexay and Scotty 2 Hotty, the newly rechristened Too Cool became unexpectedly popular, thanks in part to the addition of the break-dancing super-heavyweight Rikishi. Hitting the height of their popularity at the turn of the millennium, Too Cool found themselves in headline programmes opposite Triple H and Edge & Christian.
An ill-advised Rikishi heel turn and a broken leg for Scotty 2 Hotty ended the run abruptly. Christopher was soon shown the door, released from the company when his employers learned he'd been smuggling drugs to Canada.
After his release, Christopher drifted around the independent scene, working in TNA for two years alongside other second-generation stars Erik Watts and David Flair. He made a few brief cameos in WWE - notably in 2011 when he infamously came back to a muted reception - but was never handed a long-term run back in the company.
Lawler endured a troubled personal life over the last few years of his life. Just a week prior to his untimely passing, it was revealed that he had been arrested for a second time as a result of a DUI, following an incident last June in which he and a friend failed to pay a hotel bill. It was in jail where his life came to a tragic end.