21 Wrestlers Who Died In 2018

4. Larry Matysik (25 November)

Grandmaster Sexay
F4W

Legendary St. Louis wrestling promoter and announcer Larry Matysik passed away at the age of 72 on 25 November. He had been suffering from pneumonia having recently entered hospice care.

It was under his mentor, NWA President and St. Louis Wrestling Club promoter Sam Muchnick, that Matysik got his break in the business, acting as announcer for the flagship show Wrestling at the Chase. Matysik worked closely with Muchnick in the office, but after the latter retired in 1982, he soon followed suit in disagreement with the direction taken by new bookers Bob Geigel and Harley Race.

An attempt to start his own promotion based around Bruiser Brody succumbed to the whims of fate; Vince McMahon was stepping up his national expansion, and Matysik soon found himself under the new tetrach's thumb. For a period, he operated as McMahon's rep in St. Louis - though struggled to match the success of Wrestling at the Chase.

Matysik is perhaps best known amongst modern fans for his writings on the industry, notably the Muchnick biography 'Wrestling at the Chase' and 'Brody', which details the life and tragic death of Frank 'Bruiser Brody' Goodish.

Editorial Team
Editorial Team

Benjamin was born in 1987, and is still not dead. He variously enjoys classical music, old-school adventure games (they're not dead), and walks on the beach (albeit short - asthma, you know). He's currently trying to compile a comprehensive history of video game music, yet denies accusations that he purposefully targets niche audiences. He's often wrong about these things.