24 Wrestlers Who Died In 2020
20. Rip Oliver (5 March)
Larry 'Rip' Oliver died on 5 March at the age of 67, having entered hospice care following a series of heart attacks.
Born 6 October 1952 in Homosassa, FL, Oliver advanced from the prelims to become one of Portland, OR's Pacific Northwest Wrestling's top heels throughout the '80s. He set the record number of reigns with the territory's top title, and held the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship on 16 occasions, alongside such luminaries as The Cuban Assassin (7), Buddy Rose (2) and Matt Borne (2).
Whilst leading nasty gang The Clan, Oliver was effectively PWN's top draw. The run ended after he was tempted to WWE in the midst of their rapid North American expansion, though he found chances limited in New York; he was pushed right down the card back into the jobbing position.
It's symptomatic of his WWE run that Oliver's most notable moment in the company came, literally unrecognisable, under a mask as Super Ninja, flattened at the hands of The Ultimate Warrior.
Oliver's final match came back in PWN a few years later, as he lost the top strap to Demolition Crush, himself flitting between WWE spells.