29 Wrestlers Who Died In 2019
20. Cliff Sheats (16 February)
Cliff Sheats, a promoter who ran shows in the Florida area, passed away on 16 February, at the age of 52.
After getting his break in the industry courtesy of Texas journeyman Rusty Brooks, Sheats found work throughout the '80s for Dusty Rhodes' Professional Wrestling Federation - the forerunner to Florida Championship Wrestling. His time on the circuit eventually earned him a preliminary spot in both WWF and WCW in the early '90s; in the former, he put over the likes of Kerry von Erich and Davey Boy Smith.
Later in his career, Sheats went under the name 'Cliff Anderson', owing to a passing resemblance to Horsemen enforcer Arn. In 2000, he made one last WWE appearance, rolling over for Steve Blackman during a Jakked taping in his native state.
The Floridan began staging shows in Fort Pierce as his in-ring career wound down, notably handing a career start to announcer Kevin Kelly.