29 Wrestlers Who Died In 2019

13. Silver King (11 May)

Ashley Massaro
WWE

César 'Silver King' Barrón tragically died after collapsing during a match at London's Roundhouse in May.

King, who starred for a host of global promotions including AAA, WCW and NJPW, fell down during his contest with Juventud Guerrera at the Greatest Show of Lucha Libre, having suffered an apparent heart attack.

The 51-year-old was later pronounced dead.

Following the incident, the rest of the show was understandably cancelled. The wrestling world soon began paying respects to Barrón, with El hijo del Santo Tweeting his "profound regret" at the passing of his rival.

Barrón, the son of Dr. Wagner, enjoyed an itinerant career in Mexico, more often than not teaming with El Texano as part of Los Cowboys. Fans of the Attitude Era may best remember him for his spell in WCW, where he was a regular part of Nitro's electric cruiserweight division.

After leaving Atlanta, Barrón returned to his homeland to compete in NJPW's affiliate CMLL. He was shortly selected to succeed Mark Rocco and Eddie Guerrero as the next iteration of Black Tiger, embarking on a feud with nemesis Tiger Mask IV.

Barrón's career highlight arguably came outside the ring, when he was cast as the villainous luchador Ramses opposite in the 2005 Jack Black comedy Nacho Libre. Following the premiere, it wasn't uncommon to see the golden mask of the character perform in rings around Mexico.

Following his death, AAA posthumously inducted Barrón into their Hall of Fame during Triplemania XXVII's ceremony.

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.