Ozzy Osbourne Dies Aged 76 - WWE Hall Of Famer Passes Away (WWE News)
WWE joins the world in paying tribute to heavy metal giant Ozzy Osbourne.
PWInsider (via TMZ) has shared sad news that iconic heavy metal singer and TV personality Ozzy Osbourne passed away on Tuesday morning (22 July). A statement released by the family revealed that Ozzy "was with his family and surrounded by love" when it happened, and they've asked for privacy whilst mourning their loss.
Osbourne, who performed his final concert with metal trailblazers Black Sabbath in Birmingham, England mere weeks ago, was 76 years old when he passed away. The imprint he's left on rock/heavy metal music, the wider entertainment industry in general and fan pop culture is immeasurable - Ozzy became a household name following the success of his solo career in the 1980s and his performances on hit reality show The Osbournes, but cut his teeth with one of the biggest bands on the planet throughout the 70s.
WWE fans will know how much Ozzy means to the pro wrestling world too. The company has already reached out with a touching tribute on their official website and social media streams, and various stars on the roster have followed up by paying their own respects to the 'Prince Of Darkness'.
Heavy Metal Legend Had Several WWE Moments
Osbourne first appeared in the-then WWF as a special celebrity guest at WrestleMania 2 in 1986. There, he accompanied manager 'Captain' Lou Albano to ringside as the latter's British Bulldogs retained their tag straps vs. Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefcake. That bout headlined the Chicago portion of 'Mania 2.
It wouldn't be Osbourne's last hurrah in the biz.
In 2007, he and his band performed the track 'I Don't Wanna Stop' from the album Black Rain on an episode of SmackDown. Then, on 2 November 2009, Ozzy and his wife Sharon hosted an edition of WWE flagship show Raw. Throughout, whilst definitely turning on his usual charm, Osbourne looked a little bemused by all of the madness happening around him. He did, however, stick out as one of the more memorable interim GMs from the guest host era.
Speaking of memorable, the intro Ozzy laid down for WWE's Survivor Series 2022 event earned a ton of praise from fans. Osbourne appeared as Sabbath's timeless 'War Pigs' blared in the background. This was a fitting intro that ushered WarGames back into view.
Before that, Ozzy was inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame as part of the 2021 class. He bagged a spot in the celebrity wing, but always claimed he "didn't deserve" to be honoured in that way. Triple H, Vince McMahon and others involved in the management structure at the time would say otherwise.
All here at WhatCulture join WWE, its roster and millions around the world in paying respects to Ozzy Osbourne's life, career, legacy and family.