WWE: 10 Tragedies That Shocked Pro Wrestling

4. Elizabeth Hulette

miss elizabeth Wrestlers are not the only people who make the world of wrestling so much fun. Managers play a very important role too. Miss Elizabeth made a splash in 1980s and 1990s WWF, acting as the manager to Randy Savage, to whom she was married in real life. She caused friction between Hogan and Savage - a story that led to the main event match in Wrestlemania V. She took a neutral corner between the two legends but eventually became involved in the match and the referee had to send her away from the ring. Hogan won the title from Savage. Savage replaced Elizabeth with Sherri Martel after this event. Elizabeth disappeared for a while and returned in Wrestlemania 7. Sherri was kicking the crap out of Savage after he lost to the Ultimate Warrior. Elizabeth ran into the ring and decked Sherri - reuniting with her beloved Macho Man. In SummerSlam 1991, Savage 'married' Elizabeth in what was billed 'The Match Made in Heaven'. Jake Roberts and the Undertaker gatecrashed the wedding reception and placed a live snake in a box a that terrified Elizabeth, turned Roberts into a heel, and set the Undertaker onto Roberts. There was a very funny story arc concerning Ric Flair's supposed affair with Elizabeth. This involved doctored photographs and it led to a great grudge with Flair and Savage going at it hammer and tong. Savage and Elizabeth divorced. This was announced in WWF magazine and it was one of the first times wrestlers acknowledged their private lives. Elizabeth married a lawyer for a very brief period and could be seen in WCW in several story lines from 1996-2000, but none as interesting as her WWF era story arcs. Eventually let go by the WCW, Elizabeth had by this time cultivated a relationship with Lex Luger, by all accounts - a not very nice man. He had charges of battery brought against him after a complaint by Elizabeth. She was found pretty roughed up with two black eyes by the police. 10 days later Luger and Elizabeth were pulled over by the police whilst out driving. Luger was heavily intoxicated and in possession of a 9mm pistol. This was an inauspicious start to 2003 for the couple. Eventually, their unhealthy relationship came to a distressing climax On May the 1st 2003. Luger called 911 to report that Elizabeth was not breathing. She was pronounced dead at the hospital. The Coroner's report stated that she died from fatal intoxication of alcohol and painkillers. The wrestling world was stung. Whenever I was growing up, I idolised Miss Elizabeth. This was during her WWF days. She was drop dead gorgeous, classy, stylish and she was always on the side of good. Commentators praised her beauty to the hilt and her presence bought romantic action into the WWF - a new twist into wrestling. Tons of prepubescent boys watching wrestling, will have had their first feelings of sexual arousal through admiring Elizabeth's beauty. Her time in WCW was a poor shell of her old WWF self and it is a shame she picked such an unsuitable mate as Luger. Elizabeth, in her hey day, was an important commodity to the WWF - as important as any wrestler. Her presence made matches unmissable and the story arc with Hogan versus Savage and Elizabeth in the middle is classic stuff. She will always be The First Lady of Professional Wrestling.
Contributor
Contributor

My first film watched was Carrie aged 2 on my dad's knee. Educated at The University of St Andrews and Trinity College Dublin. Fan of Arthouse, Exploitation, Horror, Euro Trash, Giallo, New French Extremism. Weaned at the bosom of a Russ Meyer starlet. The bleaker, artier or sleazier the better!