WWE Royal Rumble Debut Wrestlers: Where Are They Now?
3. Dino Bravo
Dino Bravo was very unfortunate in that wrestling's boom period coincided with his decline as a performer, and wrestling had largely passed him by by 1988. The former powerhouse was nearing 40, and age had taken away much of his old athleticism, which led to WWE using him mostly on the midcard. A shame, as he was a genuine top star in Canada in his heyday, and a big attraction who regularly drew houses of 20,000 in Montreal.
Bravo finished third in the first Royal Rumble, eliminating Don Muraco and the Ultimate Warrior before One Man Gang dumped him out. He stayed with WWE for several years afterwards, wrestling the likes of Warrior and Jim Duggan, though he struggled to distinguish himself. His WWE run finished with a loss to the Legion of Doom in 1992, and he retired to focus his energy on training young wrestlers instead.
On March 10, 1993, Bravo was found dead with 7 bullets in his head, and 10 in the torso. He had been watching hockey in his home when the killer(s) struck, and while the murder remains unsolved, it's assumed that his alleged role in an illegal cigarette smuggling ring had something to do with it. Rick Martel has since stated that Bravo had run afoul of the Mafia in his dealings, and had confided to friends that he new his days were numbered a few weeks prior to his killing.