JYD holds the distinction of being the first WWE superstar to win a championship at WrestleMania, having defeated Greg Valentine for the Intercontinental Championship. Hes also the first person to win the match via technicality (count-out) and thus didnt actually win the championship itself. Though he wouldnt reach the top of WWE in the same way he did in other promotions, he still managed to stay incredibly popular during his WWE tenure. Tragically, JYD died on June 2nd, 1998, at age 45. But unlike many of his former co-workers, he died from a car accident that was caused by him allegedly falling asleep at the wheel. JYD was inducted into the WWE hall of Fame in 2004 by Ernie Ladd, with Dog's daughter accepted on his behalf.
Alexander Podgorski is a writer for WhatCulture that has been a fan of professional wrestling since he was 8 years old. He loves all kinds of wrestling, from WWE and sports entertainment, to puroresu in Japan.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Queen's University in Political Studies and French, and a Master's Degree in Public Administration. He speaks English, French, Polish, a bit of German, and knows some odd words and phrases in half a dozen other languages.
