Mark “Rollerball” Rocco – July 31, 2020 (69 Years Old)
One of the most influential names you may not have heard of on this list is Mark “Rollerball” Rocco. Real name Mark Hussey, “Rollerball” Rocco was one of the prioneers of the junior heavyweight style in the 1970s.
Standing only 5’8 tall, Rocco was very small for a wrestler at the time, but his in-ring work was to be commended. He debuted in 1976 in Britain where he learned and developed a reputation of being one of the best technical wizards around. In 1981, he wrestled a man who he would become linked to forever, Satoru Sayama.
The two wrestled in the UK with Sayama using the name Sammy Lee. Seeing the chemistry the pair had, New Japan Pro Wrestling booked Sayama, then wrestling as Tiger Mask to wrestle Rocco who became known as Black Tiger. Their matches were incredibly dynamic and helped show the world the kind of wrestling smaller performers could put on.
It was during this time as well that Rocco wrestled the Dynamite Kid in England and Jushin Thunder Liger in Japan. A heart condition forced him to retire in 1991 and while he didn’t reach the same level of stardom as some of his junior heavyweight peers, he remains just as influential.
Mitch Ryder – August 5, 2020 (48 Years Old)
If you ask any top independent wrestler from the 2000s, odds are they worked on a show with Mitch Ryder. A veteran of the indie scene, Ryder made his debut in 1990 under the name Mitch Bell. He would get some exposure working as an enhancement talent for WCW against people like Mick Foley and Rick Rude, but those who saw him would remember him best for his appearances on the indies.
While working for various independent promotions, his work with IWA Mid South and CHIKARA is likely where he was seen by the most people. It was here that he worked with current stars such as Chris Hero, Drew Gulak, and Lince Dorado.
Kamala – August 9, 2020 (70 Years Old)
One of the most memorable characters in WWE history is the Ugandan Giant, Kamala. James Harris made his debut in 1978 as “Sugar Bear” Harris before going on to wrestle for various promotions under various names.
He is, of course, best remembered for his time in WWE. He had a number of stints with the company. First in 1984, then again from 1986-1987 where he wrestled Hulk Hogan for the World Championship, and again from 1992-1993 where he was managed by Kim Chee and Harvey Wippleman.
It was during this time that he wrestled The Undertaker at SummerSlam 1992 in what many consider his most memorable rivalry.
Xavier – August 16, 2020 (42 Years Old)
A lesser known name to some, John Bedoya Jr. was one of the early stars of the independent scene, wrestling as Xavier. Xavier debuted in the mid-90s before rising to prominence in the upstart promotion Ring of Honor in 2002.
The promotion was set on providing a platform for the top independent wrestlers in the world, and they had an incredible amount of talent to work with. Among the top names was Xavier who became the second-ever ROH World Champion by defeating Low Ki at Unscripted on September 21, 2020.
Xavier would hold the title for six months before dropping it to Samoa Joe. This would ultimately be the peak of his career but Xavier would go on to wrestle until his retirement in 2011. There were plans for him to return in a match against Jay Lethal in March 2020 but the COVID-19 pandemic halted those plans.
Bob Armstrong – August 27, 2020 (80 Years Old)
The patriarch of one of the most talent wrestling families around, ‘Bullet’ Bob Armstrong was an all-time great in the southern United States. Real name Joseph James, Armstrong debuted as a wrestler in 1960 and wrestled frequently for the NWA. As the top babyface in states such as Alabama and Georgia, Armstrong unsuccessfully challenged NWA World Champion Jack Brisco in 1974.
Armstrong went into semi-retirement after 1988, making sporadic appearances in smaller promotions. He would resurface as the commissioner for Smokey Mountain Wrestling in the mid-90s and would later make several appearances for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.
Amazingly, Armstrong wrestled occasional matches until 2019 when he had his last match at the age of 79. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011.
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