Posted on by bdamage1
Brian Damage
Grappling with Tragedy is a series of articles that deal with unfortunate, tragic incidents that have occurred throughout the history of professional wrestling. It is unlike the ‘Wrestling with Sin’ series that deals more with the seedier side of wrestling like arrests, murders and suicides. Grappling looks more at particular tragic incidents that have in some instances altered pro wrestling in some way.
Chris Candido
Chris Candido started his pro wrestling journey at a very early age. He was just 14 years old when he began training to become a professional. Despite his small stature (Candido only stood 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighed around 225 pounds) Chris made an impact in the industry. Candido wrestled all over the world including places like Japan and Puerto Rico. He wrestled for Jim Cornette’s Smoky Mountain, the WWF, ECW, WCW, the NWA and TNA wrestling.
He cemented a nice career for himself in a time when promoters looked for bigger, more imposing figures to be their top stars. Candido’s skill, passion and determination is what helped him become the star that he was in the land of giants. Unfortunately, he was introduced to drugs while working for the WWF and it would derail his career for a period of time. Candido bounced around from promotion to promotion during this dark period in his life. Luckily, according to friends and family…Chris was able to get off all the pain pills and things that were damaging his mind and body and got clean and sober.
He had gotten himself back on the right track and the WWE was interested in possibly bringing him back to the company. At the same time, TNA was expressing similar interest…if not more so. Chris decided to take the TNA offer and signed with them in January of 2005. Chris was back to form having great matches with the likes of AJ Styles and other TNA stars.
On April 24th, 2005…TNA had its first Six Sides of Steel pay per view entitled ‘Lockdown.’ Candido was teaming with Lance Hoyt taking on the team of Apolo and Sonny Siaki inside the cage. During the match, Siaki hit Candido with a drop kick. While Candido was taking the bump, his foot got caught underneath him and broke. He suffered a dislocated ankle and fractured both his fibula and tibia.
After just seven minutes, the match had to be cut short and the victory went to Apolo and Siaki. The next day, Candido had surgery on his ankle that required a steel plate with screws. He was expected to be out of action for 3 months. After surgery, Candido insisted he still wanted to be a part of the show and flew back to the TNA tapings just three days later. Candido showed up with a cast and crutches and accompanied the Naturals to the ring to challenge America’s Most Wanted for the tag team titles.
Candido interfered in the match…helping the Naturals win the tag titles. It was Chris’ very last appearance in wrestling. The next evening, while having dinner…Candido complained that he wasn’t feeling well and collapsed. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Word quickly spread throughout the wrestling world about his passing with many speculating that drugs were involved.
Chris’ younger brother Johnny was quick to send out a statement that read:
I find it only fitting you hear the truth from me about the death of my bestfriend, brother, and soulmate. Chris died tonight due to a blood clot brought on by complications with his surgery. I just want to tell everyone that in their sorrow, find a way to be happy that he went out the way he wanted to…on top of the world, blonde, tan, and loving life up until the last minute. Every ounce of my brother loved this sport, and for him to go out 2 or 3 years ago wouldn’t have been a fitting end to the life of such a determined, passionate, and benevolent human being. I truly view my brother as an angel as will all who knew him. Thanks to everyone for all your positive press, Chris went out a happy man and will forever live on as the(one of) greatest of all time. He would have had it no other way.
Johnny Candido
While it was believed that a blood clot killed Candido…an autopsy showed that he had actually died from acute pneumonia. Either way, Candido suffered from complications after his ankle surgery. The business that he love so much…ultimately ended his life. Chris Candido was just 33 years old.