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, which deals more with the seedier side of wrestling, like arrests, murders, and suicides. The Grappling with Tragedy series looks more at particular tragic incidents that have, in some instances, altered pro wrestling in a way.
Eric Priest
Mike Boehne’s love of professional wrestling began at an early age. He watched the very first Wrestlemania because one of his TV heroes was Mr. T. At the time, Boehne was a big A Team fan. Seeing Mr. T wrestle alongside Hulk Hogan inspired Boehne to start working out and get as big as Mr. T was. That ultimately led Boehne to begin training to become a pro wrestler himself. He sought out and found Ace Steel and Danny Dominion in the Chicago area.
After he completed his training, Boehne debuted as ‘The Underwear Model’ Eric Priest starting in 2000. He would later change his moniker to ‘The Gold Standard.’ For the next 20 years, Eric Priest became a mainstay of the Midwest independents from both his wrestling and his training of future wrestlers. One of his most notable trainees was Sojournor Bolt, who was a star for TNA wrestling for a number of years. Boehne once said about his career in wrestling…”Being a wrestler is all I’ve ever wanted to be.” He himself wrestled some enhancement matches for WWE and Ring of Honor. He retired from wrestling in 2020.
On February 22, 2025, Boehne was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident in Mesa, Arizona. Mike ‘Eric Priest’ Boehne was only 50 years old at the time of his death. Mike’s brain was donated to the Concussion Legacy Foundation in Boston, founded by Chris Nowinski. His friend Adam Pearce said after his death…”Godspeed, Eric Priest. From your first days at the Domain as a kid, I got to know you and watch you grow into a tremendous professional wrestler. I’m heartbroken and don’t quite have the words. I’m really glad we kept in contact over the years. Rest well, brother.” Michael Boehne leaves behind family, friends and a young son.
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