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.
Richard Delicious
Wayne VanDyke began training and made his pro wrestling debut in 2010. He used the name ‘Insane Wayne’ but was most known under the alias of ‘Richard Delicious.’ As Richard Delicious, VanDyke was a mainstay on the independent circuit in Florida.
On April 29, 2017…VanDyke was competing in a tag team match pitting him and wrestler Rex Bacchus versus Axe and Dax in Port Richey, Florida. During the match, VanDyke began complaining that he did not feel well. He tagged out to his partner and almost immediately collapsed on the ring apron. The match was stopped and medical attendants rushed to assist VanDyke who suffered a heart attack. CPR was administered and then he was transported into a waiting ambulance. VanDyke suffered a second heart attack while in the ambulance and then a third heart attack after arriving at the hospital.
Wayne VanDyke suffered broken ribs due to the CPR and a punctured lung from a cracked rib. He was placed in a medically induced coma as to not suffer a fourth heart attack. Sadly, Wayne VanDyke died a few days later. He was just 29 years old at the time of his death.