The Tragic Life & Death of Junkyard Dog
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Junkyard Dog was one of the biggest names in professional wrestling back in the 80s. His story is one that is full of highs and lows, love and lost. Tragedy followed him throughout every chapter of his life.
Even though he left the WWE in 1989. Junkyard Dog still had the desire to wrestle, so he jumped ship and joined the National Wrestling Alliance where he had a brief rivalry with Ric Flair. After leaving the promotion in 1995 he continued to wrestle in other circuits and took the time to train other wrestlers in his free time – that is until that tragic, sudden car accident that took his life.
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No one expected Junkyard Dog to die. How could they anticipate such a thing? He was so young, and despite having a history of substance abuse problems and obesity, he was otherwise in decent overall health.
Sylvester Ritter was pronounced dead on June 1, 1998. He was just 45 years old when he passed away. The accident happened while he driving home to Mississippi after visiting some family out in North Carolina. After losing control of his vehicle, it rolled three times before coming to a crashing halt. It's not known whether Ritter had drugs or alcohol in his system at the time of the accident but it's likely that he wasn't sober judging by his substance abuse history. We'll dive into that a little bit deeper in just a moment.
A funeral was held in his memory in Russellville, North Carolina. Former Chicago Bull and NBA legend Michael Jordon counted Ritter as one of his dear friends and was said to have called his family to offer his heartfelt condolences shortly after the accident.
Ritter was officially inducted into the WWE hall of Fame in 2004. His old buddy Ernie Lodd, who also happens to be a member of the Hall of Fame, inducted him into the elite club comprised of wrestling's greatest athletes. Ritter's Daughter LaToya accepted the award on behalf of her father.
Ritter's Daughter, LaToya would also tragically die in 2011.
The Tragic Life & Death of Junkyard Dog
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