Paul Orndorff defeated Flyin' Brian to win the tournament and to become #1 contender for the TV title. It is stationed in front of the Nitro Tron, twenty or so feet in the air. Orndorff was 71-years-old at the time of his death. Legendary WWE Hall of Famer "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff has passed away aged 71. Orndorff left the WWF in 1988 with an untreated neck injury, yet continued to wrestle in the WCW and won the World Television Championship and the WCW World Tag Team Championship. I was extremely lucky to have had him on so many Southeastern cards. Orndorff had been living in a medical facility while battling dementia. "And I feel the same way about the Saints going into Saints camp. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Travis Orndorff, Mr Wonderful's son, confirmed his father's death, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). I AM SO SAD I LOVE YOU FOREVER REST IN PEACE pic.twitter.com/RXovORjxVp, WWE WRESTLER BOBBY ROODE TWEETS THAT ORNDORFF WAS AN 'INSPIRATION'. As Rection goes up for his No Laughing Matter finishing move, Duggan whacks him over the back with his 2/4! When Orndorff faced off against Matsuda, the tired student stood no chance against the accomplished veteran who choked him with his famed front face lock. Paige is still hopeful for an in-ring return, but WWE is taking no chances and keeping Paige out of action indefinitely. His skills led to multiple scholarships offers from prestigious football programs such as the University of Tennessee and Clemson. Thank you for all of them Paul. Disqo is dazed and accidentally hits the Last Dance on Konnan booting him at 5:23. Jeff Jarrett attacks Sting disputing his claim. Mr Wonderful was believed to have made most of his money wrestling for WWE prior to his retirement. Arm atrophy from a nagging injury led him to retire in 2000 and he was treated for cancer in 2011. Orndorff was suffering from CTE according to his family. ", Paul Orndorff was the first wrestler I hated & feared as a child. Among other things, Orndorff was suffering from late-stage dementia. He will never be forgotten. Years of experience in writing, journalism, and digging exclusive insider info for Ringside News. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. The medical staff was unable to revive him, and he was pronounced dead at a local hospital. The injury would not heal properly and eagle-eyed fans later noted the apparent difference . It wasnt unusual for the scrappy youngster to get into a fight with an older kid to prove his toughness. One of the greatest of all time! Paul Orndorffs path to a career in the squared circle was non-descript. "It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of my father, Paul Parlette Orndorff Jr," Travis Orndorff wrote. Rest In Peace!". The schools football history dated back to 1933, and once Paul arrived, the Spartans were two seasons into playing their home games at Tampa Stadium, which had a capacity of more than 40,000. Orndorff worked at the WCW Power Plant and was brought back for a ten-man elimination tag at the Fall Brawl event in September 2000. Dropkick to the ropes . WWE's officialTwitteraccount posted a tribute to the fallen star, tweeting: "WWE is saddened to learn that WWE Hall of Famer 'Mr. While he was here, he was given the name of Mr Wonderful by his then-manager, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. But Orndorff chose to play college football at his hometown the University of Tampa and remain close to his wife and young son, according toProWrestling stories. Rey hit Aguayo with a dropkick which sent him to the middle rope as planned, but Aguayo lost consciousness. Paul Parlette Orndorff Jr. (October 29, 1949 - July 12, 2021), nicknamed "Mr. Wonderful", was an American professional wrestler and college football player, best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW). All donations and love gifts are appreciated.". Sting retrieves his baseball bat and clobbers them. As the match was wrapping up, Marty Jannetty prepared to hit his finishing maneuver, The Rocker Dropper, a leg drop bulldog move that even Kelly Kelly could perform. Years later the morning before WrestleMania 21, I trained with him and Hulk. Type above and press Enter to search. So, when he decided to open his own health club in 1958, Smith chose the sunny, tropical coastal city as its home. Wonderful ," one of the greats from the World Wrestling Federation's 1980s heyday, has died. ", RIC FLAIR REMEMBERS ORNDORFF AS A 'GREAT GUY, LEGIT TOUGH!'. During his senior year, Orndorff served as team captain and led the Western Conference with 1,377 rushing yards. We lost another great one," one fan wrote. He didnt say no the second time, and the rest is history. Matsuda operated a local wrestling club where he also trained future wrestling stars Scott Hall, Lex Luger, Ron Simmons, B. Brian Blair, and Hulk Hogan, who famously had his leg broken by Matsuda as a test of his toughness. He will always be Pop, Paw Paw, and Daddy at home. In the same meet, he won a trophy with a discus throw of 154 -9". Rick Rude was ravishing in the ring, but unfortunately his wrestling days were cut short after an injury that involved The Man They CallSting. Paul Orndorff was legitimately one of WWE's top stars in the mid-1980s. During the tag match Ali climbed up on to the ring apron and took a swing at Piper. He was later part of the class action lawsuit against WWE for the long-term injuries that he suffered in the ring. Vampiro pulls him off. Orndorff has Sawyer down and is beating him but the bell rings for the draw. His son, Travis, took to Instagram this afternoon and announced the passing. Paul Orndorff, the WWE Hall of Famer who fought in the first-ever WrestleMania, died on Monday. DUSTIN RHODES POSTS IN MEMORY OF PAUL ORNDORFF. YOU WERE THE TOUGHEST. WCW Legend Sting originally retired from in-ring competition in 2015, after suffering a neck injury during his match against Seth Rollins. Boxing legend Ali helped promote the event, featuring as a guest referee. Located just three miles from Tampa Stadium, Smiths gym became a popular destination for bodybuilders and wrestlers who lived in or visited the area, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mr. Saito, Hulk Hogan, Eddie & Mike Graham, the Malenko family, and Sailor Art Thomas to name just a few. Kronik level Silverman with High Time. Wonderful," Orndorff carved out a career that would earn him worldwide fame, fortune, and inductions into multiple wrestling Halls of Fame. Plus Paul was having a lot of injury problems at the time due to his neck and didn't really re-emerge until, what, 1990 WCW? That time arrived a few months into training when Orndorff invited his father-in-law to a session. His son released new video of the WWE Hall of Famer, and it is heartbreaking to see. Changed my life. > Sporting Connection Orndorff had dealt with health issues in recent years, including cancer and dementia. "Just heard about the passing of Paul Mr 1derfulOrndorff. His highest honor was winning the Huerta Award, which recognized the best Class AA athlete in Hillsborough County. Bill Goldberg wasnt known to be the safest worker, which is why he takes most, if not all, of the blame for ending the career of Bret Hart and putting the final nail in the coffin of Harts lackluster WCW tenure. Your email address will not be published. Paul Orndorff, friend and foe to Hulk Hogan in the 1980s WWF, died at 71 WWE By Ian Casselberry on July 13, 2021 Before Andre the Giant turned heel and betrayed Hulk Hogan, Paul Orndorff did it. While the ref is distracted, Mike Sanders punks Kwee-wee with a stick to the knee. The pair got marriedback in 1971 and remained together until the end. While he was here, he was given the name of Mr Wonderful by his then-manager, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. It is set to occur later this week in Fayetteville, Georgia. YOU WERE THE TOUGHEST. In his promo with Madusa, Kidman sent out his best wishes to Orndorff for a speedy recovery. The pair became thick as thieves, which isnt surprising when you consider Smiths athletic background, which, with the benefit of hindsight, mirrors much of how Orndorffs athletic and professional career played out. "PAUL ORNDORFF. "YOU WERE EXCELLENT BUBBA. Former WWE superstar CM Punk wrote: "Damn. Orndorffs career was just about over from a nagging untreated bicep injury. On his first day on the job, two offensive linemen left the team. At age 38, he was the oldest contestant ever to earn that distinction. Rest in power Mr. His career highlights included competing alongside the likes of Hulk Hogan and Mr T. Paul Orndorff's son Travis confirmed in a statement that his father suffered from dementia. WE TRAIN TOGETHER. "Paul Orndorff was the first wrestler I hated & feared as a child. Injuries caused Mr Wonderful to step away from the square ring in 2000. Graham recorded one 15-minute match they had and was so impressed by what he saw that he sent that match to all the area high schools for promoting his shows. Orndorffs first Mid-South program was with Ernie Ladd, who had a great influence on him. But if I could only get you to understand and see his heart. During their match Owen would nail a reverse piledriver, arguably an even more dangerous variation of the move. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2011 but overcame it and went into remission. Misawa was pronounced dead at a local hospital, but the official cause of death was not released by Misawas family. Wonderful Paul Orndorff when he was trying to piledrive an opponent. Orndorff. Two weeks ago, word spread that 'Mr. Wonderful' Paul Orndorff was in ill-health following the release of an upsetting video shared by his son. . Now, WWE uses only contracted wrestlers who have more than six weeks of training. Maybe 95ish. Orndorff was the surprise tag team partner of The Filthy Animals in their elimination match against The Natural Born Killers. Updated: 13th July 2021, 12:58 pm. "You have to remember; it was back in the mid-1970s when the mystique and uncertainty about the predetermined nature of professional wrestling was still a closely guarded secret. He believes the condition was caused by chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Orndorffs play led to numerous scholarship offers from prestigious football programs such as the University of Tennessee and Clemson. Paul Orndorff's son Travis announced the news of his father's deathwith a heartbreaking Instagram post. John Powell is a veteran entertainment journalist, the Editor-in-Chief and one of the founders of SLAM! "We are impressed with his strength, running, and blocking. Paul Parlette Orndorff Jr. (October 29, 1949 - July 12, 2021), nicknamed "Mr. Wonderful", was an American professional wrestler and NFL football player, best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW). Initially believed to be a stinger, Paige became injured after she turned her back to Sasha who was against the corner. Thats the way I was. You can check out the video below. He said hed like to see him and talk. Paul Orndorff ( October 29, 1949 - July 12, 2021) was a National Football League player and professional wrestler known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW). Fellow WWE wrestler Bobby Roode took to Twitter to express the inspiration that Paul Orndorff was to him following Orndorff's death. The only way to keep that from happening was to impose the "proving ground" between the outside world and those of us on the inside.". In the video, the WWE Hall of Famer was unrecognizable and appeared to be confused while eating the contents of condiment packets.Travis Orndorff intended to make fans aware of his father's condition, but he received a lot of backlash from those in the . Wow! Unlike other scaffold matches where you must throw your opponent off to win, all someone has to do in this one is climb down a ladder to the floor. R.I.P. Read our Paul Orndorff live blog for all the latest news and updates "He was so much more than a wrestler," Paul Orndorffs son, Travis, captioned an Instagram post. Paul Orndorff, aka " Mr. In 2003, at the age of 38, Austin decided to hang it up, lest he risk permanent damage. Pro wrestling legend Paul Orndorff died on Monday at age 71. In retirement, he survived a bout of lymph node cancer, but health problems persisted. Mean Gene is getting feisty as he interviews The Natural Born Killers. His career highlights included competing alongside the likes of other wrestling legends like Hulk Hogan and Mr T. Paul Orndorff will have a public funeral, according to Wrestling Inc. Known as "Georgia Boy," Smith mostly wrestled for Cowboy Luttrells Championship Wrestling from Florida, frequently appearing on cards with Eddie Graham, Dory Funk, and Haystacks Calhoun. "Typically, Id take (students) outside into the Florida heat and humidity and work out with them for an hour doing four or five hundred squats, pushups, sit-ups, burpees, and jumping jacks," Backlund said in his biography Backlund: From All-American Boy to Professional Wrestlings World Champion. The match went on with the wrestlers side-stepping Orndorff not realizing he was legitimately hurt. A post shared by Paul Orndorff (@mr1derfulofficial), ORNDORFF'S SON SAYS HE WAS 'AN AMAZING FATHER'. Jay Briscoes widow provides update on kids, NXT: The Road to Vengeance (Day) Continues, George Tahinos Jay and Mark Briscoe photo gallery, Shareholder revolt continues as WWE, McMahon face another lawsuit, Slam readers pick their best and worst of 2022, A drowsy Raw features a great main event, yet another insensitive comment from Graves, Mat Matters: We put AI bookers to work and heres what happened. On the Golden Flashes depth chart was future Missouri wins leader Gary Pinkel, and a heady safety named Nick Saban, now the legendary Alabama head coach. including in the main events of the first WrestleMania and Survivor Series. Wrestling. Think I have his autograph on a patriot mask somewhere. After being put through a table, A-Wall rules the roost. Without . WWE Hall of Famer Paul Orndorff, who once fought in Wrestlemania, has died at the age of 71. Bret Hart never recovered from the concussion which ultimately ended his career. "It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of my father, Paul Parlette Orndorff Jr," Travis wrote. "He will never be forgotten. 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