Former WWE pro wrestling star, NFL player dies
(WKBN)- A former NFL player and WWE superstar has died.
WWE announced on their website that Darren Drozdov has died. He was 54 years old.
Before entering the professional wrestling world, Drozdov played in the NFL for the New York Jets, Denver Broncos, and Philadelphia Eagles as a nose tackle. He also played in the Canadian Football League.
In the ring, Drozdov competed under the names “Puke” and “Droz.” According to multiple reports, the origin of the Puke nickname was derived from Drozdov’s ability to puke on command. In 1993, he once puked on a football during a Monday Night Football game so that the quarterback couldn’t snap it.
Droz debuted in the WWE in 1998 and competed with Road Warrior Animal as a part of The Legion of Doom. He also teamed with Prince Albert for a brief period of time.
On a SmackDown! television taping in 1999, Droz suffered a serious spinal cord injury during a match that left him paralyzed from the neck down. This injury ended his pro wrestling career.
A former colleague of his was WWE legend Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. Johnson released a statement on Twitter.
“Man I’m so sorry to hear one of our ring brothers has passed away. Darren Drozdov aka Droz. We wrestled on a lot of cards together. Such an awesome dude. Great personality and great wrestling talent. We always talked about football and fishing. Sending love, strength, mana and light to his family. RIP brother 🕊️.”
Droz was interviewed for the Dark Side of the Ring documentary series where he discussed the WWE Brawl For All concept.
Droz’s family announced that he died of natural causes.
Source: WKBN.com
