Wrestlers Nikolai Volkoff and Brian Christopher have passed away over the weekend. Christopher, son of WWE legend Jerry Lawler, died on Sunday following an apparent suicide. WWE also announced the death of Hall of Famer Volkoff at the age of 70.
Christopher, who went by the ring name Grandmaster Sexay, reportedly hung himself in his jail cell outside of Memphis. The 46-year-old was hospitalized and put on life support before passing away. He had been jailed earlier this month for a DUI and evading police.
The news was confirmed by Wrestling Observer reporter Dave Meltzer and Wrestling Inc.'s Chris Featherstone.
"According to a source close to the family, Brian Lawler has passed away at age 46," Featherstone wrote. "I was informed that he has indeed passed away, but the family is not ready to release a statement yet."
Christopher began wrestling in the late '80s, at 16, under his father’s United States Wrestling Association using the name "Too Sexy" Brian Christopher. In 1997 he signed to WWE, then known as World Wrestling Federation, in the light heavyweight division.
Volkoff, whose real name Josip Nikolai Peruzovic, was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005. The Iron Sheik, who won the WWF Tag Team Championship with Volkoff in March 1985, paid tribute to his late partner on Twitter.
Wrestler Brickhouse Brown was also pronounced dead on Sunday morning after battling with cancer as he was in hospice care, according to F4Wonline. He was 57.
If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
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