WWE Hall of Famer Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka Dead at 73

Former professional wrestler Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka has died at 73-years-old.

January 15, 2017

News is breaking on Twitter that WWE legend and Hall of Famer Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka has died at the age of 73. His daughter (and current WWE professional wrestler) Tamina Snuka, as well as Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and legendary professional wrestling commentator Jim Ross, took to social media to announce Snuka's death.

The WWE has issued a statement on Snuka's passing: "WWE is saddened to learn that WWE Hall of Famer Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka has passed away.

Snuka is regarded by many as the pioneer of high-flying offense because of his Superfly Splash from the top turnbuckle. His dive off the top of the steel cage onto Don Muraco at Madison Square Garden as hundreds of flash bulbs went off will forever live as one of the most memorable moments in WWE history.

WWE extends its condolences to Snuka’s family, friends and fans."

For many of today's professional wrestling fans, Snuka is seen as a pioneer. Legends like Mick Foley count Snuka as a huge inspiration, primarily for his death-defying leaps, putting himself in harms way for the fans entertainment (which is essentially what Foley did, although he turned it up a few notches).

Snuka's stardom came from his stint in the WWE, which lasted a total of six years (1982-1985 and 1989-1992), but he surprisingly never held championship gold while being a WWE superstar. He was also remembered for taking a coconut to the head by one "Rowdy" Roddy Piper during an interview segment in 1984, as well as being the cornerman for Hulk Hogan and Mr. T during the very first WrestleMania event.

Professional wrestling stars have started sharing their condolences to Snuka via social media.

However, like acclaimed pro wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer says, Snuka leaves a complex story. While he is remembered by many pro wrestling fans for his death-defying stunts in the ring, Snuka was better known as of late for facing murder charges for the 1983 death of his then-girlfriend Nancy Argentino. He'd plead not guilty to these charges in November of 2015, but had the trial delayed for a mental health evaluation. The scandal forced the WWE to suspend his "Legends" contract and remove Snuka's name from their "Hall of Fame" section (he was inducted into their Hall of Fame in 1996), but Snuka's case was ultimately dismissed on Jan. 3, 2017, as the judge deemed Snuka unfit to stand trial.

Snuka's wife announced that the retired professional wrestler was diagnosed with stomach cancer. He had undergone surgery to remove part of his stomach and his lymph nodes in an effort to get rid of his cancer, but Snuka was reportedly given six months to live this past December due to a terminal illness.

This story is developing.