“RIP Brother”: Dwayne Johnson Joins Millions of Heartbroken WWE Fans in Mourning Over the Saddening Demise of 54-Year-Old Quadriplegic Ex-WWE Star

Former WWE wrestler Darren ‘Droz’ Drozdov has died of natural causes on Friday morning. He was 54. Fans who have been around since the ‘Attitude Era’ must know of the gem that was Darren Drozdov. The late wrestler’s last match was on October 5, 1999, at the Nassau Coliseum which left him paralyzed in the ring from the neck down.

Talking about his demeanor despite the injury that arrested him to a wheelchair throughout his life, the family said in a statement, “His faith in humanity never faltered, so know that for all the love you’ve shown him, he loved you back.” The man who went toe-to-toe with WWE greats like Dwayne Johnson walks among us no more.

Drozdov wore many hats during his lifetime

Drozdov was many things before he became a pro wrestler. He was known in the sport of track and field when he broke the shot-put record in Atlantic County, New Jersey. Drozdov was an NFL player before he became a wrestler. He played for the New York Jets, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Denver Broncos. However, he outshined as a wrestler, and at one point, began an independent wrestling circuit before reaching the then WWF in 1998.

Droz was a strong 6’3″ man who weighed 245 pounds. Wrestling fans know him from his association with the tag team ‘The Legion of Doom’ and from his ‘puke’ scene with Vince McMahon in the Beyond the Mat documentary. In the documentary, ‘Droz’ showcased his bizarre skill to puke at will. WWE would make it a part of his gimmick. Despite his penchant to puke at will, he later settled for a socially acceptable nickname, Droz.

‘Droz’ was a wrestler active in the WWF in the late 90s. The late wrestling star gave the industry his all until an unfortunate incident put a pin in his wrestling future in the year 1999. On the WWE SmackDown taping on October 5, 1999, ‘Droz’ met with a botched maneuver that made him a quadriplegic. He was up against D’Lo Brown when he suffered the severe neck injury. However, it didn’t happen before he left his mark on the world.

Yet, he never lost heart over it. He stated, “There is always another day. Just because I’m paralyzed and stuck in a wheelchair, doesn’t mean my life is over. I’ve learned to live again, and my life is far from over.” Fellow WWE stars from the “Attitude Era” and his brief stint at ECW took to social media to honor the legendary wrestler.

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Dwayne Johnson and other WWE stars remember Drozdov

During Droz’s time in WWE, he bonded with The Rock. The two shared locker rooms during the ‘Attitude Era’. Moreover, they also shared some interests. It’s possible that The Rock looked up to Droz because of his NFL career prior to wrestling. The Hollywood Star had his eyes set on a football career before he became a wrestler. After he took his last breath on Friday morning, Dwayne Johnson led the tribute to Twitter. ‘The Brahma Bull’ remembered the wrestler fondly.

The official Twitter account of the NFL franchise Denver Broncos offered their condolences. From 1993-1994, Drozdov was with the Broncos in six career games with two starts for Denver in 1993. Further, his NFL roots ran deep as he played collegiately at Maryland, with brief stints with the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles organizations.

Drozdov worked with ECW for a brief period. He first met Lance Storm during his ECW tenure and it’s evident that Storm hasn’t forgotten about his former colleague.

Fans also took to social media to testify to Drozdov’s character and celebrate his life.

The Droz delivered every time he entered the ring. He will always remain in the hearts of his beloved fans and former colleagues.

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