A cardiac arrest of an athlete will keep us praying that they’re back on their feet at the soonest. The world stood still and prayed for Bronny James’ speedy recovery when he went down last month. Soccer star Christian Eriksen brought the entire sporting fandom to tears when he had a heart attack and later spread smiles when recovered and returned to action. All of America was hoping something similar would happen in pro wrestler Alan Vera’s case. So was Kyle Dake, who would have wanted more lessons from Vera.

Alan Vera suffered a cardiac arrest last month while playing soccer, as the Summer Games went on in Paris. After a month’s battle, the 33-year-old has tragically succumbed to heart disease, leaving the likes of Dake in tears.

Kyle Dake emotionally recalls ‘limited time’ with Alan Vera amid his tragic passing

Though primarily dealing with freestyle and folkstyle wrestling, Dake’s journey as a Greco-Roman wrestler is one for the books. The two-time Olympic bronze winner’s success owes a lot to Alan Vera’s wisdom. Mourning Alan Vera’s passing, Dake recalled that the former seldom refused to help him prepare. “Very saddened to hear about Alan Vera’s passing. In my limited time around him he was always willing to help on the mat, and offer a laugh at a terrible joke I made,” Dake wrote on X.

Alan Vera played a pivotal role in earning Olympic quotas for Team USA. His spell-bounding display at last year’s Pan American games saw Team USA secure a quota in the 97 kg category. Moreover, Vera came immensely close to teaming up with Dake and others at the 2024 Summer Games. However, he lost the Olympic trial final against his longtime rival, Josef Rau. Now, let’s take a look at Vera’s notable contributions to American wrestling as he tragically leaves the world.

Alan Vera wanted to help Team USA at the Olympics if it were not for his heart disease

Alan Vera has been a key figure in America’s Greco-Roman wrestling team since 2015. His career started to hit peaks in 2023. That year, the Cuban-born wrestler won the Senior Nationals title and a bronze at the Pan America games. Vera’s silver medal-winning run at the 2024 Pan America games saw Team USA earn a spot in the 97 kg category in the Paris Olympics. Just when his career hit a high, he missed out on the Olympics.

Nonetheless, as his teammates pointed out, Vera volunteered to help Rau and the team at the Summer Games. Besides wrestling, a hardcore Chelsea fan, Vera’s second love was soccer. Sadly, he had a heart attack while playing the sport he loved so much. The malady had taken a huge toll on his family, and his teammates had to launch a fundraiser to support his healthcare and his newborn daughter’s childcare. Now, since the most unkind of tragedies have befallen Vera’s family, let’s hope they find the strength to surpass this tragic hour.