Five Other Wrestling Stars Who Died Too Soon

Randy "Macho Man" Savage is but latest in long line of game's tragic tales

As Randy "Macho Man" Savage's death reminds, pro wrestling is rife with stories of the gone-too-soon.

Here are just five:

1. Andre the Giant: Whether in the ring or in The Princess Bride, the French-born star was a gentle giant. In 1993, he passed away in his sleep—"his immense size was just too much for his heart," his official biography said. He was 46.

2. Chris Benoit: In 2007, at age 40, the Canadian Crippler killed his 7-year-old son and wife before hanging himself. The murder-suicide spurred talk of steroids, but some experts suggested yet another ugly truth of wrestling was to blame for Benoit's rampage: brain damage. 

3. Eddie Guerrero: The battler's toughest opponents might have been drugs and alcohol. After scoring victories over his addictions, Guerrero enjoyed years of sobriety before succumbing to heart failure in his hotel room prior to a match. He was 38.

4. Owen Hart: The son of a WWE Hall of Famer, and brother of Bret "Hitman" Hart, the Blue Blazer was killed in a 50-foot fall during a 1999 pay-per-view event. He was 33.

5. Miss Elizabeth: In the 1980s, Elizabeth Hulette was called pro wrestling's first lady, but she was more like its femme fatale—a beauty who bewitched the beasts. Savage got her in his corner, on screen and off. The two were married for just under a decade. Hulette later took up with another ring vet, Lex Luger. In 2003, she died at his house of an accidental overdose. She was 42.

As stated up top, there is no shortage of these stories. For more on other late wrestling stars, such as Rick Rude, Chris Canyon and Lance Cade, see Dead Wrestlers or About.com's "Pro Wrestler's Deaths."