Wrestling legend Randy Savage, also known as Macho Man, died naturally of heart disease, not from injuries, when he was killed in a car crash in Florida last month, the Florida Highway Patrol says.
The 58-year-old, whose real name is Randy Poffo, had lost control of the 2009 Jeep Wrangler he was driving, veered over the raised concrete median divider, crossed over the eastbound lanes and collided head-on with a tree on May 20.
Autopsy results showed that the official cause of death was natural and ruled to be atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, also known as coronary artery disease, the Florida Highway Patrol said in a statement to OnTheRedCarpet.com on Thursday, June 30.
He suffered minor cuts and bruises in the accident and a toxicology report showed Savage's blood alcohol level was below the legal limit and that he had in his system caffeine, the over-the-counter painkiller acetaminophen, dihydrocodeine and hydrocodone, which are found in cough medication, and doxylamine, which treats insomnia.
His wife Barbara Lynn Poffo was a passenger and suffered minor injuries in the crash.
Savage's brother, former wrestler "Leaping" Lanny Poffo, several of his former colleagues and on-screen rivals, including Hulk Hogan, expressed their condolences online after his death.
Police had said after the accident that Savage may have suffered a "medical event" before the accident.
"I'm completely devastated, after over 10 years of not talking with Randy, we've finally started to talk and communicate," fellow wrestling star Hulk Hogan had said on his Twitter page. "He had so much life in his eyes & in his spirit, I just pray that he's happy and in a better place and we miss him."
Savage, an Ohio native, rose to fame in the 1980s and 1990s, when he began competing in the World Wrestling Federation, World Championship Wrestling and later, the WWE. Savage held some 20 championships during his career and his signature wrestling move was the "Elbow drop off the top rope". He was trained by his father, Angelo, who was also a wrestler.
He was known for being a celebrity spokesperson for Slim Jim snack foods and was touted for his "Ooh, yeah!" catchphrase.
Wrestling star Bret "The Hitman" Hart Tweeted: "I have no words to say. This one hits me hard. We lost one of the best."
"Rowdy" Roddy Piper, another former wrestler, said he was "too sad to Tweet" and later added: "I'm going to drive. Wrestlers think best when they drive. All my love to Lanny and his daddy Angelo! Wrestled them both. My hearts hurts 4 U."
Shawn Michaels said fellow wrestling star and reality star Chris Jericho texted him the news of Savage's death.
"We've lost one of the greats!!" Michaels Tweeted. "Our prayers go out to the family & friends of Randy Savage."
"Randy Savage was a true influence and inspiration to me and taught me some very important lessons, in and out of the ring," Jericho Tweeted. "Rest in peace."
Savage largely left competitive wrestling about six years ago. His likeness is featured in the THQ video game "WWE All Stars" (see photo, above) and a new action figure of him was unveiled at last year's San Diego Comic Con.
Check out a promo for the Randy Savage Ultimate DVD collection below as well as a video message from his promoting "WWE All Stars."
No comments:
Post a Comment