Professional wrestling legend Sid Eudy, whose large size and imposing presence propelled him to the forefront of the industry in the 1990s, has died, the Crittenden County, Arkansas coroner confirmed Monday. He was 63 years old.
Eudy and his wife, Sabrina Estes Eudy, lived in Marion, Tennessee, a suburb 12 miles west of downtown Memphis. His son Gunner posted the news of his father’s death on Facebook.
Gunnar Eudy said his father died “after a several-year battle with cancer.”
According to his IMDb biography, Eudy, also known as Psycho Sid and Sid Vicious, won the WWF Championship twice, the WCW World Heavyweight Championship twice and the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship twice.
According to his resume, he was primarily active in the 1990s, when professional wrestling was experiencing a resurgence among general audiences, headlining multiple pay-per-view shows for WWF and WCW, including WWF’s WrestleMania VIII in 1992 and 13 in 1997, and WCW’s Starrcade in 2000.
Billed as 6’9″, he was a physical and dramatic force, and Eudy’s WWE biography (which changed its name to WWF in 2002 after a challenge from the World Wildlife Fund) notes that he stood out in a sport dominated by human spectacle.
“One of the most brutal Superstars to ever terrorize WWE, the sadistic Sid brought an intensity that was unstoppable – just ask the ring legends who incurred his wrath – the list includes Shawn Michaels, Hulk Hogan, Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart and many more,” the bio reads.
The company said in its obituary that he joined WCW in 1989 and by 1991 had made a name for himself and was defeating opponents in WWE.
He won the WWE Championship in 1996 and 1997 and became known as “The Ruler of the World,” according to WWE.
Professional wrestler and Hall of Famer Booker T. Huffman said Monday at X that Eudy played a key role in his career.
“Without Sid Vicious, I don’t think my brother and I would have made it to WCW,” he said, referring to his brother Rush, known in the ring as Stevie Ray. “His impact on this industry is undeniable and he paved the way for so many of us. My heartfelt condolences go out to his family during this difficult time.”
His son Gunnar agreed that Yehudid was not just violent.
“He was a man full of strength, kindness and love and will be truly missed,” he wrote on Facebook.
He is survived by his children, Sabrina, Gunnar and another son, Frank.