Dr Death Steve Williams:

December 30th saw another tragic loss to the professional wrestling community as “Dr Death” Steve Williams unfortunately passed away.

Williams, 49, had been fighting a battle with Cancer for several years.

Originally diagnosed with throat cancer back in 2004, he endured surgery and appeared to have beaten the disease, being given the all-clear. However over the past year, it tragically returned and he deterioriated at an alarming rate.

Most readers will probably be most familiar with Williams for his brief tenure in the WWE, where he competed in their ill-fated 1998 Brawl for All tournament. A shoot-boxing event, Williams was expected to win and was slated for a major push off the back of it. However, he was injured, and lost to Bart Gunn and was never afforded much opportunity upon his return.

Williams also appeared in WCW, primarily as a tag team competitor, but is best remembered for his work in Japan. There, he was one of the most successful Gaijin of all time, holding his own at the top of the card in All Japan during their glorious period in the Nineties where the company was artistically, untouchable.

Williams produced bonafide classics against the likes of  Kenta Kobashi and Mitshuharu Misawa, and was a regular partner of Johnny Ace. He also was honoured in 1994 with a Triple Crown reign.

Williams continued to wrestle into this year, finally retiring in October, appropriately enough, working a match in Japan.

He will go down in history as one of the best kept secrets in US wrestling during the Ninties, earning a lucrative living elsewhere as a believable, gruff, but bombastic tough guy.

We wish his family and friends the best in this difficult time.