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Posts Tagged ‘Verne Gagne’

An altercation between two patients at a nursing home, both suffering from dementia, with one of them dying as a result, wouldn’t normally spark headlines across the nation. But then, normally one of the patients isn’t a pro wrestling legend.

Sadly, this time, one was.

Verne Gagne, 82, was implicated in the death of Helmut R. Gutmann, 97, when Gagne allegedly pushed Gutmann, injuring the man’s hip and banging his head in the resulting fall. Gutmann was initially treated, then released, then readmitted; he passed away on Saturday.

Gutmann was a German Jew who fled Nazi Germany and, in his time in America, became an accomplished cancer researcher and violinist.

Gagne built his American Wrestling Association (AWA) into a Midwest legend with footholds on the West Coast as well. Gagne helped launch the careers of Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, Shawn Michaels and Curt Hennig, just to name a few. He was an old-school territory promoter, however, and when Vince McMahon launched the WWWF into a nationwide promotion rebranded WWF, and eventually WWE, Gagne was out-promoted, out-spent and out-matched. Gagne kept the AWA clear of some of the weight loss pill-hawking commercialism that worked well for McMahon and WWE.

Gagne retired from the ring in 1981 and by 1991, the AWA was in a shambles and filing for bankruptcy. Son Greg Gagne recently accepted a Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame honor on behalf of Verne prior to a WrestleMania.

Though Verne was staying at Friendship Village at the time of the incident, he has been moved since. Bloomington Police are investigating the death, recently ruled a homicide, but given the medical state of Gagne, it appears unlikely charges will be filed.