WWE legend useless at 74 after over 40-year profession on the high of wrestling
Kerwin Silfies, 75, was a director with the WWE after first joining the wrestling company in 1985. He was celebrated his ability to write character vignettes for performers
Kerwin Silfies has died at 75(Image: Instagram)
A wrestling legend has died at the age of 75 after a battle with health issues. Kerwin Silfies was a WWE director for over 40 years helping bring live shows to fans across the globe from 1985 until he retired during the pandemic.
Silfies directed the first Saturday Night’s Main Event and the WWE’s first show in Saudi Arabia and many more countries. The behind the scenes wrestling chief is believed have played a major role in growing the franchise in the US and across the globe.
The veteran director was noted for his ability to write compelling character vignettes for various wrestlers. One of his crowning achievements was establishing Curt Henning as Mr. Perfect in the late 1980s.
Outside of the WWE, Silfies was credited with directing a Stacy Keach-narrated American civil war documentary on the battle of gettysburg called The Last Full Measure. The much-liked director was known for staying out of the spotlight but did appear WWE’s Wrestlemania IX documentary.
It comes as a Japanese wrestler who became an MMA star was tragically found dead at this home in Tokyo on February 10. Tadao Yasuda, a former New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) world heavyweight champion, died at the age of 62.
He was reportedly working for a security company before his passing but managed to carve a successful career in sumo, professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. His sumo wrestling career ended in May 1992 to join the world of professional wrestling with his NJPW debut in 1994.
In 2001, he was sent to the US to train MMA, resulting in upsetting Jerome Le Banner with a submission win.
His early success early in his MMA helped him secure a main event push in NJP that saw him capture the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. He would also compete on WCW during its partnership with NJPW, which saw him take on the likes of The Giant (The Big Show in WWE). Yasuda was also used to work with WCW wrestlers when they would appear in Japan.
In a statement on its website, NJPW said: “In the early 2000s, Yasuda would head to the original Inoki LA Dojo where he trained in MMA in addition to continuing in pro-wrestling.
“His efforts paid off with strong performances in 2001, and the biggest win of his fighting career on New Year’s Eve over Jerome Le Banner. The next April, Yasuda would win the vacant IWGP heavyweight Championship by defeating Yuji Nagata in a tournament final.”
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