Mike Bell (wrestler)

Mike Bell
Birth name Michael Bell
Born (1971-03-18)March 18, 1971
Poughkeepsie, New York[1]
Died December 14, 2008(2008-12-14) (aged 37)
Costa Mesa, California
Cause of death Myocardial infarction
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s) Mike Bell
Saber
Mr. Grimm
Trained by David Schultz[1]
Paul Roma[1]

Michael "Mike" Bell (March 18, 1971 – December 14, 2008) was an American professional wrestler who worked for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) as Mike "Mad Dog" Bell.[2] He was the brother of Mark Bell and Chris Bell (director of the 2008 documentary, Bigger, Stronger, Faster), and the 2015 follow up documentary, Prescription Thugs, in which Mike Bell's life and death by prescription drugs are explored.

Professional wrestling career

Bell worked as a jobber for WWE (then-named, the World Wrestling Federation, or, WWF) during the early-1990s, even performing on its flagship TV show, Monday Night Raw. Like many jobbers of that era, Bell worked on a match-by-match basis for the WWF, never being under continuous contract with the promotion.[3] Bell later worked with the original ECW, including performing at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center.

Bell was well known in the wrestling community for a 2001 incident with Perry Saturn during a videotaped WWF dark match. Bell botched a snapmare armdrag of Saturn, causing Saturn to land on the mat headfirst. Saturn legitimately attacked Bell in retaliation for this perceived lack of professionalism and in-ring etiquette, at one point tossing Bell out of the ring and causing Bell himself to land on his head on the safety mat. Neither performer sustained serious injury, and both were able to resume their respective roles and finish the match as planned, without most spectators realizing what had actually happened.

Personal life

Bell, who had a history with substance abuse, was featured in the documentary Bigger, Stronger, Faster along with his two brothers.[3]

Bell can also be seen in "Prescription Thugs", a documentary created by his brother about prescription drug abuse in America.

Death

On December 14, 2008, he was found dead at a rehabilitation facility in Costa Mesa, California.[3] It was ruled that he died of an inhalation-induced heart attack brought on by an accidental inhalation of difluoroethane in Dust-Off.[4] Bell was 37 years old.

In wrestling

Championships and accomplishments

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/m/mike-bell.html
  2. ↑ "Local pro wrestler Mike Bell dies at 37". Poughkeepsie Journal. Archived from the original on Feb 2, 2009.
  3. 1 2 3 Associated Press (December 19, 2008). "Pro wrestler Mike 'Mad Dog' Bell found dead at 37". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-08-25.
  4. ↑ http://blogs.poughkeepsiejournal.com/underthering/2009/03/26/bell-died-of-inhalation-induced-heart-attack/
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