The wrestling community is honoring the memory and mourning the loss of wrestling legend Sid Eudy (AKA Sycho Sid/Sid Vicious) at age 63. Eudy’s son, Gunnar, shared on Facebook Monday afternoon that his father passed away after several years of battling cancer.
After the unfortunate news broke, the wrestling community took to social media to express condolences to the Eudy family and share memories of “The Master and Ruler Of The World.”
Here are some reactions from the wrestling world:
Sid Eudy’s Career In Wrestling
Eudy had a successful wrestling career from the late 1980s to the early 2000s. He first gained attention in WCW as a member of the Skyscrapers with Dan Spivey and later as a member of the Four Horsemen, but it was when he went to WWE (then WWF) in 1991 as Sid Justice that he caught many fans’ attention.
He famously eliminated Hulk Hogan from the highly revered 1992 Royal Rumble Match. This led to their matchup in the main event of WrestleMania 8 on April 5, 1992, which Eudy lost by disqualification. Although he lost, Eudy’s performance stood out as it was the rare time a superstar kicked out of Hogan’s iconic leg drop.
Eudy eventually left the company for a brief stint with WCW in 1993. He returned to WWE on February 20, 1995, during the episode of Monday Night Raw as Shawn Michaels’s bodyguard. He would be an essential part of the storyline between “HBK” and Diesel’s (AKA Kevin Nash) feud that culminated at WrestleMania 11 on April 2, 1995, and would betray Michaels that night after on Raw. The attack on his former helped Michaels go on his “Babyface” run, leading to his WWE Championship win against Bret Hart at WrestleMania 12.
Becoming The WWE Champion
After the split in 1995, Eudy struggled to find success as a “Heel.” However, the following year, he gained the fans’ support as Sycho Sid and became one of the company’s popular “Babyfaces.” The wrestling legend gained momentum with his new identity and earned an opportunity to challenge Michaels for the title at Survivor Series at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, on November 17, 1996.
Although WWE tried to position Eudy as a “Heel” during the match, the audience famously cheered for him as he defeated “HBK” to win his first WWE Championship. It marked a rare occurrence at the time as the crowd went against the status quo of wrestling to cheer for the “Heel” and was another sign that the wrestling business was changing.
Eudy held the title for two months before losing it to Michaels in a rematch at the Royal Rumble on January 19, 1997. However, his win at Survivor Series remains one of the moments in wrestling history that marked a cultural shift, as fans rebelled against what the company intended and are open to doing so more frequently today.
Final Years Of Sid Eudy’s Legendary Career
Eudy would reclaim the WWE Championship on the February 17, 1997, episode of Raw by defeating Bret Hart. He held the title for over a month before losing to The Undertaker at WrestleMania 13 on March 23, 1997. The loss would be the final time Eudy would be a champion in the company, and he would eventually find himself leaving WWE to work for different promotions, including a brief stint in ECW in 1999.
He would make another return to WCW as Sid Vicious at the Great American Bash on June 13, 1999, to attack Nash after he defeated “Macho Man” Randy Savage by disqualification. His comeback to the company would put him in the mix as one of the featured talents on the WCW roster, and he would win his first title by defeating Chris Benoit for the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship at Fall Brawl on September 12, 1999. The win led to Eudy’s infamous feud with Goldberg, leading to the champion destroying his car on the September 27, 1999 episode of Monday Night Nitro. Eudy would yet again not have a long title reign as he dropped it to Goldberg at Halloween Havoc on October 24, 1999.
Eudy’s career in WCW continued to have highs and lows during his run from 1999 until the company closed its doors after WWE bought it. He would win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship twice, but both reigns lasted less than two months. His career sadly took a turn for the worse when he fractured his leg after jumping from the top rope in a Four-Way Dance match against Scott Steiner, Jeff Jarrett, and Road Warrior Animal at Sin on January 14, 2001. The injury would take him out of action for the rest of WCW’s operation before being sold.
Eudy would eventually return to wrestling in later years, but he wasn’t the same after the injury and began to slow down his career. He notably appeared on the 1000th episode of Monday Night Raw on June 25, 2012, in a win against Heath Slater.
Final Words On The Legacy Of Sid Eudy
Eudy leaves behind a tremendous legacy of moments for wrestling fans to appreciate. With his size and devasting power, he was a special wrestler in the ring. However, Eudy also could entertain viewers with his personality. In one instance, he could intimidate fans with his intensity in his promos, and in other moments, he could make you laugh, like when Goldberg demolished his car.
He didn’t have long reigns as a champion in WWE or WCW. That said, he was an essential figure for different storylines and moments that defined the times he competed in that will be remembered forever.
SEScoops extends our heartfelt condolences to Eudy’s family and friends during this difficult time.
