Professional Wrestling Mourns the Passing of Two Veterans

The professional wrestling community is mourning the loss of two veteran figures, Jumbo Baretta and Wildman Jack Armstrong, who both passed away on October 25, 2026. The Cauliflower Alley Club, a non-profit fraternal organization for retired and active professional wrestlers, boxers, and actors, shared tributes on social media honoring their contributions to the sport and expressing condolences to their friends and families.

Jumbo Baretta, whose real name was Julio Barrera, passed away at the age of 59. Having started his career in 1986 under the training of Boris Malenko, Baretta competed across various National Wrestling Alliance territories and World Championship Wrestling, where he faced notable opponents such as Sting and the Road Warriors. He also made appearances for the World Wrestling Federation before retiring from active competition in 2013.

Wildman Jack Armstrong passed away at the age of 79, with his death announced by bodybuilder Laura Creavalle. Armstrong enjoyed a career spanning over three decades across major United States territories, Japan, and Herb Abrams' Universal Wrestling Federation, where he captured the inaugural Junior Heavyweight Championship. Alongside his accomplishments in the squared circle, Armstrong worked extensively in Hollywood as a stuntman and actor, appearing in wrestling films such as Body Slam and Grunt! The Wrestling Movie.

In other professional wrestling news, former WWE star MVP recently discussed his health during an appearance on the podcast 'Marking Out'. Reflecting on regular medical checks, MVP shared an update regarding a heart condition known as Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. He noted that his cardiologist assured him the condition is not fatal and that his heart is in good health.

MVP stated, 'I found out some time ago the importance of a CT scan. I got one, and I'm good to go. As a matter of fact, my cardiologist told me, you know, I got the Wolff-Parkinson-White thing, you know, but that's not fatal.' He added that his doctor cleared his heart health completely, telling him, 'As far as the heart goes, you're good. You're not going to die of a heart attack.'

Meanwhile, WWE star Becky Lynch recently recalled an embarrassing mistake from the early days of her career during an interview with Kate Mackz on Instagram. The former Women's World Champion remembered a match where she failed to kick out before the referee's three-count because she mistakenly believed another wrestler was supposed to break up the pin. The anticlimactic finish particularly stung because her parents were in the audience watching her wrestle for the very first time.

Reflecting on the blunder, Lynch admitted, 'There was one time, early on in my career. We were in the middle of a match -- yay. And I was supposed to kick out at two. Instead, I thought somebody was supposed to break it up. It's one, two, three -- I didn't kick out, and I lost the match. And it ended it like so anticlimactic. And my parents were in the audience. It was the first time they came to see me wrestle. Oh, I still feel ashamed.'

Adding to her early career recollections, former WWE Universal Champion Finn Balor recently shared memories of Lynch on the 'Cheap Heat' podcast. Balor recalled training alongside Lynch at a small wrestling club in a local school hall, where she was the only female wrestler among roughly thirty men. Balor noted that she immediately stood out because of her potential and dedication, praising the impressive journey she has made within the wrestling community.