WWE Hall of Famer Paul Orndorff aka “Mr. Wonderful” Dies at 71 Battling Dementia & Head Injury– Paul Fought in First Wrestlemania
Paul Orndorff • WWE • Hulk Hogan • WWE Hall of Fame • Travis Orndorff • Professional wrestling • National Wrestling Alliance
WWE Hall of Famer and first Wrestlemanian fighter Paul Orndorff died after fighting dementia and brain injuries at the age of 71. His son announced that on Monday Mr. Wonderful died in an Instagram post.
“I am very saddened to say that my father, Paul Parlette Orndorff Jr, has passed away,” wrote Travis Orndorff. He stated, Paul fought against dementia, he thought was caused by traumatic chronic encephalopathy.
A fellow wrestler Hulk Hogan led the tributes and declared that he was “slammed” on Monday by the news of Orndoff’s death.
Former WWE Stars and Celeb Reaction:
‘MR WONDERFUL’:
Paul Orndorff joined in late 1983 with WWE, making his debut at the Wrestling Championship in November 1983.
“Rowdy” In January 1984 Roddy Piper was his manager and he named Orndorff “Mr. Wonderful,” a moniker since that time.
Orndorff was removed in 1988 from his bowling alley inFayetteville owing to arm injuries incurred during the Hulk Hogan rivalry.
He did, however, recuperate, work out consistently and restore the body which won him the nickname of “Mr Wonderful.”
Ric Flare:
Flair shared the wrestling great on Twitter in a heartfelt tribute. ‘So Sorry to Hear Of The Passing Of Paul Orndorff nicknamed The Brandon Bull,’ he wrote. He wrote.
“Great Guy, Legit Tough! He Was Another Amazing Athlete That I Had The Pleasure Of Wrestling An Hour For The NWA Championship On Many Occasions! Rest In Peace!”
BATTLING DEMENTIA:
According to Ringside News, Paul Orndorff was fighting dementia.
He was in the late stages of the illness, according to Hannibal TV.
His son Trevor just posted a heartbroken photo of his dad who before his death seemed to be fighting the disease.
FORMER WWE SUPERSTAR PUNK’S GRIEF:
CM Punk wrote former superstar WWE: “Mamn. Orndorff. At the uic pavilion I once attended to a wcw home exhibition. Perhaps 95.
“Him and Sherri have been the greatest with the crowd during this concert. I think I’ve got his autograph someplace on a patriotic mask. Mr. Wonderful stay in power.”
WWE’S CONDOLENCES:
“WWE is saddened to learn that WWE Hall of Famer ‘Mr. Wonderful’ Paul Orndorff has passed away at the age of 71,” WWE said.
“WWE extends its condolences to Orndorff’s family and friends.”
Orndorff came up in the Southern wrestling circuit, and endorsed with the WWE archetype World Wrestling Federation in late 1983, where “Rambunctious” Roddy Piper turned into his chief. Flautist nicknamed Orndorff “Mr. Brilliant,” a moniker that stuck.
He made his WWF debut in 1984 against Salvatore Bellomo in Madison Square Garden and shot directly to the headliner not exactly a month after the fact. He battled Hulk Hogan for the title as the “Hulkamania” wave started to peak. He likewise battled the Intercontinental Champion Tito Santana. Orndorff and Piper frequently confronted Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka and “The Tonga Kid” in label group contest.
The main WrestleMania in 1985 saw WWF World Heavyweight Champion Hogan and Mr. T, joined by Snuka, go head to head against the Piper and Orndorff, who were joined by Cowboy Bob Orton.
Travis composed that, while his dad frequently played the miscreant, he adored wrestling fans, in any event, when they abhorred him: “However much large numbers of you loathed him as a wrestler, he totally cherished you for it.”
Mr. Great left the WWF in 1988. He went to the WCW, where he won the World Television Championship and the WCW World Tag Team Championship.
Prior to wrestling, Orndorff was a running back at the University of Tampa, where he scored 21 vocation scores and acquired than 2,000 universally handy yards. The New Orleans Saints picked Orndorff in the twelfth round of the 1973 NFL Draft, however he neglected to pass the physical with both the Saints and the Kansas City Chiefs. Be that as it may, he played for the Jacksonville Sharks of the World Football League in 1975. After one season in the WFL, he started preparing as an expert wrestler.
Regardless of his constitution, Orndorff’s vocation was tormented by injury. In particular, a pestering neck injury that prompted arm decay and constrained him to resign in 2000. He battled and endure malignancy in 2011.
Travis Orndoff posted a message two days prior on Instagram handing-off his dad’s disarray about a telephone number with the request, “I trust the world will begin to pay heed to the mind harm and the results of this way of life. I don’t fault the WWE or Vince McMahon as you would might suspect. Nobody realized this would occur. However, we can accomplish something now.”
Incessant adversary Hogan took to Twitter on hearing the information on Orndorff’s demise and expressed, “thank you for continually making me battle for everything in our matches.” He finished with, “paradise just settled the score more Wonderful.”
Another legend from the sport’s golden era, The Iron Sheik, posted his own all-caps tribute to Orndorff.
The WWE Hall of Fame was induced in 2005 by Paul Orndorff and the National Alliance of Wrestling in 2009, respectively. He taught other wrestlers after quitting from wrestling.
The WrestleMania XXX was featured by Orndorff in 2014. Since the 2005 Hall of Fame ceremony, he was his first WWE TV show. He appeared with other people who were members of the inaugural WrestleMania: Rowdy Roddy Piper, Hulk Hogan, Mr. T.
The younger Orndorff shared the GoFundMe link along with the notification to assist pay the burial spans of his father.
Travis’s full statement on Instagram:
It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of my father, Paul Parlette Orndorff Jr. . He is better known as “Mr. #1derful” Paul Orndorff. Most of you will remember him for his physique. Many will remember his intensity. But if I could only get you to understand and see his heart. He will always be Pop, Paw Paw, and Daddy at home. And as much as many of you hated him as a wrestler, he absolutely loved you for it. He was an amazing father that showed me more love than I ever deserved. I love you Daddy.