People age and eventually pass away; it’s a fact of life. With childhood icons, however, it’s always shocking when their time finally comes. With the death of Josip Nikolai Peruzović, who wrestled in the ’80s for WWF under the name Nikolai Volkoff, on July 29, 2018, I came to the realization that the wrestling stars of my youth are slowly dwindling. At the height of the ’80s wrestling boom, one cartoon brought those superstars to life – Hulk Hogan’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestling. Now, 33 years after the show debuted in September 1985, more than half of the characters portrayed in the cast are no longer with us.

Although the real-life characters were portrayed by voice actors (some you’ll recognize), their personalities were perfectly captured for a generation of young fans. Here’s the current breakdown of those iconic wrestlers:

Updated January 2, 2019

Deceased:

• Nikolai Volkoff (October 14, 1947 – July 29, 2018) – The love-to-hate Soviet was a staple during the Cold War, often teaming up with the Iron Sheik. He reportedly had heart troubles and was discharged from the hospital days before passing away. The notoriously nice man was 70.
• The Fabulous Moolah (July 22, 1923 – November 2, 2007) – Mary Ellison had a long wrestling history before joining the WWF, where she would even tousle with the likes of Cindy Lauper. She was the first woman inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame. She died at the age of 84 in South Carolina.
• Rowdy “Roddy” Piper (April 17, 1954 – July 31, 2015) – Roderick Toombs, AKA Roddy Piper was one of the few early wrestlers to make a name for himself outside of the ring, starring in movies such as the John Carpenter cult classic They Live. He sadly died in his sleep at the age of 61.
• Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka (May 18, 1943 – January 15, 2017) – The Fijian wrestler was charged with third-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter for the 1983 death of Nancy Argentino. He would plead not guilty but was unfit to stand trial due to dementia by what many attributed to CTE. He died in hospice at the age of 73.
• Junkyard Dog (December 13, 1952 – June 2, 1998) – Sylvester Ritter’s Junkyard Dog was voiced by James Avery (Uncle Phil from Fresh Prince of Bel Air and Shredder from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). He was the first African American wrestler to be the top star of a wrestling promotion. He lost his life in a single-car accident following his daughter’s graduation.

• Captain Lou Albano (29 July 1933 – 14 October 2009) – Louis Vincent Albano found fame in the ring but also on MTV in videos with Cindy Lauper such as “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” He didn’t supply his character’s voice for Rock ‘N’ Wrestling, but he did channel his Italian roots to play Mario in the Super Mario Bros. Super Show!. He died from a heart attack at 76.
• André the Giant (May 19, 1946 – January 27, 1993) – The “Eighth Wonder of the World” was a legend in and out of the ring. He had a memorable role as Fezzik in The Princess Bride, and you can learn more about André the Giant’s life on the recent HBO documentary of the same name or in the incredible graphic novel André the Giant: Life and Legend. He died in his sleep of congestive heart failure at the all-too-young age of 46.
• Mr. Fuji (May 4, 1934 – August 28, 2016) – In his eye-catching suit and bowler hat, Harry Masayoshi Fujiwara looked an awful lot like the James Bond character Odd Job. The Hawaiian-born Mr. Fuji wrestled solo for many years but was better known as a villainous manager, handling the likes of Demolition, The Orient Express, and Yokozuna. He died of natural causes at 82 years old.
• Big John Studd (February 19, 1948 – March 20, 1995) – John William Minton is a member of both the WCW and WWE Halls of Fame and was the winner of the 1989 Royal Rumble. The 6′ 10″ mammoth died at the age of 47 from liver cancer and Hodgkin’s disease.
• “Mean” Gene Okerlund (December 19, 1942 – January 2, 2019) – The famous interviewer got his start in Minnesota where he was dubbed “mean” Gene Okerlund by fellow Minnesotan Jesse Ventura. A staple interviewer and announcer in WWE and WCW, Okerlund was signed to a lifetime contract with WWE working even up to 2018. He passed away January 2, 2019 at the age of 76.

Still Living:

• Hillbilly Jim (b. 1952) – James Morris is a 2018 inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame after being a mainstay in the ’80s. Easily identifiable in his rustic overalls, Hillbilly Jim could also be seen in an episode of The A-Team and even sang a song on a certified gold record, The Wrestling Album.
• Wendy Richter (b. 1961) – Heavily involved in the Cyndi Lauper led “Rock n Wrestling Connection,” Richter would feud regularly with the Fabulous Moolah. Coincidentally, both the Richter and Moolah characters on the cartoon were voiced by the same actress, Jodi Carlisle, best known for voicing one of The Wild Thornberrys.
• Tito Santana (b. 1953) – Merced Solis was actually a professional football player signed by the Kansas City Chiefs and played for the BC Lions of the CFL before entering the wrestling ring. A babyface his entire career, Santana is a 2004 inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame and still wrestles occasionally each year.
• The Iron Sheik (b. 1942) – Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri competed on the Iranian Olympic wrestling team before making his way to the States and becoming an assistant coach to team USA in the 1972 Olympics before an illustrious career as a heel. His life was chronicled in the documentary The Sheik.
• Hulk Hogan (b. 1953) – Everybody Loves Raymond costar Brad Garrett voiced the Hulkster in the eponymously titled cartoon. The biggest name in the history of wrestling has appeared in multiple television shows, movies, and even an inglorious sex tape. Most recently, Hogan was recently reinstated into the WWE Hall of Fame following a ban for using racial and homophobic slurs.

There were only two seasons and 26 episodes of the cartoon, but it made an indelible impact on impressionable youth. Hulk Hogan’s Rock ‘N’ Wrestling was available on the WWE Network until Hogan’s contract was terminated in 2015. A DVD of the first season was produced, but it’s no longer available. For now, you’ll have to get your vintage cartoon wrestling fix from ripped YouTube videos: