Sherri Martel Dead at 49
 

PWInsider.com is sorry to report the passing of WWE Hall of Famer Sherri Martel, real name Sherri Russel today. A former WWF and AWA Women's champion, Martel is probably best remembered for her role of one of the best female heel managers of all time during her 1990s WWF run, working alongside Shawn Michaels, Ted DiBiase, and Randy Savage, among others.

Moving to World Championship Wrestling in 1994, Martel worked on top with Ric Flair during his feud with Hulk Hogan before moving on to manage The Harlem Heat tag team.

Martel was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame in Chicago during Wrestlemania 21 weekend and still made semi-regular appearances at conventions and media events. Jakks Pacific had just released a Classic Superstars action figure in her honor.

Martel was only 49 years old.

On behalf of everyone involved with PWInsider.com, I'd like to share our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and fans of Sherri Martel.

From PWInsider.

RIP :(

I was about to post this.

That's horrible especially in the light of McMahon angle.

Sensational Sherri, you truly were. We will miss you. RIP. :'(

i loved her as a manager. rip sherri

Not trying to be morbid here, but if WWE gave her a 10 bell salute do you think the fans would boo?

This is just really bad timing. I mean, it's bad all around by itself, but with the Vince angle makes it worse.

Wow, that's a shame. RIP :(

Probably not, only because most of them probably won't know who she is.

No way, that sucks! I liked Scary Sherri. :'(

Any woman who has done this will remain ok in my book for eternity. :y:

http://www.gayprowrestling.com/sherrihogan.jpg


RIP

Insanity. So young. RIP

How did she die?

Whoa. RIP

What the hell? I was just talking about how good she looked for her age. This fucking sucks. RIP Sensational/Scary/Sister Sherri.

Bummer.

:(

Woah

That sucks...RIP

Damn. I don't want to say what I'm thinking about the cause. Sherri and Elizabeth were like THE female presence in the WWF when I started watching... and now they're both gone. And I'm not even that old. :(

Same here, I started watching and They were awesome and now yeah..not that old myself...so sad...damn.

http://www.wwe.com/inside/news/sherripasses

WWE is saddened to learn of the death of WWE Hall of Famer “Sensational” Sherri. She was 49.

In the early 1980s, Sherri began her career in the AWA. In 1985, she defeated Candi Devine to become the AWA Women’s Champion. Their rivalry lasted more than a year with the championship trading hands on several occasions.

It was during this time that she began perfecting her skills as a manager, leading “Playboy” Buddy Rose and “Pretty Boy” Doug Somers to the AWA Tag Team Championship. On June 28, 1986, Martel would win the AWA Women’s Championship for a third and final time from Candi Devine.

On July 24, 1987, “Sensational” Sherri debuted in WWE, pinning her trainer and mentor the Fabulous Moolah to become Women’s Champion. Sherri defended the gold against Debbie Combs, Velvet McIntyre, and Desiree Peterson.

She quickly earned the reputation as someone who would do anything to win, even if it meant using unsavory tactics. Her rivalry with Moolah continued as they became the captains for the first-ever female Survivor Series teams in 1989. Sherri held the championship for 15 months before losing to Rockin’ Robin.

In the early ‘90s WWE phased out the Women’s Division, leaving Sherri to focus on managing the male wrestlers. Her first client was “Macho Man” Randy Savage. It was during this time that she became “Sensation Queen.”

The couple had rivals with Miss Elizabeth, Hulk Hogan, Dusty Rhodes and Sapphire. In 1991, “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase enlisted her services. After that relationship dissolved, she took on the managerial duties of Shawn Michaels.

In 1994, Sherri appeared in WCW as “Sensuous” Sherri managing Ric Flair during his rivalries with Sting and Hulk Hogan. After separating from Flair, she became “Sister” Sherri guiding Harlem Heat to seven WCW Tag Team Championships.

Sherri was enshrined in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006. “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase was her presenter.

She was last seen with Kurt Angle. Could it be....?

Damn this sucks... R.I.P.

Can anyone with more knowledge than me post a list of all the wrestlers that have passed away this year. There seems to be absolutely loads. Didn't Bam Bam Bigalow and Mike Awesome pass away this year too? Or was that 2006? I can't remember...

Damn... too many... :(

Better than "last seen with Lex Luger."

I think wrestlers have an early death gene.

<TABLE height=2075 cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=3 width=621 border=3><TBODY><TR><TD width=126 height=1>January 19, 2007</TD><TD width=243 height=1>Scott "Bam Bam" Bigelow</TD><TD width=163 height=1>Drug Overdose</TD><TD width=31 height=1>45</TD></TR><TR><TD width=126 height=1>February 17, 2007</TD><TD width=243 height=1>Mike Awesome</TD><TD width=163 height=1>Suicide</TD><TD width=31 height=1>42</TD></TR><TR><TD width=126 height=1>March 6, 2007</TD><TD width=243 height=1>Bad News (Brown) Allen Coage</TD><TD width=163 height=1>Heart Attack</TD><TD width=31 height=1>63</TD></TR><TR><TD width=126 height=1>March 8, 2007</TD><TD width=243 height=1>Alejandro Cruz (Black Shadow)</TD><TD width=163 height=1>Pneumonia</TD><TD width=31 height=1>82</TD></TR><TR><TD width=126 height=1>March 10, 2007</TD><TD width=243 height=1>Ernie "The Cat" Ladd</TD><TD width=163 height=1>Cancer</TD><TD width=31 height=1>68</TD></TR><TR><TD width=126 height=1>March 13, 2007</TD><TD width=243 height=1>Arnold Skaaland</TD><TD width=163 height=1>Natural Causes</TD><TD width=31 height=1>82</TD></TR><TR><TD width=126 height=1>March 18, 2007</TD><TD width=243 height=1>Angel Azteca </TD><TD width=163 height=1>Unknown</TD><TD width=31 height=1>43</TD></TR><TR><TD width=126 height=1>March 28, 2007</TD><TD width=243 height=1>Abe Coleman</TD><TD width=163 height=1>Natural Causes</TD><TD width=31 height=1>101</TD></TR><TR><TD width=126 height=1>May 4, 2007</TD><TD width=243 height=1>Mephisto Lephanto</TD><TD width=163 height=1>Sudden Heart Attack in the Ring</TD><TD width=31 height=1>31</TD></TR><TR><TD width=126 height=1>May 5, 2007</TD><TD width=243 height=1>Sonny Myers</TD><TD width=163 height=1>Natural Causes</TD><TD width=31 height=1>83</TD></TR><TR><TD width=126 height=1>June 2, 2007</TD><TD width=243 height=1>Sandy Barr</TD><TD width=163 height=1>Heart Attack</TD><TD width=31 height=1>69</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Holy shit! That's bad. I haven't heard of that guy that had a heart attack in the ring, but that must be pretty awful.

Looking at that list and seeing "suicide" next to Mike Awesomes name is pretty sad too.

Fucking steriods.

\Wrestling attracts addicts, hedonists, and adrenaline junkies. of course they're going to die early.

This is terrible

Gotta remember the good times...so I think I'll watch where she was with HBK at WM8 against Tito Santana.

One of my favorite Sherri moments was when she was trying to seduce the Ultimate Warrior into giving Randy Savage a title shot, then he screamed "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" in her face after she kissed him. :heart:

Damn. She was one of the best in the business.

Gonna miss ya Sheri. :'(

R.I.P.

It's sad that WWE just barely mentions this tragedy. Even Bam Bam got the front page for at least a few hours

RIP Sherri :(

Rest in peace, Sherri....
My prayers will be with the Martel family.

Damn.

RIP

Yeah, but they can't stop the McMahon coverage. THE SHOW MUST GO ON BAH GAWD!

I can't wait until somebody from WWE mentions the deaths of Sherri and Vince in the same sentence, without mentioning that one of them is fake.

:'( RIP

This has been a pretty bad year :(

Say hello to Miss Liz for me, Sherri. R.I.P. :(

...If they do mention one of them is fake, they'll probably have to explain which one to the fans....

Wow, R.I.P.

RIP

RIP Sherri, You were way too young to leave us, but your in a much better place and I will never forget all that you have done for Pro Wrestling.

It is crazy because I believe it was Fourfifty just Tues or Wed that had her as one of the anwsers to the Three of a Kind game linked with HBK, Dibiase and Flair, and she was also interviewed for the Families DVD that just came out a couple weeks back.

2007 has been a tragic year of passings (Bam Bam, Awesome, Skaaland, Ladd, Sherri etc) It has def been the most tragic since 2003 (Liz, Perfect, Hawk etc.) I just pray that no more happen this year.

Unfortunately the year is only half over. :-\

Yeah. And I just got the Ladder Match DVD and like right after I finished watching Bret/Michaels with Sherri I read that she had passed. :(

Wow, thats a mood killer right there :(

She was just announced last week to appear at our local Wrestling Legends Reunion show in October.

Funny how things work out.

It's a real shame. Many people call Elizabeth the first 'Diva', and Moolah the first 'lady wrestler', but Sherri was the first woman worth a shit in the business as far as I'm concerned, at least from a 'big-time' perspective. R.I.P., Sensational One.

whoever died of an adreneline overdose??

<font color=goldenrod>RIP</font> :(

DAMN THAT VINCE MCMAHON FOR NOT KNOWING SHERRI WAS GUNNA DIE A WEEK AFTER HE RAN ANOTHER BAD DEATH ANGLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DAMN HIM TO HELL!!!!!!!

Bah Gawd!

RIP. :(

RIP

:( RIP

.......So are you trying to be a cunt or is it just second nature?

R.I.P Sherri :(

Not really surprised after seeing her at the HOF, but she was Sensational.
RIP Sherry :(

Oh shit, I thought this was gonna be some fake news thanks to the Vince angle. Damn... and still so young. I never forget her for her days with Shawn and her overall character. They don't make them like that anymore.

RIP Sherri

http://www.wwe.com/inside/news/jimrossonssherri

By Jim Ross
Written: June 15, 2007

Sherri was tougher than a $2 steak, but had a heart of gold. Her genuine enthusiasm and love of the business was so evident when she was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame last year.

Sherri could out-cuss, out-drink, and could whip most men’s backsides, as she came up the hard way in the business during the male-dominated days of the old wrestling territories. I have personally never seen a woman as physically tough and fearless as Sherri Martel. She enhanced the career of so many Superstars, including her “Boy Toy” Shawn Michaels, among others.

The Good Lord broke the mold when He created Sherri, and now He has the lady back. I hope Sherri takes it easy on the men folk up in Heaven. We are all going to miss her.

I thought that was a nice little tribute by JR.

Damn, RIP. What happened? Heart attack?

Seems to be second nature...did this ass use to be Heyman?

I started watching around the time that she retired, so I know reletively nothing about her. But from what I do know and what I have read of her, it sounds like she was the old school Victoria...maybe even better. I really wish I had gotten to see her work.

RIP

EDIT: Maybe not retired, but not apart of the big 3...still it's sad to see here die at too early of an age.

Its sad that the WWFs top 3 women in 89-90 (Liz, Sherri, and Sapphire) have all passed on.

Yeah Sherri was an Old-School Victoria type. She managed many of the top stars (Savage, Dibiase, Shawn, Flair, Booker, Douglas) and was slated in WCW at various points to manage guys like Austin, HHH, and Regal,

So cause of death is still unknown?

Fuck man, that sucks. RIP :(

You laugh, but mark my words: It'll be CM Punk's listed cause of death when the Heroin takes him.

Nah! He's straight edge! Come on, man... wrestlers never lie.

Interesting that you said that, because I read this today...this may end up being more than just another death:

Not only did she die, but someone may have KILLED her?

Oh, and the other paragraph:

A damn shame that such a good angle has to be put into a "bad taste" column because of some conincidental shit.

But still...what kind of enemies did Sherri actually HAVE?!

R.I.P...one of the best HEEL managers from the past.

Well, she did cost Marty Jannetty his match with Shawn Michaels at Royal Rumble 93...:shifty:

I'm gutted by this news though. My earliest memories are Shawn Michaels and Sherri when Marty came back and was refelected in the mirror!!! She was ace.

RIP

And he deliberately hit her with that mirror. History of abuse.

:lol:

Imagine if they used wrestling angles as evidence.

Bubba Ray Dudley would be fucked if he ever got taken to court for spousal abuse!

Anyone who is enough of a coward to dive through a plate-glass window to escape Shawn Michaels is definitely capable of murder in my eyes.

"Your honor, we have video evidence here of Mr. Dudley physically abusing one Lita, one Stacy Kiebler, and one Mae Young..."

:rofl:

There you have it, case solved.