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Former pro wrestling star "Macho Man" Randy Savage is dead after suffering a heart attack while driving near Tampa, Fla., on Friday morning, according to TMZ.
The celebrity gossip website reported that Savage, whose real name is Randy Poffo, lost control of his Jeep Wrangler and crashed into a tree went he went into medical distress.
Poffo was 58.
His wife Lynn was a passenger in the vehicle but survived with "minor injuries," TMZ reported.
Members of the Florida Highway Patrol are investigating. An autopsy is scheduled to confirm the cause of death.
Savage was a wrestling superstar in the late 1980s and 1990s, first with the World Wrestling Federation and later with World Championship Wrestling, holding various championship belts.
He was well-known for spouting catchphrases in his rough and raspy voice, scripted and real-life feuds with the likes of Hulk Hogan and colourful ring attire.
Friends, former co-workers and a legion of fans took to the Internet with condolences and messages of disbelief upon learning of Poffo's death.
On Twitter, the hashtag #ripmachoman was one of the world's top trending topics Friday afternoon, along with the words "Savage," "WrestleMania" and "Hulk Hogan," who was an in-ring ally and foe during Poffo's wrestling career.
Hogan tweets: 'We miss him'
Hogan tweeted about Poffo's death, saying the pair "finally started to talk and communicate" after 10 years of silence.
"He had so much life in his eyes & in his spirit, I just pray that he's happy and in a better place and we miss him," Hogan wrote on his official Twitter account.
Former WWE star Trish Stratus, who hails from Richmond Hill, offered her condolences on Twitter.
"Rest in peace Randy - my first inspiration in the ring. My prayers & condolences to the Savage family," Stratus tweeted.
-cp24.com
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