The wrestling world mourns the loss of one of the greatest wrestlers of all time: Kevin Sullivan. For each WWESullivan passed away at the age of 74 on Friday, and while an official cause of death has yet to be revealed, it’s no secret that he had been battling a number of health issues over the past few months. In May 2024, Sullivan was reportedly involved in a devastating, undisclosed accident in Florida that required surgery to save his leg, and a GoFundMe campaign set up by his daughter Nicole states that Taskmaster suffered complications from the surgery, including “blood poisoning and encephalitis.”
Sullivan began his wrestling career in the early 1970s, wrestling as both a face and a heel. His first major impact on the business came through Florida's Championship Wrestling in the early 1980s, where he portrayed a demonic character known as the Boston Battler who feuded with legends such as Dusty Rhodes, Barry Windham, and Mike Graham. From there, Sullivan went on to find success in Jim Crockett Promotions, Smoky Mountain Wrestling, Extreme Championship Wrestling, and World Championship Wrestling, where he had a classic rivalry with the legendary Hulk Hogan.
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Known as one of the most creative minds in the business, Sullivan transitioned from wrestling to booker for WCW, where he created storylines for shows that elevated young stars. His most notable angles were the ones he booked between himself and his wife and the late Chris Benoit, which eventually saw Sullivan's marriage dissolve, with his wife Nancy Toffoloni eventually divorcing him to marry Benoit.
The wrestling world remembers Kevin Sullivan.
Having worked with nearly everyone in the wrestling business over the years, Sullivan’s impact was undeniable. Although people were aware of his recent health issues, his passing still sent shock waves through the community, with legends past and present paying tribute to the legendary performer. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Ric Flair, who had more than one encounter with Sullivan over the years, called him “a great athlete and friend of all time.”
Adam Pearce, the current general manager of WWE's flagship Monday Night Raw show, celebrated Sullivan's contributions to wrestling in a post, posting a photo of the two of them together.
Paul Levesque, who currently serves as WWE's Chief Content Officer and is known around the world as Triple H, praised Sullivan's creative genius in his position.
Jake Roberts, who was a student of Sullivan's in his early days, also paid tribute to his old friend.
It's clear that Sullivan left a lasting impact on the wrestling world, and while he's now gone to reignite old feuds with other legends who left us too soon, his contributions to the business will never be forgotten. We here at MovieWeb send our deepest condolences to the Sullivan family during this difficult time.
