Ole Anderson Cause of Death, And Obituary: What Happened to Wrestler? Funeral Details
Ole Anderson, one of the most influential and notorious figures in professional wrestling history, has passed away at the age of 81. Anderson, whose real name was Alan Robert Rogowski, was a founding member of the legendary faction The Four Horsemen, along with Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, and Tully Blanchard. He was also a successful wrestler, manager, promoter, and booker, who left his mark on the industry with his blunt, tough-guy persona and his critical look at the business.
Early Life & Education
Anderson was born on September 22, 1942, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He started his wrestling career in the 1960s, working in various territories across the country. He adopted the name Ole, and claimed to be the brother of Gene Anderson, another wrestler from Minnesota. Together, they formed the Minnesota Wrecking Crew, a dominant tag team that won several championships in different promotions, such as the NWA and the AWA.
Anderson moved to Georgia in the early 1970s, where he became a major star in Georgia Championship Wrestling (GCW). He also worked as a booker for the promotion, creating and overseeing the storylines and matches. He was known for his realistic and gritty style of booking, which emphasized wrestling over entertainment. He also had a reputation for being outspoken and controversial, often clashing with other wrestlers, promoters, and fans.
Ole Anderson Obituary
| Name | Ole Anderson |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Alan Robert Rogowski |
| Born | September 22, 1942 |
| Died | February 26, 2024 |
| Death Cause | Not Revealed |
| Ring name(s) | Ole Anderson, Rock Rogowski, Al Rogowski |
| Billed height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) |
| Billed weight | 255 lb (116 kg) |
| Trained by | Dick the Bruiser, Verne Gagne |
| Debut | August 19, 1967 |
| Retired | April 1990 |
| Wikipedia | @Ole_Anderson |
Professional Life
In 1984, Anderson was involved in one of the most infamous incidents in wrestling history, known as “Black Saturday”. This was when Vince McMahon, the owner of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), bought GCW and replaced its programming on TBS with his own. Anderson, who was still the booker of GCW, refused to sell his shares to McMahon, and instead joined forces with Jim Crockett Jr., the owner of Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP), to form a new company called Championship Wrestling from Georgia (CWG).
Ole Anderson continued to work as a booker and a wrestler for JCP, which later became World Championship Wrestling (WCW). He also formed The Four Horsemen, one of the most influential and successful factions in wrestling history, with Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, and Tully Blanchard. The Four Horsemen were the epitome of heels, or villains, who cheated, lied, and attacked their opponents, while living a lavish and arrogant lifestyle. They feuded with some of the biggest names in wrestling, such as Dusty Rhodes, Sting, Lex Luger, and The Road Warriors.
Anderson retired from active wrestling in the late 1980s, due to injuries and age. He remained as a manager and a mentor for The Four Horsemen, until he was kicked out of the group by Flair in 1990. He then became an executive for WCW, working behind the scenes as a booker and a producer. He was also part of the creative team that came up with the idea of the New World Order (NWO), a faction that revolutionized wrestling in the mid-1990s.
Anderson left WCW in 1995, after a dispute with Eric Bischoff, the president of the company. He then retired from the wrestling business, and lived a quiet life in Minnesota. He was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2007, and was in hospice care before his death.
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A Legacy of Respect and Controversy
Anderson’s death was announced by his friend and fellow wrestler Ricky Morton, who posted a tribute on his Instagram account. “Rest in Paradise, Ole Anderson. You taught me so much in professional wrestling. You were tough as nails. You will be missed, my friend,” Morton wrote.
Many other wrestlers and personalities from the wrestling industry also expressed their condolences and respect for Anderson, such as Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Jim Ross, Jim Cornette, and Mick Foley. They praised Anderson for his contributions to the business, his influence as a wrestler and a booker, and his toughness and honesty.
However, Ole Anderson was also a polarizing figure, who had many enemies and critics in the wrestling world. He was known for his abrasive and confrontational attitude, his stubbornness and resistance to change, and his disdain for the modern style of wrestling. He also had a long-standing feud with Vince McMahon, whom he blamed for ruining the wrestling business with his entertainment-oriented approach. He refused to participate in any documentaries or Hall of Fame inductions by the WWE, and remained loyal to the NWA and WCW.
Anderson also had controversial opinions on many topics, such as race, politics, religion, and social issues. He often expressed his views in interviews and podcasts, which sometimes offended or angered people. He was also accused of being racist, sexist, homophobic, and anti-Semitic by some of his former colleagues and associates.
Anderson’s legacy is a complex and contradictory one, that reflects the nature of the wrestling business itself. He was a pioneer and a legend, who helped shape the industry and inspired generations of wrestlers and fans. He was also a rebel and a renegade, who challenged the status quo and spoke his mind. He was a hero and a villain, who entertained and enraged millions of people. He was Ole Anderson, and he will never be forgotten.
Funeral Details
According to his family, Anderson’s funeral will be held on Saturday, March 3, 2024, at 11 a.m., at the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. The service will be open to the public, but the family requests that donations be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in lieu of flowers. Anderson is survived by his wife, Sharon, his four children, and his nine grandchildren.
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