WWE Hall of Famer Paul Orndorff has passed away at the age of 71. His son Travis revealed the news on Instagram earlier today.
Paul Orndorff, better known to some wrestling fans as Mr. Wonderful has passed away at the age of 71. His son Travis Orndorff revealed the news on Instagram early on Monday afternoon. While it remains unclear what caused the WWE Hall of Famer's death at this time, Travis had let fans know his father was in poor health prior to his passing.
"It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of my father, Paul Parlette Orndorff Jr," Travis wrote on Instagram. "Most of you will remember him for his physique. Many will remember his intensity. But if I could only get you to understand and see his heart." You can check out Travis's touching tribute to his father in full below.
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Orndorff made a name for himself in the AWA before making the jump to WWE in the early 1980s. He battled and teamed with Hulk Hogan on a number of occasions during that time. However, the most notable of their battles came in the first-ever WrestleMania main event. Orndorff would team with fellow Hall of Famer Roddy Piper that night to take on Hogan and Mr. T. His time in WWE came to an end a few years after that, at which point Orndorff would sign for WCW.
Orndorff would eventually and deservedly return to the WWE fold so that he could be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Bobby Heenan, who Orndorff spent a lot of his time with both off and on-screen, was the man to induct him that night. That would be his final appearance in WWE until WrestleMania XXX where he appeared on-screen with the rest of the stars from WrestleMania's first-ever main event.
Orndorff was a heel for much of his career, and a darn good one at that. As his son Travis puts it in the post above, "as much as many of you hated him as a wrestler, he absolutely loved you for it." The mark of a true heel, and a huge loss to the wrestling business. Our thoughts go out to Travis and the rest of the Orndorff family at this time.
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