Former WWE Developmental Wrestler Found Dead Published by Ryan Clark on 12/04/2008 at 03:33 PM
Steve Bradley, who worked a number of dark matches for WWE in the late 1990s and early 2000s was found dead this morning in a parking lot across the street from a where he once operated a pro wrestling school in Manchester, New Hampshire. The former WWE developmental wrestler was 32 years old.
Bradley started wrestling in 1991 when he was 15 or 16 years old around the east coast. In late 1998, he signed a developmental contract with WWE and was assigned to their developmental camp at Power Pro Wrestling in Memphis, Tennessee. Kurt Angle was signed at the same time and the two feuded over the Power Pro Wrestling Championship, which was voted "Underrated Feud of the Year" by Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Bradley was actually the first wrestler to defeat Kurt Angle.
In 1999, Bradley won the third annual ECWA Super 8 tournament, defeating current TNA wrestler Christopher "Curry Man" Daniels.
During his time under contract to WWE, Bradley worked for the Heartland Wrestling Association, Ohio Valley Wrestling and other promotions affiliated with WWE at the time, including IWA Puerto Rico and Memphis Championship Wrestling. During his time in MCW, Bradley won their heavyweight title, defeating the wrestler now known as R-Truth. Bradley worked a number of dark matches prior to WWE television tapings as well as house shows, but ultimately, never made the main roster. His work was said to be similar to that of Rob Van Dam, and once he joined WWE in the summer of 2001, Bradley got lost in the shuffle. Bradley was ultimately released in the summer of 2002 during a talent purge.
Following his release from WWE, Bradley returned to the New England area and opened a wrestling school, Top Rope Wrestling Academy, which was shut down within the past six months.
Bradley dealt with personal issues over the years and was one of the former talents who took up WWE's offer of getting help within the past year.
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