Earlier today, via numerous sources, it was announced that independent wrestling star Markus Crane passed away at the age of 33. There has been no official cause of death announced, but he passed away in his sleep overnight. Prior to his passing, Crane was making a return to independent wrestling following surgery on his skull. Since then, many independent companies and wrestlers have shared their thoughts and memories regarding Crane.
Awful news this morning.#RIPMarkusCrane
— Freelance Underground (@FreelanceUndrgd) December 27, 2021
Markus Crane Passes Away
What to Know About the Illinois-Born Star
Trained by Chris Hero, Markus Crane began his professional wrestling career in the late 2000s. The earliest companies he worked for included IWA-Unlimited and IWA Mid-South. In the latter company, he participated in the Prince of the Deathmatches and King of the Deathmatches tournaments, carving his deathmatch style that he would become closely associated with. In the years that followed, Crane became a regular competitor for DREAMWAVE Wrestling and AAW, winning the tag team titles of both promotions.
However, it was in Game Changer Wrestling, where he debuted in 2016, where he saw the lion’s share of his exposure. He debuted in June of that year at Zandig’s Tournament Of Survival. From there, he made multiple appearances for GCW, wrestling in deathmatch-style bouts against the likes of Jimmy Lloyd, Alex Colon, Matt Tremont, and the late Danny Havoc. Crane would go on to compete in the Tournament of Survival and the Nick Gage Invitational multiple times throughout the years, furthering his reputation as a deathmatch enthusiast.
💔
RIP MARKUS CRANE
You brightened our dysfunctional little world from the second you entered it.
Thank you for all the amazing memories that will last a lifetime.
I hope you knew just how loved you were by everyone!
— ICW No Holds Barred ⛓ (@ICWNHB) December 27, 2021
In December 2019, it was discovered that Markus Crane had an infection in his skull that was leaking into his brain. This resulted in him requiring surgery, evening requiring a portion of his skull to be removed so that the treatment would work. From here, a GoFundMe would be launched, assisting Crane in paying medical expenses following surgery. Crane spent the year 2020 recovering from surgery. This past April, however, he made his return to wrestling at GCW’s Planet Death event, picking up a victory over Kit Osbourne.
LWOPW sends its condolences to the family, friends, peers, and fans of Markus Crane around the world.
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world.
