Jaka (real name Jonathan Echevarria), who was the former EVOLVE Tag Team Champion, is in critical condition following a heart attack. His sister Annette confirmed the news and created a GoFundMe campaign to assist with medical costs and future care.
Family Statement
During the fundraiser, Annette told the story of how the family is turning to faith to support each other in this hard period. She characterized Jonathan as a person who always made the people around him laugh and was full of vitality. A fun, lovable guy who is everything to his family. She explained that seeing him in such a condition has been incredibly hard, but the family remains strong and focused on his recovery.
Annette added that the monetary consequences of hospitalization, physical rehabilitation, and lost working days are already accumulating. The fundraiser was launched to ease the financial burden on the family as Jaka focuses on his recovery.
Fundraiser Support Grows
The GoFundMe campaign has so far collected over 20,000 dollars out of the 45,000 target. Some of the donors include wrestling personalities, such as AEW President Tony Khan, who gave a contribution of $5,000. A former AEW World Champion, MJF (Maxwell Jacob Friedman), contributed 300$. Family, friends, and fans of Jaka still hope that he will recover completely and are rallying behind him by making donations and sending messages.
Jaka’s Wrestling Career
His hard-hitting style, versatility, and charisma established him as a distinguished singles and tag team competitor. Jaka started his career in professional wrestling in the late 2000s and is most popular for his work in EVOLVE Wrestling. Jaka scored the greatest milestone of his career in EVOLVE Wrestling by becoming the EVOLVE Tag Team champions with Chris Dickinson.
The duo won both titles, and their second reign was an impressive 400 days, one of the longest in the history of the promotion. During that run, they also won those titles against Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan at WWE WrestleMania Axxess 2018.
Outside EVOLVE, Jaka also worked in promotions like Beyond Wrestling, Chikara, and GCW, and he continued to impress fans and colleagues with his strong, yet agile in-ring presence. It was not only his championships that made him one of the most reliable wrestlers in the independents, but also the respect he earned among the entire wrestling community.
We wish nothing but the absolute best and speedy recovery for Jaka.
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