Some sad news out of Canada, as former Canadian indie wrestler “Dr. Hannibal” Steve Gillespie has passed away at the age of 56. Steve Gillespie was found unresponsive in his car on January 18, 2020. In a cruel twist of fate, a week prior to his death, his longtime tag partner in Japan, Dr. Luther, made his debut with All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
Sad news to pass along this evening, I just heard that Steve Gillespie, best known for his time as "Dr. Hannibal" in the FMW promotion (partners with Dr. Luther) passed away today at the age of 56. We at the CAC wish his friends and family our condolances in their time of need. pic.twitter.com/HRo3s4eH8y
— CauliflowerAlleyClub (@CACReunion) January 19, 2020
Hailing from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Gillespie was a student of the infamous Hart Dungeon in his home city, debuting with Stampede Wrestling in the late 1980s. Over the years, he would become a mainstay in Canadian Western indies, working with Canada NWA and his own promotion, based around his wrestling school in Calgary, Can-Am Wrestling. Gillespie was also one of Lance Storm and Chris Jericho‘s early mentors.
Gillespie is best remembered for his three year run in Japan with Frontier Martial-arts Wrestling (FMW), where he teamed with Dr. Luther. The two became known for their hard-hitting styles that often brought them into Japanese deathmatches.
When WWE came to town during the 90s, he was often used as an enhancement, where he just used his real name. The staff of Last Word on Pro Wrestling sends its sincerest condolences to Steve Gillespie’s family, friends, fans, and peers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_E66WJGkVY
I just learned that Steve Gillespie passed away. I doubt that many of you know who he is but he was a local Calgary wrestler here in Calgary when I broke in. He was a Stampede Wrestling prelim guy, who also had a brief run in FMW teaming with @RasselinDoc
— Lance Storm (@LanceStorm) January 19, 2020
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