Wrestler Markus Crane is dead, according to a post from Game Changer Wrestling.
“With sadness GCW mourns the loss of Markus Crane,” the company wrote in a Facebook tribute that announced Crane’s death at the age of 33.
“As a performer, Markus embodied the spirit of GCW. He was an underdog and an outlaw. He was fearless in the ring and determined to succeed against the odds. He played a major role in GCW’s early success and was part of the heart and soul of our roster from day one.”
According to Wrestling, Inc., his most famous matches came in 2018 and 2017. In those matches, he was “competing in the finals of the 2018 Nick Gage Invitational, where he wrestled Gage and Japanese deathmatch legends Isami Kodaka and Masashi Takeda, and a match at the 2017 Nick Gage Invitational one year earlier, where he wrestled Daisuke Masaoka,” the site wrote.
A cause of death was not released.
Here’s what you need to know:
Crane Suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury in 2019 But Had Made a ‘Miraculous Recovery’
According to Game Changer Wrestling, Crane had recovered once from a life-threatening injury.
“Markus was passionate about GCW and Deathmatch Wrestling. We were proud to have him represent GCW at Korauken Hall during our inaugural tour of Japan,” the site wrote.
“In 2019, Markus suffered a traumatic brain injury that nearly took his life. We were all inspired (but not surprised) as he made a miraculous recovery and worked tirelessly to make his eventual return to the ring.”
It continued, “Most recently, Markus returned home to his family with a commitment to focusing his energy towards a healthier lifestyle. He had celebrated a series of milestones in his sobriety which he was proud to show off and left us all excited for his future. As a friend, Markus was caring and loyal. He was quick to smile or bring a smile to your face. We were all lucky to know him. Rest in peace markus. We will miss you.”
I just heard the news that Markus Crane has passed away.
One of my best friends. Completely crushed. I’m going to miss our recklessness and laughs.
I’ll be pouring one out and talking much more about him on the @WIncDaily at 5 pm EST.
Wrestling Inc. noted that he retired after a brain infection in 2019.
People Declared Crane’s Death ‘Soul Crushing’ in Tributes
People wrote tributes to Crane on the Game Changer Wrestling comment thread. Here are some of those comments:
“I am devastated to see this post I will miss you dearly you were a great friend to me my condolences to every one that knew this gentle man.”
“This is soul crushing… 😢”
“I never knew him or saw him wrestle but have always heard so much about him. As a pro wrestling fan of 42 years it saddens me when any pro wrestler passes away but even more so when they leave this world at a young age….rest easy Markus,you will be deeply missed!..”
“Such an amazing human, glad I was able to know him and support his love of wrestling. All my love for the family.”
“Condolences to his friends and family.”
“I’m sorry for everyone’s loss. He was a good dude.”
A friend wrote in a tribute post, “You don’t make a lot of true friends in wrestling when you do those ones are special and they mean something to you. For 10 plus years I got to call Markus Crane my friend. When people were dropping off SSC1 for more money from another place. Markus valued our friendship over money and came down to Memphis and held me together that entire weekend. I can’t process this one and I don’t know how long it’s gonna take me to process it. Wherever you are now I hope you find your peace.”
Another friend wrote, “As more and more confirmation stories are coming out, this is sad. Markus Crane was the epitome of modern Deathmatch Wrestling and was one of the sparks to start the new wave style of deathmatches that we’re currently in. We were more acquaintances than friends, but he was always nice to me every show we were on together….Markus always stole the show every night he was booked. His match with Homeless Jimmy at Guardians of Hardcore was my favorite to watch from the curtain.”
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