When I first got hooked on professional wrestling years ago, I watched a lot of tapes, and Dr. Death Steve Williams was a favorite of mine. No matter what he was supposed to be in the ring, good or bad, he was always a favorite. If he and Terry Gordy were supposed to be villains, sorry, I couldn’t go with it. He was just too cool to hate.
I was really too busy to keep up with wrestlers that were no longer on tv when my mom was sick. After she died, it came to my attention that Steve had “beat” cancer (as well as you can anyway) and efforts were underway to help him out financially. Dr. Death had become Dr. Life. At that exact moment in time, I needed something good like that.
It wasn’t long before an announcement was made that cancer had returned. Obviously the hope was that Steve would give the disease another big running powerslam and put it outs of its misery. This time however, the cancer was not going to be denied.
Dr. Death always came across to me as one tough son of a bitch, and I’ve heard since from people who really knew him that he always was. Sometimes a battle just isn’t going to be won, but he went into it with full body armor and a never say die attitude. It’s another situation where it just isn’t fair. He didn’t die of a drug overdose, or a steroid-induced heart attack, or take his own life. He just came up against a natural opponent that didn’t want to lose, even if he gave it a major Oklahoma beating.
I’d love to say that I can’t imagine what his friends and family are feeling right now but unfortunately, I can all too well. I wish them the best because it’s going to be tough. All I can hope for them is to be able to draw in some of the same strength and determination that made Dr. Death into Dr. Life.
Other Links: Wrestlers Rescue
Dec 30th by Tribal Dancer
