Droz Passes Away at Age 54

Former WWE wrestler Droz, real name Darren Drozdov, passed away earlier today at the age of 54.

Drozdov’s passing was first announced by his family in an official statement to WWE stating that he had passed away from natural causes.

We are sad to share our beloved Darren passed away this morning of natural causes.  There are no words to convey the deep sense of loss and sadness we are feeling right now.

Darren, affectionately known as “Droz,” was involved in a tragic ring accident while wrestling for the WWE in 1999 that rendered him a quadriplegic.  Nevertheless, Droz maintained a championship mindset and lived every day to the fullest even though he was unable to move from the neck down for the past 24 years.  His own words sum up his relentless positivity in the midst of adversity: “There is always another day. Just because I’m paralyzed and stuck in a wheelchair, doesn’t mean my life is over. I’ve learned to live again, and my life is far from over.”

We lived this journey with him over the past 24 years. We were always there through the good times and the bad, and provided him with our unconditional love. We would like to extend our deepest appreciation to everyone. All of his fans, teammates, colleagues, and friends for all the love and support he received over the years.  You all gave him meaning, purpose and something to live for.  He loved each and every one of you and cherished the conversations, notes and letters he received.  His faith in humanity never faltered, so know that for all the love you’ve shown him, he loved you back.

We also would also like to thank WWE for treating him like family, and for all of their love, support and stepping up to make sure that Darren always had the proper care and treatment needed to live in his condition over the past 24 years.

He was a devoted son, brother, and friend who had always put others first, especially his family.  He was kind, generous and was always there for his people. He was our guiding light who lit up our lives with infinite love and wonder. His smile was healing. His warmth, love, and laughter were infectious. We could always turn to him for wisdom and solace and his absence feels like a giant hole in our family and our hearts.

Everyone who knew Darren was a better person because of it.  He taught everyone so much about how to look at life: how to put things in perspective, how to overcome adversity, and how to show compassion for others.  He would not want anyone to be sad at this moment and would want to this to be a celebration of his life, to be remembered for all the great things that he accomplished, the fun, the laughter, the great memories he shared with everyone.

Drozdov’s career in wrestling spanned from November of 1997 to October of 1999 and worked in ECW and WWE.

Drozdov’s career was cut short following an in-ring accident during a match with D’Lo Brown in WWE that was taped on October 5, 1999 for the October 7th SmackDown show which resulted in WWE never airing this match. Brown attempted to give a powerbomb to Drozdov but slipped on a wet part of the mat resulting in Drozdov landing on his head and fracturing two vertebrae in his neck. This accident originally left Drozdov as a quadriplegic but he was able to regain some upper body movement afterwards. In multiple interviews over the years, Drozdov stated that he held no hard feelings towards Brown and that his injury was just an accident.

Following his in-ring retirement, Drozdov had worked as a writer for WWE’s magazine and online website.

Prior to his career in wrestling, Drozdov worked as a professional football player in the NFL for the Denver Broncos from 1993 to 1995 and in the Canadian Football League for the Montreal Alouettes in 1996.